New York Today: Guerrilla Gardening

A friend who was there when the garden started wants to add Stephen Gallagher's name as the garden's originator. She writes "In the early 1980s, Gallagher trucked away a humongous pile of trash, tires, and junk from a plot of land in Harlem. I helped him build the first raised beds on that land when he started the community garden at 138th street and 12th Ave in NYC. He created a space in the garden where homeless people could sleep, as he wanted everyone to be welcome in the garden. When Stephen left NYC years later, Jenny Benitez took over."

What is not to admire about this woman...wow! Can we please elect her president!

As a gardener, my heart soared as I read this story early on a drizzly PNW morning. Thank you, Jonathan Wolfe for this wonderful tale of Mrs. Benitez and her vision. She was determined to make a difference, to make her little corner of the city beautiful. This determination born of love of green is what WILL change the world! Want to add my voice to the others who in the comments asked the NYT to have a garden section. You could report from all over our nation, tell tales of gardeners and their garden. Endless stories would pop up! Please do, NYT! Lastly, blessings to Mrs. Benitez and her fellow urban gardeners all over NYC and other cities! Happy spring!

FRESH FROM UNDER THE TABLE I dreamed of guerrilla gardening And a giant vacant lot On which I'd planted peppers and lettuce (But fought the temptation for pot). Now when I do a dinner party It's green and honestly valid; The main course is Brooklyn tofu spaghetti And a just-grown green salad.

Great job, Ms Benitez! Gardening - small scale or large - is so calming and therapeutic. And rewarding. Would be great for NYT to have a gardening section. Just a couple times a year. There may have been (or is?) a magazine issue devoted to it at one point. Not sure.

I am upset that so many "community" gardens are locked in.. it seem all the time.. And that in the projects more attention is given to asphalt--both parking lots and playgrounds than vegetation. LACK OF LEADERSHIP.. It seems to me that most housing projects could not boast at least a flower garden such as those at about 93rd St. in Riverside Park where volunteers have plots they tend to impressive results. NYC spends $$ on people cooking at farmers' markets. Why not do something for more gardens in the various projects. As good as anything to make people feel happy and get down those ridiculously high fences-- purchased from whose friend?? in Texas. Like the talking buses and escalators and beeping crossing signals?? these are taxpayer gifts to politicians' friends and it's time for the Times to do more investigative reporting on what is ultimately waste and fraud. Esp. the annoying talking buses-- bus is turning bus is turning....

In Manhattan, I co-founded a startup landscape design, installation and maintenance company in 1991, which I helped run for almost 3 decades. It was fairly successful, lasting that long, providing green both in plants and money for the city, employees, principals, etc. Best of all, for the most part I liked doing it very much. Although things ended for me on a sour note (economically), for almost half my life it was fun, most of the time. I worked very hard for many years, and this includes before I came to Manhattan. It is interesting where she is; there is a variety of English ivy named Hedera helix "138th St". Our office was located on Forsyth, just below East Houston Street; we planted a couple of local public areas with all costs to us. I highly commend what everyone in this article is doing. I wish all people did. It is simple: More plantings make a significant dent in pollution.

Ms. Benitez thanks for your work and may you continue to enjoy all the pleasures and delights that gardening brings. The few people I know who are out there changing the world around them are usually 70 - 80 years old. To smart for a smart phone.

I love the "One Book, One New York" program! Thanks for announcing it. That's one of many reasons I appreciate your column. Please vote, everyone!

Guerrilla gardening can be done by one person, a family, a group of friends or even strangers. You'll bond over the huge visual improvement you make, the fact that you and that shy neighbor who lives across the street both love bluebells, and the knowledge you've improved your lives, your kids' lives, and the day of everyone who walks/rides by and sees your transformation: the corner of an abandoned lot, a barren traffic island, or a previously trashy roadside space. When picking your space to transform, remember: Seek forgiveness, not permission. Guerrilla gardening is a long-time movement--join us!

Can the Mayor give her an award. She should be given the Presidential Medal of Honor.

Jonathan, I was wondering if you could help me. I use an app called Evernote to save articles. Not long ago, the Times changed its Share icon on some pages to a curved white right arrow and I no longer have the option of saving to Evernote. Reddit, email, Twitter, etc., are choices, but not Evernote. I can still save from pages that have three dots in the upper right hand corner. I tried looking for help on the Times's site and ended up having a useless "chat" with a bot. I have an Android phone.

Such a feel good story. Nice way to start the day.

Lovely story about a patch of green in New York City. Regarding getting New Yorkers to read one book together: I remember one summer The New York Times was serializing a couple of books in the print edition. Via that series I read the breathtaking "The Color of Water." Why was that series discontinued? It was such a great idea.

Beautiful! And also, such a sweet personal ending to this special lead story. “This tree,” she said, gesturing to one whose trunk provided a bit of cover from the garden, “was where I had my first kiss.” Tune of “It’s In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)” [I’m still in “Donna and Cher shows are coming to B’way!” mode for tax time mood music, so maybe Cher’s hit version?] What was special, what could it be? What made that kiss a great memory? Was it in this park? (Yes, over to your right!) You say it was dark? (But oh, I saw the light!) Shaded by that limb I still see him And my first kiss. (It was such bliss.) Oh yeah! Was it by this trunk? (Oh, yes, right by this tree.) Was the guy a hunk? (I guess! At least to me!) Right here on this lot, It was the perfect spot. For my first kiss. (Heaven and bliss!) Yes, my first kiss!

Every year I transform a plot into a garden. The problem is, the visual plan of the garden is glorious; the actual garden is not so much. A green thumb I have not. But I try.

We need more articles like this and please bring back the gardening section.

A beautiful story about an amazing woman!

Build a greener bridge and collect the toll. New York City ought to pay back pay and retroactive benefits to that gardener. Give Jenny a city funded pension. She’s a “disruptor” of the highest order and a benefit to Manhattan’s trash dumping bro’s.

Urban areas news more Jenny’s - so if you want to do the same investigate through the city to find out who owns the lot and if it is in tax arearrs first. Otherwise call that lot owner and get permission to clean and create a public garden. Do this so that your not cleaning up a lot and then it is sold.

What a great feel good story of how one person can make a BIG difference.

Stories like this affirm never to quit your daydream and if along the way there’s dirt under your fingernails all the better. Thanks for the morning inspiration. I love NY where everything is possible.