sean's note: before packing up and calling seattle home, amber had a garden packed full of corn, sunflowers, and a whole bunch of other treats. here's an excerpt from her blog:
Every garden has a story. The roots and residents create their own community and each is unique, problematic, and meaningful in its own right- just like the people that tend to them. A garden is a visual poem; with care one can become a beautiful haiku, but with neglect it is transformed into sorrowful ballad. It rings true that the seeds we plant are the seeds we sow. But, it seems the garden is the one telling the story.
With the help of a few guerilla gardeners and conscientious friends the sidewalk plot in front of my house was transformed into a mini garden- four rows of sweet corn and red and yellow sunflowers flanked by rhubarb with pumpkins distributed throughout. When the corn plants are big enough, we will add beans to help support them. This type of garden is called the Three Sisters Garden based on Iroquois legend which says that corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters who only grow and thrive, together. It is an ancient sustainable system that is said to provide long term soil fertility.
It was decided early on that this garden should go to the community since technically, it is on city property. It just so happens that a new “emergency” homeless shelter for women and children will open just down the street this fall....and just in time for the harvest! So the bounty from this garden will be donated to feed its residents with the hope to inspire more to sow seeds for the greater good. This garden has a story like many others, but it seeks to be a part of the larger tale.
The garden is also serving the purpose of bringing people together. Neighbors I never knew now stop to talk about the garden’s progress and the ones I did know visit more frequently to share their thoughts. A few weeks ago my young neighbor, Isla, helped plant beans at the base of the corn and so she stops by frequently to check her plants. At rush hour, the traffic on Beethoven St. is made worse by all of the people slowing to take in the odd sight of corn growing on the sidewalk. So far so good!
Sunflowers reach for the sky,
Making work for the bees up high.
A symphony of colors line the street,
Bursting with color in the summer heat.
This urban creation is a feast for the eyes,
A ray of hope for a city that cries.
From seed to sun, these beacons grow
Hailing a message for all to sow.
From sidewalk to table, a garden is born.
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