Transformation

 

 © 2023 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY -- 7/13/23

From beer cans, cigarette butts and rotting banana peels to tomatoes, peppers and polychromatic flowers.

Two stone walls form the entrance to the parking lot on the corner of Court Street and City Hall Place.  They were designed to hold soil to create garden beds.

Until last summer the garden beds were empty, used as elongated garbage cans.  For the second year two volunteers have beautified the neglected spots.

Ryan Casey lives near the walls.  He likes to sit on a wall and play guitar.  Since he didn’t own any land he decided to make use of the dirty fallow beds.  With his partner Jesse they have cleaned and replenished the soil.  One garden bed under Ryan’s aegis is for tomatoes and other edible plants.  The other features a variety of flowers planted by Jesse like snap dragons, irises and carnations.

The mayor had been approached about upgrading the garden beds but he said the city had no money for the project.  This created an opportunity for Ryan and Jesse to fix the unsightly spots.

Ryan says the renewed garden beds have acted as a catalyst for great conversations with passersby.  Since the project is for the community he says people are invited to take ripe tomatoes.

Besides adding a splash of beauty the flowers are great subjects for close up photography as evinced at this blog.