Jonna’s Garden

A purple memorial sign in Jonna's Garden with white text reading 'JONNA'S GARDEN' and a floral illustration. Below, it says 'In Memory of Jonna Gane Lazarus, Landscape Designer, Founding Board Member of Parks and People.' The sign notes the garden was designed by Julie Higgins, sponsored by family and friends, and dedicated in October 2025. The garden features plants, trees, and a paved pathway, with several raised garden beds and a wooded background.

2100 Liberty Heights Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21217
Neighborhood: Mondawmin

A memorial garden in honor of Jonna Lazarus on the Parks & People campus.

Envisioned by Fred Lazarus in honor of his late wife, Jonna Lazarus—a former board member and passionate advocate—the memorial garden replaces the former Branches garden and offers a thoughtfully designed space for reflection and community connection. Julie Higgins led the design, with Maxalea as the selected contractor. Signage was created by Ashton Designs and fabricated and installed by DUO Graphics. The garden features a fenced area with raised planting beds and a stone dust substrate, complemented by native plantings, a bench, and comfort amenities outside the fencing. Spanning approximately 3,230 square feet (0.074 acres), the space includes hardscaping, trees, and entry signage, and contributes to environmental goals through native species planting and the addition of two new trees.

A stone building with a gray shingled roof and a sign that reads "Jonna's Garden" in memory of Jonna Gane Lazarus. There is a black metal bench and landscaped garden with plants and flowers in front of the building.

P&P’s role

Project Manager

Partners

Scope of work:

  • Design

  • Construction

  • Implementation

  • Project Management

Fred Lazarus

Julie Higgins

Maxalea

Ashton Designs

DUO Graphics

A purple sign with white text that reads 'JONNA'S GARDEN' and a floral illustration, positioned outdoors. In the background, there are garden beds with soil and a wooded area with trees.
A garden next to a stone house with a gray tiled roof, featuring a sign that reads 'Jonna's Garden' in memory of Jonna Gane Lazarus, with young plants and trees around.
Metal planters filled with soil in an outdoor garden area, with trees, a fence, and buildings in the background.
A landscaped area with a young tree in the foreground, a concrete wall, and various shrubs and plants. In the background, there are buildings with solar panels on the roof and trees with autumn foliage.
Raised garden beds with soil on rooftop next to stone building, surrounded by trees and residential buildings in background.
A sign in Jonna's Garden honoring Jonna Gane Lazarus, a landscape designer and founding board member of Parks and People. The sign mentions garden design by Julie Higgins, sponsor by family and friends, dedicated in October 2025. The garden has a pat
Sign in Jonna's Garden with purple background and white text, dedicated to Jonna Gane Lazarus, located along a stone pathway surrounded by trees and plants on a sunny day.

The vision

Hand-drawn landscape garden plan with labeled plantings, pathways, seating area, compost, shed, rain barrel, and gates.

Jonna’s Garden Dedication Ceremony

On October 18, 2025, family, friends, and supporters gathered to remember the life and legacy of Jonna Gane Lazarus. We honor her legacy through the Jonna Lazarus Fund and Jonna's Garden on our nine-acre West Baltimore campus.

Donate to the Jonna Lazarus Fund
A man in a black suit and tie speaking at an outdoor event, standing behind a clear podium with a yellow sign, in front of an audience seated on chairs, with trees and a stone building in the background.

The process