The urban garden or farm became a trend, and really took hold in large Rust Belt cities where so much open land existed. Things like urban farming and art are now part of urban development, a bit far from their roots.
Of course, fruit, vegetable and flower gardens are nothing new in the city, and, were, at certain times, very popular. It helps to understand that many people who came to the city, either from Europe, or the American south, were from rural areas, and had innate abilities at growing, building and fixing things. What populated this city, and made it, was both southern emmigrants and European immigrants.
Mr. Porter came to Cleveland, like thousands of others, from the south. The amount of labor needed in the area’s factories was staggering, and people like Obie were part of the last great surge in the city’s growth.
His children got a great base to start their lives, although, they and their children would know the city on its downward trend, but through roots, family and history and some good gardening, it wouldn’t matter.
On Lexington Avenue, just west of old League Park, both his home and its front yard garden always stood out, and when I saw the bowling balls mixed, as sculpture, with his plants, we began to talk. Obie didn’t have much to say about his use of bowling balls beyond it’s what he liked, but, if you know anything about Cleveland, it all makes complete sense.
I would hang out with Obie quite a bit, before realizing the extent of his inborn talents at growing. He had another, unoccupied home in the back, that had to be one of the city’s oldest, and when he was showing me the place, pointed out, what I always thought were more of Obie’s ornamental plants, until he pulled back on some, and revealed bean pods, and realized, what, in fact, was everywhere and all over his property – crops. Food was everywhere, woven into anything that could handle plants. He would later show me a large side lot next door the he borrowed for some neighborhood sharecropping of his larger crops of cabbage, watermelon and corn.
It took a while to realize in a city of overgrown flora, but, in fact, Obie, in the middle of the city, was surrounded by his own crops and plants, using every available bit of space.
Guys such as Obie have always been a friendly staple and presence since I was a kid. People who I learned so much from, and we were friends with, all different and interesting individuals.
Obie had come along way, with his talents and work ethic he was the head of a large family, had this big home on Lexington Avenue and the man had a bowling ball garden for show, and food sources as a matter of course, all around him. Mr. Porter felt so right at home is wasn’t funny.
I met Mr. Porter in the spring. I thought his use of bowling balls in his garden was novel, and i wanted to meet the creator. He said to come back in the spring.
When i first met Obie, growing season had not begun, and i had seen his installation of bowling balls and brickwork gardens. He told me to make sure to come back in spring.
Obie’s beautiful garden featured nine bowling balls and was the untrained art of a working man.
Obie also used a side yard, one of the many blank spaces in the city where there were once homes, to grow his larger crops of cabbage, melon, corn and beans.
Obie’s homes were surrounded by, what i thought, were hedges, ornamental plants, but one day he pointed out that it was all bean plants.
Mr. Obie Porter in his front yard on Lexington Avenue in Hough. He appreciated artiifcial flowers, as well as, bowling balls.
It’s Septemebr, 2009, and, as it turned out, i think, his last harvest.