My heart felt so full this week when I discovered that a free produce stand had been installed outside of the Hart to Hart Garden next to my tiny library! On its roof it reads: from the garden to the community/desde el jardin de la comunidad. How utterly wonderful!
This installation is exactly what my design model proposes; that if you invest in neighborhood resources, more will follow. I believe that the continued stocking of the garden library for the last four months has demonstrated that we neighbors can trust each other and reciprocate generosity in the form of books. Now the gardeners have a platform from which to share their extra garden bounty. I predict a lot of collard greens!
Also, get this: from my apartment window I had recently been noticing a neighbor working on a wood project in his backyard. When he spray painted it bright orange I was like, what kind of decor does he have going on in his house? When I saw it outside the garden it all came together. How cool that I saw it getting build, unbeknownst to me!
I have since left a note outside of the neighbor's front door and he has emailed me. He's a member of the garden and also a gallery owner interested in social practice art. He assumed that the library had been constructed by a garden member (which is partly true - neighbor/gardener Jeff did the wood construction and I did the painting and installation), and is impressed that it came from an "outsider." We're going to meet up in the garden and chat more!
