The third garden we visited is part of a community center in Schaarbeck, and is largely a product of the efforts of a husband and wife team who found a garden space behind the community center. They are both artists and provide programming on a variety of topics, many of which now include the garden space. Their philosophy is that people can be simultaneously delighted, educated and fed. I like these people.
One driving principle of their work is that space should not be a limitation to the productive possibilities of cities. Time and again we found large garden spaces available, but polluted. Or squatted and threatened with development. Or accessible only at the whim of the city or the state. These artists were innovating with ways to grow gardens vertically in small spaces on the side of walls. Beautiful, whimsical and productive, these experimental gardens are an interesting answer and solution to the problems of space.
The pair also "rescue" trees growing on buildings and in gutters and put them in pots in a nursery. They have a vision of a forest in the city, which is incubating in this little oasis of creativity and joy. The have also planted "miniature gardens" in the sidewalk. Each hole that is drilled in the concrete is home to up to 8 different kinds of plants.
Grow outside the box!
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