This month’s Yard of the Month is a little different. No perfectly clipped hedges, no prize rosebush, no enviable front porch planters. Instead, we’re giving the nod to a whole schoolyard.

Over at Lipscomb Elementary, quite a lot has been happening. The old basketball court has been replaced, new playground equipment is in, a stubborn drainage problem has finally been tackled, and a garden that had gone quiet is getting another chance to grow.

And then there was Lake Lipscomb.

For years, a troublesome underground pipe created a soggy little landmark that nobody had exactly asked for. Fixing the pipe turned into a bigger project when crews discovered it ran directly under the playground. Parts of the old equipment had to come out, replacement pieces were no longer available, and what started as a repair ended with a brand-new playground.

As for the “lake”? It has been replaced by a small soccer field. We think that’s an upgrade.

The garden has had a makeover of its own. The old wooden beds, worn down after years of use and the disruptions of COVID, have been replaced with sturdy metal raised beds. Irrigation has been improved, and an outdoor classroom now gives students a place to gather, learn, dig, plant, and discover what happens when you put a seed in the ground and actually remember to water it.

But this is where the story gets even better.

The plan isn’t simply to restore a school garden. The goal is to create a community garden in the heart of Junius Heights—a place shared by Lipscomb students, families, teachers, staff, and neighbors.

And it really is becoming a community effort. The Lipscomb PTA, Junius Heights Historic District, the Dallas Exchange Club, and neighborhood residents are coming together to help make it happen, with Promise of Peace Gardens bringing the experience and know-how to help turn the vision into a garden that can grow—and keep growing—for years to come.

Lipscomb has a special advantage: its grounds are recognized by the City of Dallas and Dallas ISD as a community park, so neighbors can use the space when school isn’t in session. That opens the garden gate, quite literally, to the rest of us.

The possibilities are pretty wonderful: kids and adults planting vegetables together, pollinator beds buzzing with life, neighbors learning from one another, and eventually even a garden-to-table experience where food grown on the grounds is harvested, cooked, and enjoyed together.

There is also hope that, as the garden becomes more productive, part of the harvest can be shared with neighborhood families who could use a little extra fresh produce.

Of course, anyone who has ever planted tomatoes in May and stared at crispy vines in August knows that starting a garden is the easy part. Keeping one going takes planning, persistence, and plenty of hands. That is where Promise of Peace Gardens comes in—working with the Lipscomb PTA, JHHD, school families, and neighborhood volunteers to build the programs, partnerships, and community involvement that will help the garden thrive year after year and become a lasting part of neighborhood life.

So this month, Yard of the Month goes to a place that is still very much a work in progress. There are beds to fill, seeds to plant, vegetables to grow, and probably a few weeds waiting patiently for their moment.

But something good is taking root at Lipscomb—and this is one garden we won’t just watch grow. We can have a hand in growing it.