I Heart The Missouri Botanical Garden!

My little bed in the Lafayette Square Community Garden won an award!

Clockwise from the lower right corner: sorrel, pansies, a little wildflower mix, a broccoli, a rhubarb (the tallest plant), beats, and finally the tall, orange poppies. There are carrots hidden behind the beets, and a couple of Cherokee Purple tomatoes that will have more room once I harvest the root vegetables in about a week.

Thank you, Missouri Botanical Garden and Gateway Greening, for recognizing so many community gardeners from around the city. And for the free one year membership to the MOBOT! I've been wanting to get one since I moved into the city! I'm so happy! The garden is less than four miles from my house.

It was totally fun and inspiring to get my little Outstanding Bed award, and to drive around on the bus with all the garden lovers and gardeners looking at other neighborhoods lovely gardens. My great friend Robin showed up at the bus, and we had a wonderful time on the tour and at the luncheon.

Dr. Raven's remarks about community gardening were wonderful. 270 pounds of produce from a typical individual bed in a season? I can believe it. Just think. Community gardening could be a real god-send, now that we've exited the Holocene (see Davis in The Nation). Growing our own food here in the urban jungle may not be just a pretty pastime, any more. As fuel gets more and more expensive, fresh food that doesn't have to be shipped? Well, it's obvious. And the dearth of grocery stores in most city neighborhoods has been a reality for some time, ensuring the poor have yet another hurdle to good health (fast and packaged, processed food is always available).

And ya, I come from a family of gardeners. It's second nature. It's my link to the earth, the seasons, what anchors me on the planet. Guess what? Good gardens, good food. It's the most perfect equation in the world.

A view of my bed, with my name tag visible. At this angle the sage is right up front, with winter savory behind it, and the carrots to the left, beets to the right, the rhubard looking all tall -- oh, ya, and the sunflower that volunterred, and a couple of poppies peaking out!

Me accepting the award from Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden. What a really sweet, rather brilliant man. He was just glowing. I know, horrible photo of me.


A bed in the Monsanto YMCA Garden. East bed has a really cool personalized sign.


Ladies of Wells Community Garden won the First Place Ornamental Garden Award.
Notice the blown-out house behind it. This north St. Louis community garden is a true oasis for
the neighborhood.

Gorgeous, huge hydrangea in the Ladies of Wells Garden. This garden reminded my of my grandma Nonie's yard.

My Little Award. I'm know, I'm a real nerd for showing it off. But I'm so proud!