19 Years Ago, 50 Cent Joined Forces with Bette Midler to Transform a Destitute Queens Lot. It’s Still a Thriving Community Garden
19 Years Ago, 50 Cent Joined Forces with Bette Midler to Transform a Destitute Queens Lot. It’s Still a Thriving Community Garden
Colson ThayerThu, September 24, 2026 at 4:42 PM UTC
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Credit: 50 Cent/Instagram -
50 Cent partnered with Bette Midler in 2007 to revitalize a neglected green space in Jamaica, Queens
The Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden features fruit trees, a rainwater system, and solar-powered upgrades
The garden hosts events like yoga, gardening classes, and open mic nights, fostering community engagement year-round
In the heart of Jamaica, Queens, sits a quarter-acre lot that serves as a multi-functional gathering space complete with community gardens and even a little free library. The plot features conservation-focused features like a rainwater harvesting system and a solar-powered water pump. But the garden wouldn’t be what it is today without the support of Queens native 50 Cent.
In 2007, the “In da Club” rapper, now 51, joined forces with New York Restoration Project (NYRP) founder and actress Bette Midler to bring new life to a once-forgotten green space formerly known as the Baisley Park Community Garden.
During an August interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, recalled what inspired the project. He explained that the Hocus Pocus star invited him to a NYRP banquet during which the organization was auctioning off trees to be planted throughout New York City. After raising his paddle for 10 cherry trees at $2,500 apiece, the pair joined forces to bring the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden to life.
“When I realized what they did, I was like, ‘Yo, I want to do that in my neighborhood,’ ” 50 Cent told the host.
Financial support for the garden was underwritten by 50 Cent’s G-Unity Foundation. Teams worked with acclaimed landscape architect and designer Walter Hood to create the space. Following months of work, the site opened in November 2008.
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Today, the garden has an underground cistern that uses rainwater to irrigate it. Meanwhile, six 10-foot-tall blue funnels act as a catchment system and provide shade for relaxation and a place for kids to play underneath.
Spread across the 30 garden beds are a variety of fruit trees including peach, apple, plum, cherry and nectarine, according to New York City Tourism. The beds are raised only a few feet off the ground so both young children and senior citizens have the ability to garden.
In 2020, the space received additional upgrades including a solar-powered water pump and brand new garden beds thanks to Hood and The Knight Foundation. This year, the garden continued to grow with the addition of a triangular-top walkway trellis.
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Today, the garden hosts a variety of community events including introductory gardening courses, youth programming, open mic nights and garden yoga. Gardeners at any level are encouraged to attend regularly scheduled open volunteer sessions on Sunday afternoons from April through late October.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
