Since getting back from Austin, I've been spending a lot of time in my own garden, trying to capture some of the inspiration and magic that came from that awesome weekend. However, the weekend after Austin, i ended up in Downtown LA, and came across a great garden i wanted to share...
While wandering in DTLA, i came across
Spring Street Community Garden - they are hard to miss with the blooming nasturtium outside:
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| very pretty! and they provide them to local restaurants, i learned later |
Antonio saw me taking pictures outside, and invited me in to talk about plants!
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| Spring Street Community Garden - and note the block wall planter in the bottom of the picture! |
They had the expected veggie beds - all of them beautiful and already lush.
There were also a lot of ornamental vignettes - like this living wall installation.
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| a lot of succulents and ornamental plants, all mixed with the edibles |
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| The ornamental bed at the end of the garden - look at the size of some of the plants! |
They are growing papaya - successfully! They've also harvested a pineapple...
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| papaya in LA! |
And here's the coincidence, and link to Austin - they were growing Piper auritum (Hoja santa / rootbeer plant) - a much admired plant in Margie McClurg garden in Austin.
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| i didn't get a good picture - but it's just the right of this one... |
Antonio was gracious enough to give me some cuttings - more evidence that gardeners are the best!
Now, i have been very unsuccessful at cuttings in the past, but fingers crossed these will take... It was so fun to see this garden, and talk to Antonio. If i lived near a community garden like this, i'd join in a heartbeat!
