Community gardens are a valuable resource for those of us who have postage stamp (or smaller) yards. They provide a place for gardeners to relieve stress by pulling weeds; having beautiful flowers and growing our own food is another bonus.

Garden space is relatively inexpensive and allows one to know exactly where her food is coming from that season, depending on how able of a gardener she is and how much she chooses to plant. I have seen people successfully grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, beans, peas, chard, cabbage, fennel, collard greens, corn, brussels sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, squash, zucchini, carrots, thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, beets, radishes, onions, garlic, spinach, broccoli, ginger, cauliflower, and pumpkins in Hartford.

Besides having fresh, organic produce, growing your own food is less expensive than buying it from the store. A packet of seeds costing less than two dollars will supply me with lettuce for the entire summer. If I remember to save seeds, I will not need to spend any money next season.

Where does community come into play? If you’re like me, your gardening skills are subpar and you know it. Being able to talk to others (who are not possibly trying to sell you something at the garden shoppe) opens up the possibility to finding out why your carrots are not growing or how you might have more success next time. They might also share with you which of their crops swiftly died and what the rabbits nibbled to death.

A community of gardeners makes possible things like sharing tools so that you do not need to buy your own. When going away for a few days, there is likely someone around who will be willing to water your spot in exchange for a handful of your strawberries.

There is plenty of space for gardens in Hartford. People simply need to be willing to let go of the structural failings that looked like progress fifty-odd years ago.

Imagine if even a quarter of the surface parking lots downtown were converted to community gardens. Think about how different Capitol Avenue would look if a significant amount of the asphalt eyesores were developed into something productive, beautiful, and alive.

Before worrying sick over contaminants, keep in mind that using raised beds can help sidestep contamination problems. Raised beds also allow for easier weeding and harvesting, as well as helping the garden to appear tidier.

Is there a reason why we can not have, say, rows of corn in the center of the city, instead of ornamental grasses?

The time is here to be more creative and less destructive. Gardening, farming, ecological studies — whatever you want to call it — is something that could be actively taught to youth. How different would our children look if they were reaching for peas and carrots to snack on — even for only a few months of the year — instead of bags of chips?

Other cities have had successful outcomes from bringing gardening to youth and youth to gardening. One reports this positive feedback from a student:

“I do better in school now because my body is not being energized with Cheetos, it’s being energized with lettuce.” (143 statements on this theme)

We have had decades of disconnect between ourselves and our food; imagine having a new generation who not only understands where food comes from, but can grow enough of it themselves that grocery trips are primarily during the winter or for items like grains or dairy. If this way of life previously existed, then it is not impossible for it to resurface in at least some form.

Instead of considering only economic impact, consider the environmental and human impact. Rather than looking at demoralizing vacant lots and endless parking lots, we could see the promise of life.