The community garden plot that reverted to lawn after the coordinator moved away

I miss the kale and sunflowers that used to thrive there, a shared project that brought neighbors together. Now it's just uniform grass, a tidy but lonely space that makes me wonder about the friendships we might have cultivated instead.

4 comments

4 Comments

miller.rowan11h ago

Man that hits hard. Remembering the specific splash of color from those sunflowers against the fence, or the weirdly satisfying feeling of picking a bunch of that dark green kale together. Those little collaborative moments, like someone sharing extra seedlings or a watering schedule, actually felt like building something. Now that blank green lawn just feels like a missed connection, quieter without the bees or the casual chats over the rosemary.

the_matthew8h ago

That idea of the lawn being a "missed connection" really lands differently for me, miller.rowan. I get the nostalgia for the garden's buzz, but that clean green space... it feels intentional, not empty. It's a different kind of collaboration, one with my own need for a quiet headspace. Sometimes building something just looks like making room to breathe, without the schedules or the obligation. The bees are great, but so is the unbroken stretch of green where my thoughts don't have to compete... it's a choice, not a loss.

phoenixwood8h ago

Interesting. Is that quiet a refuge from something in particular, or is the space itself the entire point?

the_robin3h ago

Gardens like that one do more than just grow plants. They create chances for unplanned talks and shared work, which that neat lawn can't really replace. Calling it a choice for quiet space misses how those little interactions built a sense of belonging. Once that structure is gone, it's hard to get back, even if the grass looks tidy.