OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
APRIL 17 ¿009
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It’s no wonder we’re gardening. And now more than
ever, this DIY spirit, perhaps spurred on by the .chal
lenging economy, food scares, eye-opening movies like King
Corn or books like Michael Pollan’s Omnivore's Dilemma, is
making for an altogether greener scene. Gardening is quickly
growing as an American pastime. '
Michelle Obama is digging up the White House lawn and
planting a kitchen garden. The Victory Garden resurgence—a
throwback to World Wars I and II—is introducing people to
gardens, many for the first time, or at least the first time since
childhood. While our parents or grandparents may have gar
dened, many of us were sidetracked along the way, distanced
from the means to the very thing we rely on every day: food.
Scratch a little bit into the horticulture world here in Or
egon, and you discover it’s filled with queers—professionals,
hobbyists and those passionately pursuing the growth of beau
ty. “When you come out, you’re basically saying to the world,
that which I find beautiful is more important to me than my
religious, family or educational affiliations, and I’m going to
claim it,” says Bart Church of men’s wellness group Manifest.
“Queer folks, because they’ve had to face hatred and active
attack about what is in their heart, have great sensitivity to
beauty because they had to fight for it at the most fundamen
tal.” Church sees gardening as a way to connect to each other
and to collaborate with the earth—so much so, his organiza
tion started a Men’s Gardening Group (see Resources).
Rodney Bender, garden programs manager for Growing
Gardens, a nonprofit providing gardening resources, tools and
education, wonders which came first—the Portlander or the
gardener, so intrinsic is it to our surroundings. “There’s a men
tality of gardeners in Portland,” he says.
Why do queers like to garden? “Gardens are reminders,”says
Nicki Eybel of the Lesbian Garden Club via email. “We are a
minority (celebrated or maligned) but there is solace in the soil
for folks who might feel disenfranchised on some level.”
“We garden in the front yard to be public, we garden in the
backyard to be private. Gardening is a healthy, creative form of
self-expression, a language that disarms enemies,” Eybel says.
“With people who might condemn me for how I live and love,
I can offer a bouquet or a bag of arugula. And I do!”
For many of us, gardening weaves together our artistic en
deavors, political beliefs and community values. “Sharing good
food and having friends over really creates community,” says
Tom Winterrowd (left). Last year, he invited his conservative
Portland friends down to his Canby farm. “We all sat at the
table, and I explained where everything on the table came
from. Not all food comes from the grocery store. It creates a
new appreciation.”
So what kind of gardener are you? I asked this question
of a few queer “hort heads” and hobbyists, and discovered it’s
an enticing lead-in to some fascinating people. Are the gays
gardening? You bet.
\erir\t Failor
DESIGNER
“ ff feels liKe LfO^re peerf. of
cOKrnwiKctif vakeK ljoia ^(¡.rdeh.
n artist who creates stepping stone
molds for gardens, Failor works
professionally in the gardening world
in addition to her personal projects.
Her Southeast Portland garden reflects
her creativity with tile mosaics and
thoughtful plant pairings. “I’m a slave
to beauty and I love being surrounded
by beautiful things,” she says.
Her advice to new gardeners:
Prep the soil. Failor brought in over
a hundred yards of mushroom and
composted manure, building her beds
before she planted a thing. Today, her
garden thrives.
ft
Yorker
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
AND ADMINISTRATION. BASIC RIGHTS OREGON
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is
htture, betKj I k
a .
"to jef clos
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onker (seated left) calls himself a shy gardener, but the lush shade garden at his North Portland
home is anything but timid. Hydrangeas, Hostas and Epimediums are but a few of the plants he,
along with his partner, Mike Druyd, grows in the backyard.
Yonkers favorite resource is the gay-owned Joy Creek Nursery (20300 NW Watson Road, Scappoose,
OR, 503-543-7474). “I get so many ideas by walking through their gardens,”
he says. “It’s a great place to get ideas and the location is beautiful.”
continued on page 16
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