A Patch of Eden: America's Inner-City Gardeners

by H. Patricia Hynes

Imagine a place in the inner city where flowers and vegetables grow, and trees flourish. H. Patricia Hynes tells the stories of America's urban gardeners, who are transforming rubble-strewn lots in more than 200 cities across the nation into wonderful neighborhood sanctuaries.
By describing in detail successful community garden projects in Harlem, North Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, Hynes celebrates an innovative form of urban renewal that is undertaken with seeds, soil, and sweat. These gardens cool and cleanse the air, soften the noise from traffic and factories, collect rainwater that would otherwise drain away into storm sewers, and provide habitat for songbirds and butterflies.
A Patch of Eden brings you an ecological story of heroic dimensions. In what might seem to be the most unlikely of places, expert gardeners like Bernadette Cozart, Cathrine Sneed, Rachel Bagby, and Dan Underwood are working with children, elders, immigrants, inmates, low-income people, and no-income people to create gardens that are overflowing with flowers and food. Here is a glimpse of the cities of the future.

Genres: Food, Gardening

185 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1996

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1996. It takes a look at America's inner city gardens and gardeners. Local people transforming empty lots in to urban community and market gardens. It tells about the garden projects and people in places like Harlem, North Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco. It has informative, and encouraging stories of determined urban community gardeners bringing gardens back to their neighborhoods. It's wonderful how much this movement has grown since this book was written.

[kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring and celebratory. But inclusive of the many challenges community gardens and gardeners face.