Meet your neighbors: Ariel

Ariel, 24
Lakeview/Uptown, Chicago

What project did you do?
Planted a fabulous garden in the backyard of my apartment building, and have invited my neighbors to use it.

Why did you start your project?
I grew up with a big garden that supplied most of our summer meals with zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, greens, herbs, and more. When I moved into this apartment and realized we had an underused backyard, I decided to start my own garden. The first year was definitely a big learning experience—there was a lot I did not know about starting a garden from scratch. This year, my second year, I got organic soil from a farm in northern Illinois and incorporated my own compost and worm castings, so my soil was much richer. I planned the layout more carefully, taking into account the amount of sun on different parts of the garden (shade is a major concern in urban gardens), and the needs of my plants. I invited my neighbors to plant in some empty parts of the garden, though they never took me up on the offer. I give informal tours of the garden fairly regularly, to neighbors, friends, and visitors, and I have inspired some to start gardening themselves.

The garden before and after.

How long did it take you?
This is my second year. Gardening is a warm weather sport, starting in March or April and continuing through to September or October. Most of the work is in the spring—once summer rolls around, you basically reap the rewards. Then work starts up again in early fall, putting the bed to sleep for the winter.

What were the major challenges you encountered during your project?
Insufficient sunlight, insufficient time, insufficient knowledge.

What did you enjoy most about your project?
Gardening is such a joy. It is almost meditative. It gets you outside, connecting to the dirt and nature, and all your work results in fresh, delicious, nearly-free food for you to eat and share. I get frustrated being inside all day pecking at a keyboard, and I would relish the times I was outside working, figuring out how to trellis my squash on a budget or how to remedy my clay-heavy soil.

What would you have done differently if you could do it all over again?
I would get bigger tomato trellises! And i would involve my roommates and housemates from the beginning so that we could share the labor and the rewards.

What’s your advice for other people who want to do the same project?
Plan well, consider how much time you’re willing and able to put into it and don’t overwhelm yourself. Talk to people, share gardening tips and tricks. Read anything by the Rodale Institute—my personal bible is “How to Grown Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method” from the sixties. That Rodale knew his stuff.

An admirer of the garden.

What’s your next project?
I just took an urban beekeeping class! I’d like to join the Chicago Honey Coop and set aside a corner of my yard for a hive.

What would you like to see Neighbors Project accomplish?
I would like to see more young computer-bound professionals feel empowered to participate in and improve their neighborhoods. We don’t have any cultural institutions of our own, so we have to create our own, in our neighborhoods.