When we bought this house in Midtown Houston in 2006, that property across the street was just a vacant lot that neighbors used to walk their dogs. They also let them poop all over the place and didn't bother to clean it up.
We often thought, wouldn't it be great if we could have a community garden in that space? We made it happen.
With the help of a few neighbors, we helped to construct the garden in 2009. We laid water lines and put spigots at several places. The property owner leased it to us for $1 per year. We quickly filled up all 25 of the 4' x 20' plots we designed in the garden and had a good group of urban farmers for awhile.
I produced a weekly newsletter for the members and was the Garden Director for the first year of its operation, which I really enjoyed. It was work, but it was fun. The future, as Tom Petty sang, was wide open.
Here's a rough draft of an early issue:
One member donated the money to build a beautiful fence around the Garden; another built a couple of picnic benches; we built some compost bins, added a tool shed and put in eight fruit trees to be shared among the members; later, a dog run was constructed and coverings were placed over the benches to provide some shade from the sometimes blistering sun.
It was really too good to be true: a beautiful green space right across the street that brought neighbors together and produced some really delicious, organic food.
But nothing lasts forever.
As often happens with neighbors, personality conflicts began to divide the members and we left the garden in 2011, along with several other original members.
They kept the garden going for a few more years, but just a few weeks ago a For Sale sign appeared on the property. In no time, it was sold for over $800,000 and the plan is to construct town homes on top of what once was that beautiful green space. Houston needs more green spaces, but neither the city nor the Midtown Redevelopment District was willing to purchase the land to keep it green.
They say timing is everything. Just about two months ago, before the For Sale signs went up in the Garden, we decided to sell our house. The real estate market is really hot in this area, and we figured that a big selling point would be that awesome green space right across the street. Well, no more.
We're still going to sell our house, but I have a feeling we may not get as much as we'd hoped for it since town homes of unknown height will be going in right across the street. It's doubtful that they would be any taller than our four-story townhouse with a gorgeous rooftop deck, but they will likely block the view of the city that we have enjoyed from the second and third floors.
Can't stand in the way of progress, they say, or you will get mowed down. Yeah? Well, fuck progress.
Adios, MCG. Adios, Midtown. It was good while it lasted.
Perhaps I'll post some pictures as a retrospective. Another day, perhaps. I'm too sad to do it right now.
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