A group of Clayton County residents say the community garden at the Gerald Matthews Complex was removed with little notice, ending a volunteer-led project that had grown into a small but active gardening community.
Located behind the park’s maintenance building near the duck pond, the garden contained 25 raised beds maintained by approximately 14 to 15 gardeners. Participants say they invested their own money and labor into the garden for several years.
Today, the beds are gone.
Gardeners say they were shocked when they learned the Clayton County community garden would be repurposed.
A Volunteer Garden Built by Clayton County Residents
The garden at the Gerald Matthews Complex was largely maintained by the gardeners themselves.
Chasity Rowe, who helped coordinate communication among participants, said she had been involved with the garden since April 2022.
“My last day at the garden was February 28,” Rowe said.
Rowe said the notice came directly from the commissioner’s office.
“It was definitely a shock,” she said. “The communication came directly to me from the commissioner’s office around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. that evening. It was not a group communication.”
According to Rowe, most of the garden’s maintenance was supported by volunteers rather than county funding.
“The members primarily provided everything,” she said.
Previous County Support Was Limited
Rowe explained that under the previous administration, the county mainly supported basic park maintenance around the Clayton County community garden.
This included grass maintenance, trash removal and installation of a second water spigot
The additional spigot allowed gardeners to water both sides of the garden more efficiently.
“That was a major improvement for us,” Rowe said.
Aside from those services, the gardeners themselves purchased soil, seeds, and other materials.
Gardeners Say Earlier Conversations Suggested Expansion
Participants say the removal of the garden was especially surprising because of conversations that occurred months earlier.
According to gardeners, a representative from the commissioner’s office visited the site in May 2025 and asked how the garden might be improved.
“At that time we were told we had nothing to worry about,” one gardener said. “The plan was actually to expand the garden and make improvements.”
Gardeners say those discussions left them with the impression that the Clayton County garden project would continue.
Experienced Gardeners Were Involved
Several gardeners involved in the project say the group included people with formal agricultural training.
One participant holds a degree in horticulture, while Marjorie Thomas said she has a degree in agriculture and certification as a master gardener.
To become a master gardener, Thomas explained, applicants must pass background checks and complete training.
“So this is a group of people with expertise,” Thomas said. “We could have helped support youth programs if that had been the goal.”
Winter Crops Forced to Be Removed
Because the notice came during the winter growing season, gardeners say they were forced to remove crops early.
“If you’re not a gardener, you might not understand the value of what’s growing in winter,” Thomas said.
Plants already growing in the beds included onions, cabbage, and cauliflower
“When we were told to leave, people had to pull up their crops immediately,” Thomas said. “Some even removed the soil they purchased because everything in the garden had been paid for by the gardeners.”
Visitors who returned to the site afterward said the Clayton County community garden space was largely empty.
Gardeners Say They Never Met the Commissioner
During a conversation with We Are Clayton Magazine, publisher Gerrian Hawes asked whether gardeners had met Clayton County Commissioner Tashé Allen directly.
Rowe said a meet-and-greet was scheduled in May 2025, but the event did not occur.
“I notified the gardeners by email after hearing from one of the commissioner’s constituent aides,” Rowe said. “But the commissioner never showed up.”
According to Rowe, most communication occurred through aides from the commissioner’s office.
Possible Future Use of the Space
Gardeners say they were told the space may be used for programming involving at-risk youth.
However, some gardeners say they would have welcomed the opportunity to contribute their knowledge to those programs.
“With the experience we have in this group, we could have worked with youth,” Thomas said.
Instead, gardeners say the decision came quickly and without consultation.
“We just believe things should be done the right way,” Thomas said. “People should be given notice and treated with respect.”
What Happens Next for the Gerald Matthews Complex Garden Site?
The future of the Gerald Matthews Complex garden space has not been publicly detailed.
Gardeners say they hope county officials will eventually meet with them to discuss what happened and whether future community gardening opportunities could exist elsewhere in Clayton County.
For now, the raised beds that once held vegetables and volunteer labor sit empty—marking the end of a small community project that many believed still had room to grow.