Blanche Epps and friends hauled away 35 truckloads of trash before gardening began in Gethsemane. For water, Salvador Morales runs hoses to a tree in the middle of his garden where two fan blades scatter the water. Because Lawrence King's garden lies in the shadow of a tall building, he arranges foil on his house wall to reflect light and warm his sun-craving vegetables. Innovative recycling replaces garden centers. Salvaged sinks and toilet bowls overflow with plants.
Beans climb up crutches and stepladders.
In one neighborhood, colorful bathroom fixtures, discarded from a local factory, mark walkways and boundaries. Right from the start, Mary Walke has prevented vandalism by enlisting every neighbor and even the most casual passerby to be part of the community sitting garden. First we cleared the ugly dump site of a lot. Big construction stuff. Crabs and fishbones from a seafood restaurant.