Lexington, KY - For one reason or another, front yards have historically been an unpopular venue for planting edible crops. For planters of the "guerilla gardener" variety, however, front-yard vegetable gardens have additional perks to providing a fresh (and often sunny) plot of land - they can serve as a political statement, an overt promotion of the concept of growing your own food.
It strikes Michael Marchman odd that his hobby and neighborhood contribution of three years is considered "radical." But many have described the community herb and vegetable garden that he maintains, on the easement of land between the sidewalk and the street in front of his house, as just that.
Make no mistake, Marchman, who moved to Lexington from Iowa to pursue his Master's in geography at UK, is okay with the terminology -
a self-described anarchist, he expressed a wish that more people would come to see radical ideas as less threatening. Marchman has a history of political activism, but commuting to Northern Kentucky University a couple of days a week to teach (not to mention being in the final throes of his PhD.) has provided little time for such activity in recent years. "I sort of poured all my energy into this instead," he said.
Marchman encourages neighbors and passersby to pick and use the crops as they wish, as the hand-painted wooden signs in the garden point out ("Free food!" and "Friends and neighbors, don't be shy - help yourself."). This year, he's added signs to indicate which plants are ready to eat and which need a bit more time.
"It's weird for a lot of people - the idea that you can just take from it," Marchman said. "A lot of people have been timid to take stuff, but I think they have gotten more and more comfortable the longer it's been here."
Crops include numerous varieties of peppers and tomatoes, including a delicious baby yellow heirloom that came from seeds that trace back over 100 years. Marchman is also growing okra, Swiss chard, cantaloupe, arugula and herbs galore -
basil, cilantro, chives, sage and thyme. Almost everything was started from seed, most of which he acquired at a seed swap at La Roca church earlier this year.
Marchman's desk is next to a window facing the garden, and he often pops outside when he notices passersby slowing to examine the garden. "I've met probably 120 new people," he said. "All the time, people stop in their cars."
He added that he has been overwhelmed with compliments (and fresh-baked dishes) from his neighbors, including Linde Couch, who nominated him for this article. (In an e-mail, Couch wrote that she wanted to recognize Marchman's generosity and his "feel good" effort - "at a time when there is so much to not feel good about.")
The garden has provided Marchman with some "feel good" moments, to be sure. "I had a great moment last year," he said, recalling an instance when a man pulled up at the stop sign in front of his house in a brand new Cadillac. Marchman was tending to the garden at the time. "I had just pulled up the first carrot I had ever grown," he said. "It was massive, and there were a bunch of them." The Cadillac driver rolled down his window to compliment Marchman on his beautiful carrot, and after pausing for a moment, Marchman asked the driver if he wanted some.
"He was like 'yeah...OK.' So I stuck a bunch of these filthy carrots through the window of his Cadillac, and he said 'My mother's gonna love these,' and drove off."
Marchman's neighborhood garden is located at the corner of Hart and Ridgeway, and it's flourishing. Don't be shy.