Small garden along the alley - N Mpls

Gardening is oftentimes the first step in rejuvenating a neighborhood - I know, because that's what happened where I live. Nice job with this!

Andy,
Your garden is fabulous. I am a Mpls northsider too and committed as well. I just joined this group today when I saw the headlines about your alley garden. I am trying to do some curbside planting where it is hot and dusty. Going to be reworking the soil tomorrow since it supposed to be cool and the city just finished tearing up and repairing the sidewalks in front of my house. Any suggestions?

Valerie G.

We got started when the city redid golden valley road, and left 4 feet torn up. When the sod crew showed up, I asked them to leave it. They were happy to move down the road.

We planted echinacia, and yarrow to start, amending the soil around them a bit, and poured a ton of free mulch from the piles at Folwell Park, and the southeast corner parking lot of Lake Calhoun. We probably carried hundred of 33 gallon rubbermaid barrels of the stuff to our front garden. The neat thing is, about two years later, the mostly clay becomes pretty workable for other plants that aren't as hardy at Echinacia and yarrow. Now after four years, the soil out front would make your heart sing. It's dark, crumbly and rich. Of course some of that is my composting. Nothing organic goes in the garbage at our house, and my pile stays warm enough that I always have red worms survive the winter.

Carol I'm not so sure about gardens effect on troubled neighborhoods. I think pretty things probably have some ameliorating effect, but I had a friend in the Mpls homicide unit who said he gaged how screwed up a neighborhood is, by the number of feel good murals. He figured for every feel good mural about pride and unity, it was good for 2-3 bodies a year. Having worked in 911 for 18 years, its hard to escape that attitude. Daddy long legs, and watching things grow helps me,
I'm not sure how much it helps anyone else. We have a ghetto fabulous crew kitty corner from us, and their voices carried on the wind one summer day. "That m'fer across the street, he be out in that yard 24-7, he got a plant jones or sumptin."

Yep. That be me, the fat white m'fer with the green m'fing thumb.

When they get into drunken brawls, we call the police to break it up. Good neighbors that we are.

You go Val, good luck. Remember weeding is a joy, not a chore. Some people meditate, I weed. The compost pile needs the weeds, not the seeds. Cheers.

From one m'fer with the green m'fing thumb to another: Great garden Andy! Isn't it a wonderful feeling to create something from nothing? Not even public urination from drunks will kill Yarrow!

I live in Brooklyn Park just off of West Broadway, so I can relate to some degree concerning the 'ghetto fabulous-ness' of the north side: every morning I watch channel 9 news (only because they are the only pure local news in the a.m.; not because I like FOX) and 95% of the time there's some story about a murder, arson or drugs in good ole BP. Nothing like the clear sound of gunshots to lull one to sleep.
North Siiiiide!

But I'd take the choas of my neighborhood any day over the new suburb smell of Savage or Lakeville.

Quick question: what exactly do you have planted there?

two kinds of salvia, one white one blue, echinacia, daisy's, mums, and a small monarda, and a couple of perenials I can't remember, and you can't see it well but kamtchatka sedum, and I planted two tall sedums I think called Autumn Fire, which if they survive should look really good late next fall. I really like getting perrenials from Linders when they have their 50 percent off sale, and waiting for them to come into fruition, usually a year or two down the road.

Julie picked up a cactus from a plant sale over in NE, then took me back to this ladies yard. What an amazing place. My next thing I think will be to find a yucca plant, she had an amazing yucca, and the flowers were very cool.

Keep hope alive.

The district council of the Mac-Groveland neighborhood of St Paul (where I live) has an on-going alley beautification project. It's very low key w/simple awards for those who have made the effort to spruce up their alley space. I often walk my dog through the alleys and it's great to see how many neighbors are beautifying that often neglected alley area. I've also noticed more flowers and shrubs planted on the city strip/tree lawn/boulevard. Wonderful. Lawns are so.o.o.o boring.

Another Mac-Groveland council program is a free plant exchange in early summer. One of these years, I'll get it together to divide my overgrown Stella D'Oro lilies and take them to the exchange. Unfortunately, everyone has Stellas so there may not be any takers. Then they'll go on the compost pile.

I love plants and gardens .... they make my heart happy ....

I grew up .... mostly .... in the country ..... then moved to the 'burbs .... and now, from necessity, live in the city ....

My neighbors think that I'm a bit balmy for constantly planting .... I love to combine pretty and practical flowers with actual food plants in a garden in the back and mostly decorative, sweet-smelling plants and flowers in the front .... although a few cantelope plants and a tomato plant managed to plant themselves out front this past summer ....

Interestingly, one of my neighbors decided to start a small vegetable garden in the back, as well ...... he was beginning to feel a bit bad for harvesting some of my tomatoes and cukes and decided to plant some for himself ...... and we all had a blast over the summer b/c people would show up from a two-block area to ask for fresh veggies and tips on how to grow some for themselves .....