Revolution Visits “the D” – Detroit that is.

Last week, Jeff Robbins of Revolution Landscape visited Detroit, Michigan and saw how people in the mid-“west” coast are also working towards sustainability.  He visited Karner Community Garden in West Bloomfield, participated in a garden restoration project with NPO startup Edible Landscapes, visited the University of Michigan Arboretum, and observed edible landscaping in several public spaces in Ann Arbor.

Karner Community Garden –  Early in my trip, I visited Karner Farm in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit.  I was impressed to see that every one of the 30 some 10×15 ft. garden plots were being used and were well maintained.  I was not at all surprised to see that the garden layout and styles varied greatly between the parcels but I was especially excited when I saw that some of the gardeners had implemented permaculture practices, planting corn stalks and pole beans together.  As I was leaving, an old timer tending to his plot, told me that they hand water using a shared public hose and that I could sign up for a parcel through the local Department of Parks and Recreation.

Garden Restoration in Detroit Suburb – I met with Andy from non-profit startup Edible Landscapes and was invited to help fix up one of their tomato gardens.  Before starting, the garden had several collapsing 6 ft. plus tomato plants and lots of overgrowth which was the result of a few weeks of heavy rain.  We spent several hours weeding, staking and running trellis lines for the tomato plants, and finished with a 6 inch layer of hay mulch.  We also thinned out branches near the base of the plants to allow more air flow and reduce the risk of fungus.  It was interesting to hear that their biggest challenge was keeping out the groundhogs!

U of M Arboretum & Green Rooftops – On one of the days, I took a walk through the Arboretum near the University of Michigan’s campus.  Though there were many non-native plants, the signs I read indicated that the plants were chosen for their drought-tolerant and ornamental qualities.  As I continued on through the woods, I spotted and sampled some wild raspberries!  Back on campus, while I was touring the upper floors of one of the schools buildings, I looked down and noticed many of the rooftops below actually had soil and some vegetation on them.  I also noticed a drip irrigation system that seemed to be adequately spaced for vegetable beds and wondered at the soil depth and drainage.  I recently inquired about the space and have yet to hear if they have plans to propagate with veggies.

Edible Landscaping in Ann Arbor – I stumbled upon several gardens right in the middle of downtown Ann Arbor.   This was an unexpected surprise.  I saw edible landscaping in front of the Bank of Ann Arbor, as the border of a public parking lot, and at Palio an Italian restaurant.  At each site there were tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, sunflowers, beans, and the remaining areas were filled with mulch and what looked like native shrubs.  Though none of the plants were producing yet, I did notice that there was NO vandalism.   Seeing these existing gardens in very urban and public spaces really made me think that we can take Revolution’s approach with San Diego’s ecology and make edible landscaping an integral part of our communities.