Sustainable Gardening Blog

Here’s the glamorous Bette known and loved by millions, most especially Takoma Gardener.  Oh, yes, since a friend in Greenwich Village got me hooked on Bette in the early ’70s, the Divine Miss M has been a goddess to me.

But look at what Bette’s up to now. Turns out this hyper-talented native of Hawai is one of us, guys, and here she is in real life, helping remove garbage from neglected parkland in the Lower East Side of NYC.  And she’s no one-time, photo-op volunteer - no way, Jose.  Bette created the New York Restoration Project, which is called the "Conservancy of Forgotten Places" because it’s rescued over 400 underfunded public lands in the city. They’re also involved big-time in community gardens, and I love what their website has to say about them: "The roots of community gardens run deep in New York City—gardens are oases of vegetables, fruits, flowers and tranquility in neighborhoods where concrete otherwise rules. They are the site for picnics, cookouts, birthday parties and other community gatherings, and are special places for residents of all ages, with and without green thumbs. Community gardens create a network of green spaces in the city in an unprecedented way."

Okay, now that I’ve primed you with these nice words, you’re ready to be wowed by their site.  On this page you’ll see little slide shows of before-and-after pictures that’ll turn the most hardened souls into true believers.  Now I know how I’d keep my sanity if I ever had to live in New York City - by joining Bette’s crew.