One of the best things about gardening is the way it can pull a neighborhood together. I live in an especially nice little niche of the Tenney Lapham neighborhood, the 1200 block of East Mifflin. This past Fall I was finally able to divide one of my favorite lilies and give a few bulbs to my neighbor, Barb. She shares my awe of this lily with its exquisite blending of muted shades of pink and salmon. I was glad to give something in return for all the hostas, irises and houseleeks (to name a few) that she and her husband Gary have given to me over the years. I'm also thankful for Kathy's herb garden. I'm often marauding there (sometimes under cover of darkness) for last minute additions to various recipes. Dan and Carla aren't big gardeners necessarily but they are truly first rate neighbors and I know I can count on them to feed the cats and watch over the place when I'm away. Dan also hands down makes some of the best beer I have ever tasted. Gardening was the seed that germinated into a close network of neighbors watching over and caring for each other. The way I think all neighborhoods used to be at one time.
It all started years back when someone came up with the idea to have an annual garden walk. It was always a big event with about 7 or 8 households spending a Sunday afternoon promenading through gardens, exchanging beer recipes (we have quite a number of brewmasters actually!) and general hob-nobbing. We always followed up every garden walk with a big potluck feast. As you could imagine, it wasn't just gardening we were talking about. It was and still is a time whereby the common bonds that hold us together are renewed and strengthened.
Two years ago we decided that one annual walk just wouldn't do. We went from annual to monthly garden walks. We now start in May and end with Octoberfest. In December there is the holiday party. We get together around Christmas time and go door to door to eat, drink and admire all the peculiar decorating styles that reflect the wonderful group of people I call my neighbors. OK, John and Angela always have the most interesting Christmas tree. (It's usually this short, fat, oddly shapen thing, with vintage....well you just have to see it). A big benefit to monthly garden walk/potlucks is that you don't need to spend so much time coordinating dates. You appoint a planning Tsar and they decree the first Sunday of the month to be garden walk time. Not everyone can make each visit but our turnouts are always high. (OK, only Sam came in July but hey, there was a lot more of Fabio's eggplant parmesano to go around. Boy was it tasty and we could get down to drinking beer that much sooner!)
I could easily generate a huge list of the benefits of gardening on the Isthmus. Some of these are: getting plants for free, using the garden as an icebreaker for getting to know new neighbors, tapping the knowledge of other fellow gardeners, getting plants for free, trading veggies because you forgot to plant eggplant this year, pokeweed (nobody planted it but everyone has it), exchanging recipes, drinking good beer (that has to fit somewhere), and did I mention getting plants for free? Here's a list of some of the benefits of our neighborhood that evolved from our shared love of gardening: Kathy has a big art collection that she divides and puts out on loan to a number of us less artistic folk, Gary has painted a number of neighborhood walls, John is a master with the chain saw, Sam and Elizabeth have a big library they willingly share, and everyone is on hand at piano moving time (there are now a lot of pianos where I live). I will stop here because I think this article has a space limit I could easily surpass. I love all my neighbors and they know how they've helped each other out.
I think if there is one criticism that could be leveled at our community building efforts through gardening is that we have not been as outreaching as we could. For apartment dwellers in our neighborhood, we have traditionally only flyered the places where we know the people who live there. This is an area I want to work on. Perhaps these folks aren't interested ( I know some who definitely are not!) but I know they wouldn't mind being asked . Everyone who lives in my neighborhood has a contribution to make, even if it's as simple as walking around and enjoying living in an area where many resources are accessible by foot. I spend most of my summer on my front porch. And I have to say, just seeing people out and about is gratifying in itself.
OK, enough rambling. We in the 1200 block are an excellent example of a thriving, dynamic neighborhood. We are even hip to the new Internet revolution. (Yes, we have a web page) And one more thing: Here is a shameful plug for my part time business of growing organic lettuce and heirloom tomato plants for the Dane County Farmers Market. Check out this year's offerings .
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