The loss of legs does not prevent the urban gardener from growing food for the community. | New

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Measured by the almost constant laughter around him is pretty clear why Charlie Jones is such a favorite among city gardeners in the Cheatham Place subdivision.

“Charlie is just a joy to be there,” Janet Arning said. Arning is a coordinator of the raised vegetable gardens which allow residents to grow their fruits and vegetables.

But Jones is not there to laugh but to work. Like his fellow gardeners, he plows the soil by hand, plants seeds and water, knowing which vegetables need the right amount of sunlight.

This forces him to move, even if he is physically unable to do so. Jones lost both of his legs a few years ago due to circulation problems.

But that didn’t stop him from using his wheelchair to get to the gardens.

When he arrives, he crawls into the beds. Often using a plank of wood as a support, he descends into the earth and sets to work.

“He’s just an inspiration to me, to his neighbors,” Arning said.

Jones’ longtime friend Barbara Sadler said he always responds the same when she offers to help.

“He’ll basically tell you no. He’d rather do it himself,” Sadler said.

But Jones also knows, given his limited income, that this is the best way to get vegetables and fruit for himself and his community.

“It’s so expensive that I decided to plant mine,” Jones said.

Jones said that if his challenges make gardening more complex, it just pushes him to be an inspiration.

“I can’t let life put me down. Because God put me here for a reason

and gardening is part of it, ”Jones said.