Gardening

Scene from "The Hill"
Rosalie was an enthusiastic gardener for most of her life. She practiced organic gardening and kept a seasonal vegetable garden as well as caring for her parents' yard. The largest landscaping project she worked on was "The Hill", an area of city land behind her parents' home. Over a period of 18 years Rosalie transformed a dry river bed and desert hillside into a thriving parkland with trees, paths and terraces. She dug literally thousands of stones and boulders out of the ground to clear for planting and to use to reinforce her terracing and walkways.

Physically Rosalie was a very tenacious person and when well would spend days at a time on the hill digging, clearing, planting and watering. It was a special place for her and she enjoyed the exercise. She also loved to grow things and many native plant species, cactus and succulents cover the area along with trees, palms and flowers.

After Rosalie's death in 1998 her mother Carmelita, then in her late 80's, watered when she could. She passed away a year after Rosalie and since then "The Hill" has been left to nature. It is a wonderful example of what can be done to beautify vacant city and public land and an even greater one of what one person can do despite their obstacles.

» Gardening Photographic Project by Ana Christensen