And I mean that in the best way possible! This summer, I have seen this vividly demonstrated in two places: as a judge for the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest and once again on the delightful Garden Walk Buffalo which I was lucky enough to attend for a second time. I served as a judge for Greenest Block in Brooklyn a few weeks ago and on all 8 of the blocks I walked, you could clearly see how the act of planting a windowbox or container or front yard garden empowered the neighbors to follow suit. In Buffalo, I spoke with many of the talented, generous gardeners there who all said the same thing: once one person starts, others on the block want to get involved, too. This is a unique phenomenon in a neighborhood, because your neighbors are people you feel comfortable talking to. If you are unsure about how to garden or what to plant, you might be reluctant to speak to someone at the nursery or completely overwhelmed by books and the internet - but you can always ask the guy next door or the woman across the street, "Hey, what is that? How did you do that? Where did you buy those plants? Can you give me a few suggestions on what to plant in my front yard?" Take a look at my photos which hopefully present evidence of this phenomenon. Maybe you'll spread the "disease" on your block!
1 A street scene typical of the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. To win, the block needs to show at least 80% community involvement. This one is obviously a strong contender!
2 The stoop planting is an easy way to display plants (staggered heights are a given!). Even people whose front yards have been paved can line their stoop stairs with plants. These containers are obviously lovely...
3 ...and while this gardener didn't have any matching containers, he/she simply painted everything to make it look like they were a set! I do believe we ran such an idea as a Good Thing ourselves, at some point.
4 Other stoop gardeners go for a very uniform look not just in containers, but in plant choices too. There is a lot more room for self-expression in gardening than most people realize.
5 No front yard is no deterrent for these residents! They've got plants just about anywhere they could hang them. I love the way the children's drawings add to the colorful, happy effect.
6 Lots of people don't just stop at the stoop - they keep right on going, clear down to the sidewalk.
7 We're still in Brooklyn, I can assure you! Whether it's out of a desire to improve the neighborhood or pure and simply envy, an entryway like this inspires neighbors and passersby alike.
8 This rightfully proud couple had one of the prettiest gardens on the block. They were happy to talk about their garden with us, so I'm sure they will be a driving force in making this block even greener in the coming years.
9 Even a little display like this shows pride and adds to the over all effect of the block.
10 Doesn't this just say Brooklyn to you? Try to imagine the building without the sunflower - plants are always an improvement, no?
11 Okay, these are fake. But they're trying! Maybe it is an elderly couple who can't care for real plants. It's still better than nothing - or am I wrong on that? Let me know what you think.
12 Communal containers along the street make a pretty addition to the block and help get people interested. Could you do something like this where you live?
13 Another communal container, this one with a whole lot of va-va-voom going on.
14 Street trees are a vital part of NYC life - providing shade, shelter, and frankly, inspiration in their against-the-odds existence. A pretty tree pit planting like this helps give them a bit more respect and presence.
15 A truly exceptional example of a beautiful front yard. This is the kind of garden that kicks off the garden domino-effect on a block.
16 Neat, tidy, and thoroughly unexpected in the city - wouldn't you like to have these gardeners as your neighbor?
17 The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest wants residents to garden, no matter what their income level, so they encourage creative and repurposed containers like these...
18 ...and these! I love how the gardener has matched the geranium to the color of the boots.
19 Now we're in Buffalo. This is Lancaster Avenue, which has several exceptional gardens on it. It's not coincidence - it's community.
20 This is Summer Street, one of the most popular places on Garden Walk. Not all that long ago, it was a bad, run-down neighborhood. Now, every house has a darling garden and real estate values have soared.
21 Union Place, very near Summer Street, shows a similar contagious gardening effect.
22 16th Street is one of Garden Walk's ultimate success stories. Once a desolate, even scary neighborhood, almost everyone on this block gardens now and everyone wants to live there!
23 When a resident takes the initiative to plant in the easement or "hell strip" between sidewalk and street, you can bet others will follow. And who couldn't use a bit more space to garden in?
24 Gardening on the easement doesn't necessarily mean increasing your work load - this creative solution looks better than grass and doesn't take much regular maintenance at all.
25 Here at Urban Roots Garden Cooperative, they are pioneering gardening in an otherwise unplanted neighborhood. Keep your eye on this block, because it will be changing a lot thanks to this green influence!
26 Not far from Urban Roots is this charming house. These gardeners obviously take so much pleasure in it, you can't help but catch the fever when you see it.
27 In this still up-and-coming neighborhood downtown, a community garden begun on a vacant lot has a strong effect on improving the street scape and neighborhood relationships.
From: Andrew | 7/31/10 at 3:59 am
I love #15! So lush!
From: Stacey Hirvela | 8/2/10 at 1:52 pm
Thanks - hard to believe that's NYC, right?!
From: Maureen Lindsay | 10/31/10 at 12:27 pm
I want some seeds from those Sunflowers. (#10) Where could I get some? You did a fantastic job. Helps get people in the mood to get out and do something. I have a picture of a yard I would like to share with you but I don't know how to send it to you? Let me know if you want to see it.
From: Stacey Hirvela | 11/1/10 at 9:12 am
Hi Maureen - I'm glad you liked this post! Those sunflowers were actually just sown by birds, they aren't any special variety. You could look at Johnny's Seeds, they have an excellent selection of sunflowers. The variety 'Pro Cut Orange' is very similar to this one and it starts flowering early in the season - sounds like you can't go wrong with that one. We'd love to see a photo of your yard! Just email it to homegrown@marthastewart.com. Thanks!