Roots of Life: Growing Up Among Gardens and Generations

By Maria Otero-Martin

Growing up in Dobbs Ferry, plants were always part of our everyday life. My grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Spain, bringing their love and understanding of plants with them. Visiting their modest house in Sunnyside, Queens, I witnessed how they transformed the odd, triangular patch of ground alongside the driveway of their urban home into a garden with a cherry tree, a fig tree, and numerous flowering plants and vegetables. There was even a cement pathway, a bench, and shade from the thin metal pipes that had been called into service to create a lattice for grape vines to grow.  

For them, this was a vibrant, essential part of life. Conversations constantly popped up about the plants’ well-being: how the tomatoes were coming along, the grapes’ abundance, and whether there would be figs this year. There was a cycle of anticipation as to what we might expect by August. And it was funny, too—my Uncle Joe, who was Italian, would grimace in disgust at the poor tomatoes that worms or birds had ravaged like they had let him down. It was unthinkable for my mother’s family to leave that triangular patch untended and undeveloped; instead, they developed it into their own green refuge in Queens.

In front of our own house in Dobbs, we kept flowers too. My great-aunt, Tia Agustina, was in charge of this area and enlisted me as her helper. As a young child, we walked along the perimeter, and she pointed out different plants and why we had them. Hierba buena, mint in English, smelled wonderful, the bleeding heart plant had religious connotations, and the pansies were Tia’s spring ritual. Planting and gardening were natural and necessary at the core of my family. They were not exclusive to the wealthy and were part of a full life—something all people should experience. 

While teaching at Yonkers' Robert C. Dodson School, I created a garden with the 5th-grade classes. We transformed a barren circle surrounded by cement into something beautiful. For a year, working with six students at a time, rotating through all the 5th-grade classes, we put on gloves and developed that area during recess. The hard and fast rule was that they could only garden wearing gloves, and they had to wash their hands with soap and water afterwards. It was a joy, and at the end, we created a communal garden for the children to take ownership of and enjoy.

I am grateful for this chance to work with dedicated people who believe in service and public gardens. It's an essential effort at both the ecological and social levels to steward these spaces for our community.   

Maria (second from right) with members of the Friends' volunteer gardening crew

Maria Otero-Martin is a dedicated volunteer gardener and a Board Member of the Friends of the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park.