My gardens are gone...

Dear readers,

There is a sad new I want to share with you all today. 2 of the 3 gardens (the one by Wealthy st. and Division Av. and the one in a abandoned neighborhood.) that was left are now gone. They were destroyed by tractor as a lady told me today and as my very own eyes had confirmed her words. I met her at the community garden last week for the first time and today with her a sad news we met again. She is a very kind lady who is felt my sadness as she is the caretaker of the community gardens.

So with the sad new I came to the scene of their destruction. There were only foreign dirt and tractor tire marks. No more plants, no more gardens, no more life. As I was taking in the reality of the situation, a van pull up. A man came out with a uniform on; He works for the ICCF, the organization of the land and also the one who allowed such destruction. I asked him nicely about the destruction that we both witnessing and he said that The organization need to plow up the field and put in dirt as they awaiting for buyer for the land. He said that with plowed ground and new fresh dirt, grass will grow. So the destruction had brought to a vegetables bearing gardens for a new lawn, I was a bit upset. I sighed but I also did not allow myself to forget that the land belongs to the organization and that I have no right to what is happening to the land but sadness for its mistreatment. I let the mixed feeling sinked in, gained understandings and insights from the event, and I left knowing and be reminded: that what the experiment is all about!

The garden by Wealthy St. and Division Av.

 Before

Before

Before

After

After

The marks of the tractor

Only vegetation on the plot, falling berries.

It is all gone.

The gardens within a abandoned neighborhood:

Before

Before

After

Even though the possibility of this happening is within my knowledge, but still, it did take me back a bit. It did have a shocking effect to it. Now not just my mind believe but now my body experienced it also. Here we are, humans competing for land to do what we think is needed, a lawn or a garden... Some humans have the right to chose what they want the land to provide for them since the land had been privatized and they they are the one with the paper works, while others who have no right to the land can only see the land go to waste. This is the society we live in, no longer what is right that rule but those the right that we humans had constructed through history that rule; and at time, those rights of people is not right for people. 

A side story, as I was driving to and from downtown today (I did not wanted to drive but it was going to rain and I need to protect my lap top as I travel from red boxes to red boxes.) I suddenly realized that I must looked awfully alone from the outside, trapped within a shaped metal container that move. I must looked awfully alone as I stopped at my light bobbing my head to my only companion on the road, the radio. I must looked so strange as I was alone in a shaped metal container. I felt weird just thinking about how I must had looked like. I felt as I just want to get rid of all these different container that we carry around or stay within, our cars, our houses... All these different container that contain us from others' companies and communities; I just wanted to get out of it all... or at least get into one that with people, loving one would be preferable.

Thanks for reading again. 

I truly appriecate all the supports from all of you. 

wish you a good night!

Patrick

My second exploring expedition, the secnary definitely had changed...

Dear reader,

I woke up this morning with a bit of soreness in my leg but I felt energetic for I had a wonderful night of rest last night. I got a little bit of research done and then I headed out of the door. It was a beautiful sun shining day. It surely gave me more drive and lighter heart as I started my six and a half hours long exploration.

I start out the journey from where I left off yesterday, the corner of College St. and Fulton St. and made my way to the corner of Lafayette Av. and Trowbridge St. During the journey, I traveled through the majestic hoses of the Heritage Hill, passed the busy, blooming street of Michigan, under the highway 196 and found myself in a more lively neighborhood with occasion shout of "Fu*k" and dog barks on the other side of the city. Some pictures I took on my journey. 

Still within the area of Heritage

A beautiful with an amazing garden, the garden is so full that it does not feel like you are in a city at all.

As I move father up north, houses started to be built closer together, and houses that divided up to rent as few separate apartments had increase in number too. The scenery of big houses and nice size flower gardens had changed;

I am at one street south of Michigan Av. I could not believe that the residence area of town is so close to the city, only a parking lot away.

I had came across 2 stone path like these, I wonder how old are they. 

These are the marks that I made on my map today. 

• 16 American Hackberries trees
• 4 Mulberries trees
• 1 Crabapple trees
• 6 Canada Buffloberries trees
• 3 Juneberries trees
• 2 potential sleeping spot
• a shop full of old, shinny beautiful car
• 2 abandoned buildings 
• 2 stone path
• A potential water source
• 22 Fire hydrants 

There were a lot on my mind today as I walk. I try to made my focus of the walk with questions in my heart about the relation between the city and its community, between citizens and their knowledge, between the nature and the waste, between the rule of the city and the creativity of the city. It was a very rewarding expedition since I had all theses ideas within me as I walk through all these spaces.

