THE OBSERVATION BOOTH
OP / ED & PHOTOS COURTESY ANDREA DIALECT
Unfortunately, in today’s culture, like the old saying goes, we place one shilling in, only to take two out. Now that those stockpiles are in dire need of replenishing, few of us are to be found.
Sadly, selfishness is most definitely on the come up. So, when I come across those who opt to give of themselves, by putting those shillings in, I must pay homage.
My Mama Doris Brown always says, “Give credit where credit is due.” I opt to listen to my Mama. We must always show our appreciation for those who lovingly support us.
Our feature today is such a person. Ironically, before crossing our paths, the flowering bed had already caught my attention. I absolutely love wildflowers and weeds and things of that sort, and their placement was a breath of fresh air. It made for happy trails as I moseyed along Evergreen Street, heading towards Extra Supermarket to cop those turkey tails.
It was a happy medium in the ever-boring fields of crumbling asphalt and mismatched pavements, among other unsightly things. It had made that record skip, and that jolt made me look and deeply gaze upon the sprinkled effect of beauty. This is what she said when I stumbled into her, once those turkey tails had been in tow… Enjoy.
BLOOM
FEATURE: Lynette Johnson
Demographic: East Orange
“When it comes down to it, I do it for no pay. It’s from the goodness of my heart, that’s why I do it, and I love it. I just love it. It takes the place of everything that is wrong as far as I’m concerned. It’s silent beauty, and we all need that in the way we live in this world today. We need that silent beauty, and some peace of mind. I come here to get clarity and clear my thoughts. I decided to be the change because it’s going to come anyways, so you might as well get prepared and be ready for it.
“I didn’t consider doing this a challenge. When I lived in Boston, my backyard was bigger than this parking lot. So I have no problem doing this. This is no problem, and as long as I’m living here, I will be doing this. Beauty and cleanliness of the community are very important to me. It is a standard to me, and we must follow some type of standard. I cannot deal with the litter and the filth and the garbage lying around. We have a big dumpster there, but seemingly nobody wants to use it. But I use it. I don’t care whose property it is. I’m doing this. People sit here, and they resonate with what’s going on. Walking through here is a privilege, and if we don’t respect this property, they could gate it, and we’d have to walk around.
“I have been doing this for about four years. It was a mess, and I didn’t know who owned it. I stopped a lot of things from going on around here. Still, there are those who come and drop trash and stuff deliberately. A lot of people sit here who resonate with what’s going on. It’s peaceful here. It’s so lovely here. It’s beautiful here. I don’t see why anyone would try to ruin it. Just keep the property clean, that’s all I’m asking. I’m trying to show you something. Change is good. Most people here notice the change. It’s a good change. Deliberately, there are those who, as soon as I clean up, they throw trash out here. Things that fall naturally, like branches of trees and stuff. You have a tree stump to sit on. That’s okay because I use it. Whatever, whatever, whatever. It’s added seating. I use whatever. My landlord backs me (he owns that area where I planted the flowers), and the police back me. Now that I have permission to do it, you can’t stop me now.
“This grapevine that’s growing against the wall over there, I transplanted it over here. Last year they cut it down on this side, but you see how it’s flourishing on this side now? She’s coming back strong. The birds love it; you should see them enjoying it. These are my wildflowers, and I have some rhubarb growing here like I used to chew when I was a kid. My Mom used to tell us to stop eating that stuff because it grows wild, but it was good. We always ate them, no matter what. And these are onions; they were there when I got here. They’ve grown some beautiful purple flowers. And these are just Morning Glories. I’d been wanting them on my side for quite a while, and now they’re here. I’d been wanting them so bad because they’re so beautiful. Now they’re entangled with the grapevine and choking everything else around here.
“This one right here is just a weed, but I love her because I think she’s pretty. She’s pretty too. Those are my famous Marigolds that I love, that the Indian guy spoke highly about. I told him that he would see plenty of those because that’s my plant, and I love her. The grapevine is growing everywhere. This one, I can’t wait until she blooms. I’m so impressed. I by what I’ve done here, and I use no pesticides. I use whatever’s here, and I don’t buy anything. I just buy seeds, and that’s it. I don’t do much. I just give it the love and attention that I need. And this color, oh my God, I know that my Mother’s with me. Oh, you should have seen her on Easter Sunday with her suit on. I can still see her. The water bottles, I stick holes in them and lay them right there so they drain out, and I don’t have to carry anything out here. I learned that on Facebook, and it really works.”
DID YA KNOW THAT…
How does community garden work?
Some gardens have designated plots that are collectively maintained, and harvests are donated to local community food organizations. Others have plots that allow community members to pick from and enjoy freely.
Why aren’t there more community gardens?
So why aren’t there urban gardens all over the place? Unfortunately, it’s not so simple. Decision-makers often prioritize profit over people – for example, buying up property for luxury apartment buildings or high-end shopping malls instead of affordable housing or community green space.
DO YOU KNOW ANY OF OUR COMMUNITY ACCESS CONTRIBUTORS?
- IF SO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY’VE MADE THE CUT AND THEY ARE THE TALK OF LOCAL TALK THIS WEEK!
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