Garden Gallery

Silvern

In spring 2007, Joan Silvern, who lives on a quiet lakeside street in Evanston, decided she’d like to repurpose her large, grassy backyard, now that her kids were grown and no longer needed it to run around in; if possible, she wanted the space to serve the community. Debbie Hillman, a local food-policy activist who was tending Joan’s ornamental gardens, introduced her to Jeanne Pinsof Nolan, and The Organic Gardener.

To start the design process, Jeanne met with Joan, Debbie, and Joan’s daughter Cathy. Together, the four women came up with the garden’s distinctive shape: a gently curving infinity sign, or figure eight. This configuration, they expected, would harmonize with the dimensions of the yard, and provide a visually interesting view that Joan could enjoy from within the house, in any weather. Once TOG had completed the installation—featuring a see-through rabbit-proof fence; fertile, fluffy seed beds; wood-chip paths; and a low-impact irrigation system—Joan invited seventh and eighth graders from Chiaravalle Montessori School to help with the initial planting. Students from the school have returned periodically, during the past two growing seasons, to help tend the garden and learn more about organic methods. In spring 2008, TOG installed a Tumbleweed composter, which serves the dual purpose of educating visitors about soil creation and helping Joan cut down on her contribution to the municipal waste stream.

One challenge TOG has faced in ensuring the success of Joan’s garden—a full-service project, requiring one to two hours of maintenance every two weeks—is the predominance of dappled sunlight; a huge, gorgeous elm tree in the yard next door prevents parts of her yard from receiving full sun. Our strategy has been to pay close attention to the sun’s patterns, and place plants accordingly—with careful study and constant observation, we’ve been able to grow just about every crop a vegetable enthusiast could want, including heat-lovers like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.