One of the thing I thought about the most is related to the few time that I felt lonely as I explore. There were few moments during my walks that I felt a bit lonely as I walking through what humans had chosen as the best environment of comfort and safety. I felt lonely as there were almost no body around. Even though occasionally, one of two runners or dog walkers pass by, most of them did not reply my greetings. Is it that they are defensive or protective? Is it that they fear me? Is it that they had forgotten how to reply to a stranger since they had so used to being alone only with their circle of friends or family members in their own habitat that they had build with walls to separates a space they call their own from the habitat that we all supposed to share? Where is the community aspect of our human nature? This one-house-two-cars way of life, is it bringing us closer to other people or instead, hiding us more from everyone around us? The only gathering of human beings I saw today was a large groups of kids with great laughter within a elementary school playground during what seem to be a recess and couples of neighborhood kids playing hide and go seek in the parking lot of some apartment complex. Where are the adult? Where are they forming their community or are they at all? I hope they do, for the laughter of those children were so beautiful even though they reminded me of my own loneliness as I explore alone in a lonely world. The children surely gave me hope and lesson learned that, The best thing in life will not be the best if it is not share with someone!



As yesterday, I try to eat and learn as often as I can the wild plants that is around me.

American Hack Berries Tree... not quite ready.

hmm... one of my favorite!!! Juneberries!

 If you take the needles out, the young shot can be boil like bean and eat like beans.

 The juices of the mulberries had left their mark on my fingers!

As I was picking the Mulberries off the tree, franticly putting those sweet little thing into my mouth. I felt movement up higher of the tree. Then suddenly I realized that I am not alone in this food gathering activities, there were birds and squirrels around me, over me in the tree, picking berries from the same tree as I am picking from. It was a special feeling, not that I felt competitive but I feel as we are in the same team with the same purpose. I felt connected with the birds and the squirrels as they gather they daily foods. It was a unique experience.

 It was a day full of walking and I am surely tired. 

So even there are more insight, I think I will call it good... 

I got other project that I need to tend to. 

Thanks for reading and supporting me. 

All the best

Patrick

First of many day organized exploring expedition.

Dear readers,

Today was my first day of many more days ahead of organized exploring expeditions.
There is so much about this city that I need to know before I start my experiment. I had use the boundaries in which Art Prize had set for the Art Venues as the boundary of my habitat. Since the place I want to experiment with is the city and where people go back to sleep after their full day of work in the city, the boundary for Art Prize fit perfectly for this project.

So the area of habitat that I will be spending most of my times will be an area bounded by Leonard Street as the most North, by College Ave. as the most East, by Wealthy St. as the most South and by the Straight/Alpine Ave. as the most West. It is a pretty big area full of very diverse pocket of people, cultures... 

 Here is the map of the area. I printed it out so that as I explore, I can make marks on the maps to record all the discoveries. 

Today I went out at around 9:30am. I explored a area from College St. to Lafayette Ave. and from Wealthy St. to Fulton St. It is an area called Heritage Hill. It is widely know for its historical value as there are many old, majestic and beautiful Victorian houses. 

  

 

 The area was beautiful and definitely gave me a sense of peace. I enjoyed my walk around it today. It was truly a soothing walk. Actually as I walked further into the city by Lafayette Ave., I have a sense of resisting it. I loved those comforting, colorful and safe looking houses. I also loved the old rustic European looks that they have. At time during the walk, I wished upon myself that one day I can live here among all these old, gorgeous houses. But the wish always went into conflict with my love for simplicity and adventures. 
  
Also, Even though I enjoy the beauty of this neighborhood, but I at time felt lonely for there were no one around except occasionally one of two dog walker or runner pass by. The side walk became tool of exercise for human or dog. No long they are tool for transportation and spontaneous surprise and gathering of people. I felt a bit lonely. 

I made many marks on my map today. marks that are meaningful and not. On the map, I had marked:

• 14 fire hydrants  
• 6 dumpster for dumpster diving
• 2 dumpster for card board boxes only... for card boards to make signs 
• 2 mail boxes
• 4 potential sleeping spot
• 1 potential water storage spot
• 23 potential food sources from food tree or flowers
• 1 old street light with the top half of its body gone
• 1 Castle.
• 1 Star -war theme decorated car

Here is the map:

 

During my journey, I start to use the bible for edible plants to find edible plants around me. Surprisingly, there are so much that I can eat in the area that explored. Since there is a lot of well kept flower gardens, there are so much I can pick and eat. Also, There are couple of fruit bearing trees that I was able to eat too. I discovered a Fire Cherry Tree with delicious fruits, a Mulberries tree, a Canada Buffaloberries, 3 Juneberries trees and a Northern Mountain Ash. There were couple more fruits bearing tree but I am waiting for the fruits to be mature so that I can better identify them. Also, surprisingly, the flower and the flower buds of the Day Lili is edible and I ate quite a bit of them today too. I have to admit that my stomach was a tiny bit upset, but nothing too bad. haha. 

