Community Garden — ANA ISABEL MEREZ

One of my neighbors announced that the feijoas were ready. This wonderful fruit that grows generously in my native Colombia has the magical ability to transport me to my childhood. I went looking to pick one from the tree that grows in our backyard, and my mouth watered as I remembered it’s aromatic essence, with notes of pineapple, guava and mint. The feijoas were not really ready to be picked—which is actually good news since they are supposed to mature later in the year—but instead, I found two dragon fruit, exploding with color and ripe, ready to be harvested. This cactus plant is growing like a snake around the feijoa tree, and it is easy to miss, though it’s fruit is not; it’s intense magenta coat standing out in the greenery, scaly and very much making justice to its name 🐉🌺.
I’m a happy forager 😊
Savoring some petals from the feijoa, which taste sweet, just like the fruit, have satisfied my craving for this flavor. And the unexpected dragon fruit discovery, was a deliciously exotic substitute.
It is important to name the fact that the reason why I am able to enjoy this amazing harvest growing in inner city Los Angeles, specifically in Koreatown, one of the most densely populated neighborhoods of the US, is because of the community effort that takes place here. For years, urban eco-villagers living in this land have been saving their food scraps to make compost, and building the soil by stewarding the land in a holistic approach. A grey water system is in place, mulch is spread and so is love. And I’m infinitely grateful to be a part of this diverse group of people who love nature (and humans! Cause we ARE nature 💓) as much as I do. Community is everything. In times like this, when a global pandemic makes us fear to breath the air we share, knowing your neighbors, counting with each other’s support, is pure gold ✨✨✨