Of any garden I’m currently tending, the one that I’ve had the longest connection with isn’t at the house we rent, and it’s not our next-door farm either.
It’s at my office.
We’ve only been in our current house for 2.5 years, but I’ve had a connection to my current office space for more than 4. In those years, I’ve been able to participate in the evolution of what I call our “sidewalk food forest.” In a 30 inch-wide swath next to the street, and and 18 inch strip next to the building, we grow an incredible variety of food: apples, almonds, asian pears, cherries, italian prunes, grapes, boysenberries, peaches, currants, artichoke, rosemary, potatoes, sunchokes, roses, and an assortment of ornamentals. [see photo]
The satisfaction and experience of this garden, not to mention all the fruit, has been an enormous asset in my life. I get to see it—and snack on it—every day, and it has been a great way for me to have a steady relationship to food growing, no matter how many times I have to leave a home garden behind due to a move.
Average
I’m generally in denial about statistics where I turn out to be an average American, but it turns out that my relationship to work/home tenure fits the mold: we Americans change jobs every 4 years, and only move every 8. Considering this, and the constraints that many-a-renter face around gardening at home, the best place to put down roots might very well be where you work.
So be on the look out for the perfect spot for a raised bed or an ornamental planter arrangement that could be replaced with edibles. Start up a conversation with a boss/manager/facilities person about planting a fruit tree or some vegetables. Instead of reading blogs about gardening during your lunch break, get out there and plant something!
Tags: Land Access, work