Cleveland's Vacant Lot and Home Garden Movement 



By John Boddy 



The vacant lot q-arden project in Cleveland, Ohio, was ^^''cre assignments will be made in the order received. The form 



first undertaken during the spring of 1912 at the instiga- ^^n^^J^'f'"'^"* '"*""''' '"*° ^'^'^ "^" ^'^^ ^^'^ Department is as 



tpn of Councilman Harry L. French, chairman of the i_ jj^g undersigned, in consideration of the right for gardening 



Committee on Parks. Mi'. I-rench succeeded in being purposes on land located at 



able to obtain by legislature through the City Council an -^ ■ ; ■^■_- ■ ■ ■ y •^•.- • ■ ;;,\.f°_^f ;fi'y,.^Ff,t*°,;j,^®„*';;f,,f'^°J^ +^f 11^'!;^ 

 appropriation sufficient to pay the services of a clerk who 



acted on behalf of the city in securing the use of vacant 

 lots in different sections of the city, and in turn assigning 

 these to would-be cultivators. 



The object was to clean up at least a portion of the 

 imsightly looking property scattered tliroughout the city 

 and nl)taining therefrom by cultivation such crops as 

 coukl be grown with a little care and work, thus trans- 

 forming a number of dumping grounds into sightly and 

 profitable gardens. There was also the idea of being 

 able to provide for these garden workers a means of ob- 

 taining a supply of fresh vegetables as a result of their 

 own labors throughout the season. 



The movement the first year created at least an interest 

 in the work and was of sufficient proportions to warrant 

 the city taking hold of the project another year along 

 broader lines. It was in the early spring of 1913 that the 

 city forester was assigned to take charge of the move- 

 ment, and plans were at once made to broaden the scope 

 of the work and conduct it along systematic lines. 



The first move was to obtain an appropriation of 

 $700 through the City Council for clerk hire. This 

 amount being sufficient only to take care of the neces- 

 sary ofiice work involved, the co-operation of two bank- 

 ing institutions and a few local leading business concerns 

 were enlisted, with the result that an additional $700 in 

 cash and $300 wortli of garden tools, trees and shrubs 

 were provided as prizes and for sucli other incidental ex- 

 penses as might be incurred. 



The Real Estate Board entered lu-artily into the move- 

 ment and was able to furnish a good idea of such vacant 

 properties as might be available for garden jjurposes. 

 The owners in almost every instance showed a disposition 

 t(i encourage the undertaking, as was evidenced by their 

 w illingness to place at the disposal of the department as 

 many lots as were necessary. Altogether four hundred 

 hits averaging 50 x 120 feet were offered for this purpose. 



These lots were in turn assigned to the several appli- 

 cants, each of wluini was required to sign the following 

 lease : 



FORM AND MANNER OF APPLICATION. 



Apiilioation for the temporary use of vacant lot property may 

 I)i' made to tlii' onice uf the City Furestor, Room 214, Citj' Hall, 



land for gardening purposes exclusively, and to cultivate the same 

 in a good and husbandlike manner, subject to the jurisdiction and 

 control of the Park Department of the City of Cleveland to ter- 

 minate my use of the said lands at any time. And I do further 



aaree upon the day of , 1913, to leave the 



said tract of land in good order and in good condition, and to 

 remove therefrom any and all debris or lefuse which may have 

 accumlated thereupon. 

 Date 



(Name.) 



No fee of any kind was charged and the city further 

 undertook to assist in the cleaning up of the lots by the 

 removal of debris and rubbish of any kind that littered 

 up the lots in many instances, and further, plowed the 

 lots and furnished such manure as was necessary. 



A garden bulletin was also issued giving the purpose 

 and aim of the movement, together with general cultural 

 directions for the growing of vegetables and a number 

 of planting tables and other such matter as might be 

 helpful to amateurs in their new undertaking. 



Before this phase of the movement was well started 

 it was found necessary, on account of the overwhelming 

 demand on the part of home owners, to incorporate a divi- 

 sion that might include such work as could well be under- 

 taken on the home grounds or back lots connected with 

 the city homes. A second edition of the garden bulletin 

 was gotten out and distributed for this purpose. The 

 project then nattirally divided itself into two divisions: 

 (a) The vacant lot movement; (b) the home garden 

 movement. 



As the season opened and active operations began, a 

 committee of judges was gotten together consisting of 

 three retired florists and market gardeners. These men 

 readily consented to devote at least one day a week for 

 the purpose of visiting the several gardens throughout 

 the city that had now enlisted in the garden contest. Reg- 

 ular trips of inspection were made by these men, together 

 with the city forester, accompanied by a reporter and 

 photographer furnished by the Cleveland Plain Dealer 

 (which newspaper undertook to handle the publicity end 

 of the work, and further showed its interest by provid- 

 ing $100 in cash and a silver trophy to be awarded at the 

 time of the garden festival), as well as representatives 

 of some of the other concerns who had furnished financial 

 support. 



For the purpose of judging intelligently, notes were 

 kept on the preparation of the ground, arrangement, cul- 

 tivation and value of the crops, the number of points 

 given on these amounting to 100. The judging of the 

 vacant lot garden was kept entirely separate from that 

 of the home garden, the advantages that the latter would 

 have over the former being sufficient to warrant a dis- 

 tinction being made between the two. 



In the case of the home gardens it was found neces- 

 sary to make a further subdivision for the purpose of 

 fairness to the competitors, the natural subdivisions be- 

 ing: fa) The Best Flower Garden, (b) The Best 

 \'egetable Garden. fc) The Rest Combination Garden. 

 The last named, as the classification suggests, provided 

 for a combination of flowers and vegetables, and in some 

 cases a few small fruit trees or bushes and shrubbery. 

 The result of the garden contest was not made known 



