Gardening improving others' behavior

I live in a mixed economic neighborhood in an old, somewhat tired and faded city. We have a bus stop and a lot of foot traffic (families, college students, elderly, and unfortunately a few gang-banger types with the black pantyhose caps on their heads).

Last year, we had trees and tall shrubs and fencing at the corner (I kept them there after I bought the house to "protect" the house from the people at the bus stop . Shrubs were a bit scraggly - OLD boxwoods, and other varied trees. White picket fence along the front needed repainting. I was always cleaning up trash in our yard (fast food, bottles, soda cans).

Fast forward one year - trees and fencing are gone are gone and the yard is very OPEN and I took extra effort on the corner near the bus stop, hoping to make it nicer for people waiting - putting in expensive Crown Imperial Frittalerias, lily style tulips, siberian iris (in a ring around the sewer plate) and soon cannas and caladiums will be coming up. The boxwoods were replaced with small burning bushes.

Results - No trash thrown in our yard - and when I'm out gardening, neighbors and strangers are always commenting on how nice the yard looks. I had thought removing the fence was going to result in people cutting across the yard, but it hasn't happened. I was very humbled when one Asian student would come by every few days to politely ask if she could take pictures of the blooming flowers (only ones on the block).

I took a risk, also put out baskets hooked to the wrought iron railing and long narrow planters along the front steps (maybe 5-8 feet from sidewalk) - people smile and wave and not a spot of vandalism. People stop in their cars to ask what something is - the frittalias were a big hit (Albany is not a gardening mecca - I rarely see anything except impatiens and tulips).

Just thought I'd share something positive about how my gardening has made a difference on a busy corner in a mixed city neighborhood.

sbarr-How lovely, how refreshing!
I think we sometimes get into such a negative mindset from the constant barrage of bad news in the media that we automatically think the worst of people without giving them a chance to prove their good qualities.

Maybe your gardens are the only spot of beauty in the lives of some of those folks. Let us hope they continue to respect and appreciate what you have given them.
Thank you for changing the world for the better-one flower at a time!

sbarr - you've made a change in your garden and created interest in flowers and gardening on the part of others. As mwhit said, maybe your gardens are the only spot of beauty some people might have the chance to see and study. Soon some of those people may be asking you for advice. What a pleasant rest for the eyes you've created.

I have found where ever someone gardens there are neighbors who work a bit harder on their property.
In my old neighborhood that happened and I made a gardener out of someone who never thought about plants.
It was a quiet neighborhood with "firsthome"buyers and retired people.
All were dog walkers and as with your smileing and waving from passers by ,this happened to me also.
The new house in in a neighborhood where there are a lot of gardeners at many levels.
There is a song from the 70's
"People are Strange when your a stranger"
I think that referrs to how your passers by waved when they might have just continued to go about a dull routine,getting on a bus. etc.
Its a great thread and points up how sometimes we take for granted how much joy we get and give with a garden.

sbarr...I love this touching story and am so glad you shared. I agree with the other comments and can't much more except to say thanks for sharing with your neighborhood and us. This is very inspiring!!

I love that reference - "people are strange when you're a stranger"

Thank you everyone - I've started making a point to say hello to everyone and looking up and smiling at cars that goes down the side street. Had one scary looking guy as I was weeding along the busy street of the corner lot yesterday. I said "good morning" - he looked very suprised and nodded. The old Puerto Rican lady says "bless you" each time she walks by now. Maybe being out there humanizes my home, so I'll be less at risk.

Hopefully with time, I can start sharing plants with neighbors - daylilies, hostas. I invited the little kids in the neighborhood to come see us and pick strawberries next year from Lindsey's strawberry patch (I planted about 50 plants for my 1 year old and hope to have fruit next year) and from her peach trees (planted 2 this year - again, optimistic for next year). We'll have too much food from our CSA, so Lindsey will be going with me door to do to offer our excess veggies (I think we're getting 12-15 things a week and daddy doesn't like veggies, so, it's up to Lindsey and me). It'll be ,like reverse trick or treating - with a toddler dragging a little wagon to give away fresh veggies.

When the orientals start blooming, I'll share a picture.

Your right about humanizing your place.
Just have some caution as to how far your willing to trust.
Obviously youve seen one strange looker, so you can id them when they happen.

What a lovely story. There might be a set back or two along your journey but what a great start you have made. Sharing is one of the things gardeners do best. Sometimes it is sharing plants, cut flowers or veggies. Sometimes it is sharing their knowledge or just sharing the beautiful view they have created. My neighborhood is much different than yours but I have gotten to know many of my newer neighbors and their children while out working in my garden. I never have trouble with the teenagers as most of them got lilacs from me when they were younger to give to their Moms. As for the scary looking ones, you do have to be careful but you can't judge a book by it's cover. I worked with one of the scariest looking men. He was huge, and his face was pitted with small scars. One of those people that you would move away from. He was a sweet gentleman, who had been hit with shrapnel during the Vietnam War.

great story . i grew up in orange county ny . we didnt know any of our neighbors . no one waved and said hi . when i moved here it was like coming to another planet. i still have to remember to wave and say hi when someone walks by . my urge is to ignore . i can really tell how unfriendly i come off when everyone else is friendly .lol .

sbarr: What a great and encouraging story, indeed. It always amazes me how flowers and plants can have such effects on people who might otherwise dismiss them. ("Flower Power" ???)