Fire Cherry

Day Lili

Hmmm... they have a mind onion favor to it.

 The Juneberries tree

 Juneberries.

  

Canada Buffaloberries

 It really did amazing me how many thing I can eat off the plants on the street, plants that been neglect or only view as decorations. They are some delicious decorations. 
  
The action of picking a fruit off a tree and without other preparation procedures, put it right in my month, made me felt so natural and close to nature. The trust I have to the nature and the apeication that I was able to shown through that trust made me felt so close to it. I loved that felling even though I did not like the feeling of a silly stomach. 

So here is my first exploring expedition... more coming. 

have a good night

Patrick

Hmm... I found the bible for edible plant today!!!

Dear readers,

As I had mentioned in the last couple of posts that I am going to learn to be a food gatherer of the wild nature. I need to learn to identify and prepare all the wild plants so I don't get sick or worst, poisoned by the plants that I will be consuming. As I doing research online, in the library and book stores, I had found the bible of edible plant today.

 

 

Product Description

More than 370 edible wild plants, plus 37 poisonous look-alikes, are described here, with 400 drawings and 78 color photographs showing precisely how to recognize each species. Also included are habitat descriptions, lists of plants by season, and preparation instructions for 22 different food uses.

About the Author

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world's greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars. These editions include updated material by Michael O'Brien, Paul Lehman, Bill Thompson III, Michael DiGiorgio, Larry Rosche, and Jeffrey A. Gordon.

So here you go, my food guide during my experiment. 

It is a great book. It surely make finding and identifying edible plants so much easier!!!

I keep you all update on my findings!!!

wish you all well!

Patrick

Hmmm, I found my first fruit tree in the city and for the first time have a feast as a gatherer of nature.

Dear readers,

Yesterday as I was going around to record the grow of all the gardens, I found my first wild fruit tree in the city and for the same time, I had a feast as a gatherer of nature.

I was over in the garden by the intersection of Wealthy St. and Division Av. I was walking around the garden and suddenly I realized that there were so many berries on the ground. So I right away looked up to find the source of all these berries. There it stand over me, this big berries tree. I was so excited. I think they are black berries. They were so sweet. I bended a branch over and start feasting on its produces. It was such an amazing feeling to gather right off from a tree belong to nature and enjoy its sweetness and nutrient. Something about being a gatherer really place me to a humble place. When I picking those black berries, I was praising and thanking nature for such miracle of growing to be a fruit bear tree from a tiny seed. It is so humbling to rely not on my own sweat and land and tool but to rely on nature to provide that sweet berries. I felt bless.

 There were all over the ground!

Here is the berries tree!

 So beautiful!

 I ate so much of it, you can tell by the color of my thumb and pointer finger. haha. 

It was such a great and exciting discovery!!! 

Thanks for reading. 

Keep in touch!

Patrick 

They are all still growing!!!

Dear readers, 

Since I had decided to let all my garden back to nature, back in the fair competition with other plants and the life full of unpredictability; the plants have been still growing beautifully!!!

Nature have been good to all the gardens with so much rain last few days. The rain waters also encouraged the grow of the weeds and the competition for water and nutrient had began between the gardens and the weeds. This is nature. We human had chosen few kind of edible plants and call them vegetables and in the mean time trying to eliminate what we think as inedible weeds. But the truth is that so many of the weeds around us is edible. The fact that they are seen as the untouchable is only due to humans' labeling. So why would I intervene the competition between my garden and the weeds while both are edible. It is just the way nature are made, balanced through competition. Here is some picture of the gardens:



The garden by St. Mary Free Bed Hospital.

The Pumpkins are growing.

The pumpkin

Row of potato plants.

Potato plant

The 4 rows of potato

The garden by the road side:

All six potato plants there is destroyed. It seem as a weed trimmer came along and cut them all off. 

That is the competition between nature and man, competing space to grow and function.

It got destroyed, my potato plants

All six potato plants were destroyed

Some of the carrot though are growing still.

The garden on the intersection of Wealthy St. and Division:

 The row of corn

cucumber

Squash plant

Row of potato plants

Water melon.

The garden

The garden in the neighborhood:

The row of bush bean

The circle of squash

Cucumber plants

The garden.

Nothing really had change in the gardens except the potato plants that got destroyed. 

All is still good. Thanks for the rain. 

I will continue to keep you update on the gardens!!! 

Thanks for reading. 

Patrick