Richard Abrons, Liz Christy, and former Mayor Ed Koch (holding a zucchini) at a Plant-A-Lot Garden opening in the early 1981.

Richard Abrons has been one of GrowNYC’s gardens’ greatest supporters.

In 1978, Richard and Liz Christy founded Plant-A-Lot (PAL), a material and technical resource for underserved neighborhoods where volunteers devoted years of sweat equity to convert vacant lots into community gardens. Richard and Liz partnered on 17 projects before Liz passed away in 1989.

PAL is active today and leveraged millions of dollars of private funding for many of the community gardens and park playgrounds known as Lots-for-Tots throughout the five boroughs. A New York City treasure, Richard is a generous philanthropist, serves on the board of GrowNYC, and is also an author and playwright! Thank you, Richard!

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This fall GrowNYC will build its 100th community garden. To celebrate, we are sharing stories from GrowNYC gardening history! We are so honored to have Liz Christy as part of our story.

But these stories are far from over…

You can help ensure that all New Yorkers have access to green space by making a donation today to GrowNYC's New Garden Fund.