Malden Community Orchard adds a mural to all the fruit

Take a look at how volunteers helped turn a plain fence, in a Lents neighborhood garden space, into a work of art …

In outer East Portland, at the Malden Court Community Orchard, volunteer artists paint colorful designs on the north fence..

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

In 2015, volunteers who wanted to plant more than a ‘community garden’ decided to create an orchard off SE Flavel Street and 87th Avenue. This urban grove became known as the Malden Community Court Orchard.

CLICK HERE to see how volunteers turned this unused plot of land, owned by the City of Portland into an orchard.

On August 28, volunteers gathered to paint a mural on the fence to help identify the Green Lents project for those along the Springwater Trail.

Decorating the fence is Green Lents Program Director Jasmine Co.

“The idea to do this came up last year, after we put in new fences,” explained Green Lents Program Director Jasmine Co, as the painting was underway.

“We wanted to create some art to it that would add some color, beauty, and place-making,” she told East Portland News.

Providing most of the artistic work are Lents Youth Initiative interns.

“We’re grateful to Miller Paint for giving us paint, at a discount to paint the mural,” Co acknowledged.

If you were not already aware of this project, it includes topical orchard trees like apple, plum, Asian pear, and persimmon, along also with unconventional fruits, like pawpaw.

There are berries, currents, gooseberries, and blueberries. The Malden Court Community Orchard is an “open forage Community Orchard” – anybody can come by for food during daylight hours, ending at sunset.

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