Tiffany Selvey
Where I live: Murphy Park neighborhood of Springdale
Occupation: Mill Street Market manager, garden writer, urban farmer at Songbird Gardens
My favorite space is: My backyard vegetable garden.
Why? Gardens are magical. It defies logic that I can plant a few seeds that will turn into hundreds of pounds of food in a few months. The garden is my therapist, gym and grocery store. When I have a problem that I can't solve, I can spend some time pulling weeds and listening to the birds as I work on a solution. When I indulge in fried chicken, there is always work to do that will burn those calories!
We grow a large variety of produce to sell at the Mill Street Market, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. During the spring, summer and fall, it changes every day. There is always a new bloom, fruit or vegetable, but the most exciting thing to me every year is the first Ozark pink slicing tomato.
If I could make one change to improve this space, I would: Make it bigger. We were fortunate to find a half-acre lot in the middle of Springdale, but even with a 6,000-square-foot garden, there just isn't enough space to grow everything I want. We grow a lot of peppers, okra, tomatoes and greens, but I'd love to be able to add fruit trees like pawpaws, tart cherries and pears.
-- Laurie Marshall
HomeStyle on 04/30/2016