'Adding some beauty': Holland man plans urban garden on vacant land

HOLLAND — A local man has big plans for a plot of land at 648 Hastings Ave. in Holland, where he hopes to turn his passion for horticulture into an urban garden.

Bruce Eckert presented the concept to the Holland Planning Commission in mid-September. The plan includes native prairie grasses, native wildflowers, an approximately 5,500-square-foot garden, fruit trees and two structures — a small shed and a greenhouse.

Eventually, he'd like to establish an organic vegetable garden, too.

"This has more land than I really need or want for even a large garden, so my plan is to carve a piece out of the middle, put a fence around it, and grow fruits and vegetables inside that space," Eckert told commissioners.

The property is close to Eckert's home, and he'll generally walk or ride his bike to the garden. He plans to build a small driveway for off-street parking.

“From a community standpoint, this is very consistent with the city’s sustainability and development goals,” he said. “It preserves open space, it adds some variety to the neighborhood, adds some beauty to it, encourages pollinators, helps with stormwater runoff.”

His wife, Amy, also spoke to commissioners, highlighting her husband's passion.

“Since before we were married, Bruce has talked about (having) an organic fruit and vegetable farm someday — and this coming Sunday, we will be married 40 years,” she said. “It’s been a long time that this has been a dream of his.”

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Commissioners agreed to make Eckert's dream a reality, voting unanimously in favor.

Now, the work begins.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com .

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'Adding some beauty': Holland man plans urban garden on vacant land