Veggies in Public Spaces

In June, I blogged about a corn fast I was doing in the two weeks prior to my coven's midsummer celebration. It was an eye-opening experience that has made me more aware of the influence of corn on our economy and our bodies. I never really thought about corn before that, but now I see it everywhere.

Yesterday I came across this neat little story in The Miami Herald about corn and other veggies growing in public spaces in Lakeland. I think this is a really cool idea.

City horticulturist Bill Koen said he started installing food-bearing plants at Hollis Garden more than a decade ago, and in recent years he has expanded the approach into other city properties.

"Many of these ornamental vegetables are just as pretty as flowers in the landscape," Koen said. "They're no harder to do than annual flowers - petunias or pansies or whatever."

Koen selects strains known for their visual appeal. The corn growing at the public sites is "Indian" corn, defined by kernels of red and purple rather than yellow or white. 

The orderly plot at Heritage Park shimmers with contrasting hues and textures. Several rows of corn shoot up to 8 feet or higher, their purple-and-green tassels resembling braided silk. Knee-high okra plants create a low-level canopy of broad, palmate leaves.

Lower still, a colony of pepper plants dangle their squiggly, reddish-orange fruit. In large pots surrounding the garden, a surging grape vine and a miniature kumquat tree supplement the bounty.

I'd love to see more of this. It sounds like a great community project that would help reconnect people to food (and each other) in a really positive way.