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| Photo from Chicago Defender by Dominic Brown |
Walking arm and arm with her mother down Cottage Grove Avenue, Leiana Gary noticed an empty flower planter and said, “Humph somebody needs to do something about that.”Read the whole thing.
Her mother replied, “Who might that somebody be?”
Little did Gary know that somebody would be her.
With her mother’s words resonating two years after her death in 2007, Gary decided it was time to do something about that planter.
To get started she sent letters to Alds. Freddrenna M. Lyle (6th) and Michelle Harris (8th), and the Department of Transportation, to get permission to put flowers in the planters.
With the OK to move forward, with her green thumb and care for her community the Chicago Public Schools speech pathologist and avid gardener then headed to Home Depot.
She told the Defender she spent about $2,500 on gardening materials. And with some help from her son, Jerald, and others, Gary began digging, planting, cutting and watering the 75 different plants and 48 varieties of perennials she planted in the cement “pots.”
Gary started planting Memorial Day 2009 at 80th Street and Cottage Grove, looking to beautify her Chatham community. This Mother’s Day, she dedicated that planter to her late mother. And her work continues.
I believe this woman was on Ald. Lyle's 6th Ward Scene that is showing the 1st and 3rd Thursday and Friday every month. The episode I recalled seeing aired earlier this year and also was shown again within the last two or so months.
Also Ald. Lyle offered us this tidbit via E-mail back in May she may have been referring to Ms. Gray:
There's a resident that started a project last year maintaining the stone planters on Cottage. Take a look at her newest endeavor that displays student art at 80thHmmm, now is there anyone else with some artistic talent and a green thumb willing to volunteer their talents to beautify our community?
The community is ready to do a garden in addition to the Alderman's project. Only hold up is finding a lot.
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