A neighborhood garden planted over nine years ago where people once threw their trash has now become the gem of the neighborhood.

The garden on Kappock Street in Spuyten Duyvil has bloomed after Rita Freed spent nine years creating it.

Once an unofficial dumping grounds for neighbors’ garbage, the garden that spans almost a whole block has become a gem of the neighborhood.

With love and care, Freed has turned it into a forest of flowers using soil from the Department of Sanitation and water from nearby buildings.

She says she enjoys digging around in the garden and always feels there is a deeper meaning to her work.

Freed says she is always looking for volunteers to help maintain the beauty of the garden.