You may very well have begun a "revitalizing" of your area. Once one person starts doing what you did, others will follow...in time. (Hopefully !)

I hope you keep us updated on this.

Jasper - interestingly enough, that is sort of what is happening. The neighbor across the street was doing some work in her yard (I had given her hostas last year and went over to say hello) and she said that a meddlesome neighbor had told her a few days ago that he hopes she does more with her yard because others are trying to improve the area. I felt a bit bad for her when we both looked over at my house with everything looking so sharp. I am by no means an expert, just someone who continually puts something (perennial) wherever I find an empty spot.

I'll take some pictures to share - the peach pixie lilies are fading, but the red ones are vibrant (I added some yellow pansies on the rail, but they've done wonders to add lots of brightness - not a big fan of pansies, but they almost continually bloom and a low planter of Johnny Jump Ups adds a bit more). So far, I've been able to have something blooming since first week of April (of course with Alliums filling in the tired time at the end of May).

I'm very excited about planting more for next April (that's when it's so dreary here).

sbarr, so glad you are doing what you are doing. I've never seen very much of Albany, but when I used to go to the academy for training I always thought the area looked pretty bare of flowers. Of the major upstate cities it seems only Rochester really has an abundance of flowering plants.

I love areas in Rochester around Highland Park, where the lilac festival is held. And just in the last 20 years I have seen tremendous increase in front yard plantings there. It seemed like it would be one house on the block that did the extensive planting, and now almost all of the houses around the park have gorgeous planting. I expect that's what you are starting in Albany.

sbarr, it is contagious. Good for you for spreading the fever.

Hi Polly
Thanks for the kind words about Rochester Flowering neighborhoods.
I have a possible explanation.
The area around Highland Park was settled by many "hippies" flower children ,duering the 70's.
Uof R grad students.They started gardens in the lots where houses had been torn down .
Gardening is contageous as statated in this thread, many old residents still have gardens they started in the 70's.
Rochester was home of the Elwanger Barry nurseries duering the late1800's and Highland Park was an Olmstead park, he designed Central Park.
I dont know why I order plants online because there is an open nursery around every corner here from April to November.
Duering the spring and summer,small "farmers Markets" sell plants and bedding annuals in plaza parking lots.
I get the itch in March and cave in about April and order,that was this year.
I cant believe I'll need as many plants next year. la la la

This message was edited Jun 19, 2009 4:37 AM

Sbarr-It just proves that everyone needs a little kindness and that gardening is good for the soul. It's great what you are doing. I think one of the most important things about all of this is what you're teaching your daughter. Too many people have the ME syndrome. Luckily I've not met alot of gardeners like that. Smiles, kindness and love of our efforts usually brings out the good in most.

nice sentement

Jo Ann,

I didn't know that about the area around Highland Park being a hippie area. How cool!

I did know about the Elwanger- Barry nurseries. The nurseries were called Mt. Hope nurseries and sold hundreds of lilacs. My aunt spoke of them frequently. I also knew the park was a Frederick Law Olmstead one, and that he designes the Genesee Valley and another park in Rochester, and also Central Park and Biltmore Estates among others.

We visited the park daily during good weather when i was young. I learned all the history of the park, and to this day absolutely love it. There is nothing even remotely close in Syracuse. Luckily I live about 1/2 way between Rochester and Syracuse, but I worked in Syracuse. Had I worked in Rochester, it would have been lunch at the park as often as I could swing it. Now I get there three or four times per year.

Hoooray for Fred Law Olmstead. I knew he had designed many parks but couldnt recall all.

Good for you sbarr! There is a man in FL (TPlant) who plants the tumbling cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets for passerby's. Any pics to share?

Thanks a lot ge1836, now I can't get that song out of my head!!
-Kim

This is the best thread I've read. Really inspiring. I love my back garden, but now I'm gonna start doing the front because of this, so I'm not such a stranger.

The property here is large compared to my old house on a 40x120 foot city lot.
I tore out ancient spireas and had a retaining wall built and gardened sround the creeping junipers until they over powered the place and when they began to die due to shade from a Dogwood. I planted shade flowers.
People used to stop when they came home at lunch to walk pets. It was nice every season.
The property here is too large and I am too old to truck plants and a hose to the front areas where landscapers planted plots of bushes and trees.
DD will garden there. We also have a deer problem as do others so plant choices are limited.
It was a wonderful way to meet the new neighbors when the bulbs emerged the first spring.