Starter Garden

First there was the Victory Garden, then came Michelle Obama’s much discussed Whitehouse Garden, and now, it seems, gardens are popping up everywhere.

Back in 2005 Fritz Haeg’s brilliant idea
to turn front lawns into functioning gardens or edible estates was
still considered an art project. Now it is art come to life. With the
newish concept of a home based garden as more function than form Haeg’s
work is a testament to how art can help bring about social change. PBS
now has its own series and the NY Times has a new blog that
chronicles the adventures (or mis-adventures) of one young dad in
Minneapolis starting a garden for the first time and in his words,
“becoming one of those people who compost”.

A mother, daughter and cat tend their garden in 1944

I am about to become “one of those people who compost” with my
household’s recent purchase of a very big, and yes intimidating,
compost bin. Hopefully its yield will help my attempt at a garden. I
recently planted lavender in my front yard and after a near death
experience (root placement is critical) was flat out joyful when I saw
its very first bloom on Monday. A small step to be sure, but one that
has brought me (and future tenants) a breath of fresh air in the
sometimes smog of LA.