The Unofficial Gardener

By Jessica Shoffner

The neighborhood I live in lies just beyond the trash-filled streets and industrial forest of downtown Philadelphia. It is a place of ice cream trucks, car alarms, children playing in the streets, and concrete. And situated between the row homes and smiling faces of my ethnically diverse neighbors is our garden. Here, even in an age of destruction, beauty continues its dance: Birds sing just as cheerfully, seedlings diligently push their way through the surface of the Earth, worms faithfully recycle waste into compost, and children joyfully laugh over soiled hands.

Our garden exists only by the endless efforts of many folks over the past eleven years who, like me, have tried planting things in any and all open spaces in our community. As a result of our gardening frenzy , most of our neighbors’ homes have flower boxes in front, and we tend to a few window boxes, a 12x50-foot space with raised beds and a compost bin, and a 6,500 square foot space in the greening process.

Over the past year, I have been the “unofficial gardener” of these spaces. Reared in rural Kansas and having studied horticultural therapy in college, I find it is a natural fit. But I’ve quickly learned that a few unique challenges come with gardening in an urban environment, such as finding enough space to plant, obtaining land ownership, keeping our garden space protected, and growing crops in smaller quantities. However, there are great aspects as well, like having daily visitors, and just walking across the street to share produce with my neighbors!

I have invested much time and sweat planting, tending, and harvesting, but I never garden alone. My biggest helpers and supporters are the children in my neighborhood. They absolutely love spending time in the garden. We play with worms and plant seeds, and talk about the Earth’s processes.

Right now, we are growing all types of vegetables, greens, herbs, and flowers. Most of the young people in my neighborhood don’t know that a carrot grows underground or that a watermelon grows on a vine, so it is exciting to share with them the process of how plants grow from seeds to produce.

Through this garden we want to bring life—physical, emotional, and spiritual life—to the community around us. We hope to grow social skills and morals that are rooted in healthy self-expression and non-violent action. When people get their hands in the soil, powerful connections to others and the land can be formed. There is hope in planting a seed, caring for that plant, and then honestly reaping from its harvest.

Jessica Shoffner moved from Chapman, Kans., to the Potter Street Community House in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia in 2008. She serves as the unofficial gardener for The Simple Way and attends Circle of Hope (Philadelphia).