P
erhaps nothing serves as a better symbol of hope than a garden. (Why else would I try — and fail — every single summer to grow tomatoes?) A garden isn’t just about the finished product. It’s a project, a class given by nature. Loving a plant into being, watching it grow each day, trying new soils and fertilizers … it all satisfies a primal urge to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves, and it instills in us a sense of purpose and pride of place. The fruits of those labors — foods and flowers — are almost secondary.
Such feelings aren’t relegated only to those with backyards. They’re why, in April 2022, residents at Reno’s Hawk View Apartments, an affordable housing community located off North McCarran Boulevard and operated by the Reno Housing Authority (RHA), began nurturing the seed of an idea — to develop a community garden.
Quite a lot has…
