A vacant lot in a neighborhood can summon a number of reactions: despair, anger, apathy. But many Detroiters are finding ways in which a vacant lot can lift up a community and inspire—even create a place for sanctuary.
Last week, we visited the Garden Detroit in Jefferson-Chalmers, with both a corner lot with hoop house and a plot of nine vacant lots transformed into a lush garden. The land and the flora is indeed inspiring.
Nancy Weigandt and Tom Milano of the Garden Detroit had been cleaning up vacant land as volunteers for years. Both experienced gardeners, they understood the potential for turning blighted land into a place of beauty, and started working with the Land Bank to acquire vacant lots. They intended on planting vegetables, but neighbors worried they might attract rats, so now flowers create a sanctuary on the lots on Manistique Street.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Curbed Detroit