Amy-Lynn Albertson: Bringing the Rowan Healthy Living Demonstration Gardens to life

Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 6, 2025

By Amy-Lynn Albertson
N.C. Cooperative Extension

The Rowan County Extension Master Gardener Association is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. The Master Gardeners are committed to bringing the Rowan Healthy Living Demonstration Gardens to life. Your contribution can make a significant difference!

The Rowan Healthy Living Demonstration Gardens, located at the Rowan Community Center, will double the space available for volunteers and educators to work. This expansion will facilitate community gardening, horticultural therapy and the creation of accessible gardens, surpassing the old demonstration gardens on Old Concord Road.

In our plan, we will plant trees, shrubs and perennials to help manage runoff in rain gardens and swales. Studies have shown that high levels of impervious surfaces can harm watersheds and the ecological services they provide. The Rowan Community Center is situated in the Grants Creek Watershed, which has been deemed impaired by the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Grant’s Creek has been classified as threatened due to issues like fecal coliform and turbidity, as well as flooding and stormwater runoff concerns.

Our initiatives include planting rain gardens and bioswales, and creating permeable walkways throughout the garden. The Cooperative Extension and the Soil and Water District will work together to use the rain garden for educational purposes. The Cooperative Extension provides continuing education credits for pesticide applicators, and the gardens will serve as a space for hands-on demonstration and teaching. The Soil and Water District hosts the Envirothon, an annual environmental educational competition for youth.

These gardens will provide green space and access to healthy food for residents of the West End Plaza Neighborhood. In Rowan County, 20.6 percent of children face food insecurity. The Healthy Living Demonstration Gardens will serve as both a food source and a place for community socialization. The Cooperative Extension will engage directly with participants to assist them in preparing healthy meals using produce from the garden.

To see the plan for the Healthy Living Demonstration Gardens designed by Landscape Architect Preston Montague, go to www.rowancountymastergardeners.org. You can also make a donation to the Rowan County Extension Master Gardeners on our site to help us bring this vision to life. If you have questions about how to become a Master Gardener Volunteer will be offering an information class on Friday, Dec. 12, 1-2 p.m. about out upcoming 2026 course and what you need to do in order to apply. Please call 704-216-8970 or email alalbert@ncsu.edu for more information.

Amy-Lynn Albertson is director of the Rowan County Extension.