The Wellness Garden

“...all flourishing is mutual.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer

About this project:

In an effort towards rewilding Cincinnati's urban spaces and create a much-needed greenspace for community and education in Camp Washington, interdisciplinary artist, ecologist, and resident artist Julia Orquera Bianco partnered with local nonprofit The Well, and The Well-landlord Sean Mullaney (Campsite Art Park), to create The Wellness Garden during the summer of 2024.

This space is an urban nature and contemplation corridor for public use that connects Colerain Ave. and Henshaw St. through an accessible, wandering pathway. This pathway will be surrounded by spaces for pause and contemplation. This pathway is adjacent to and connected to The Well’s Planet Love mural and pocket park, designed and installed in 2023 as part of a partnership between ArtWorks’ seasonal youth employment program and The Well with the collaboration of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.

Throughout the summer, numerous community engagement activities were held in the Garden, including several volunteer days building different aspects of the Garden and a number of art-making and nature-based workshops to bring The Well's community and Camp Washington at large into this greenspace.

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Read about Julia's story of creating The Wellness Garden below:

Introduction: a story not about a garden

Chapter 1: yesterday I dreamt of a garden

Chapter 2: Laberintos

Chapter 3: The Exit is Collective

If you would like to support the Wellness Garden, if would like to donate plants for The Wellness Garden and The Labyrinth, or if you're just interested in learning more, you can reach out to Julia.

History:

Camp Washington is a neighborhood in Cincinnati with a complex economic, environmental, and cultural history. By the end of the 19th century, this neighborhood had established itself as an industrial center, where manufacturing grew consistently and helped American families weather the Great Depression. However, in the 1970’s the neighborhood started suffering a transformation due to deindustrialization that involved the emigration to a large portion of its neighbors. Today, only 10% of its peak population lives in Camp Washington.

The years of substantial industrial growth left scars with deep environmental costs to the neighborhood: according to the City of Cincinnati Neighborhood Profile, Camp Washington has 0.7% tree canopy cover (ranked 47th of all 52 neighborhoods of Cincinnati), and is ranked 49th for percent of land in parks and greenspaces (roughly 1%).