I believe that Austin David Sr chose the Okra plant because it represents his country and serves as a reminder for where he came from. The Okra flower is a popular plant near Austin’s home (Virgin Islands) and seeing this plant in the garden symbolizes Austin putting a piece of himself and his personal history into the community garden for all to see. Also, during the interview Austin stated that gardening is a big part of his community at home and was an important activity during his childhood. Therefore, the Okra plant was most likely a plant that Austin and his family planted in their garden at home. Not only does planting the Okra flower in the community garden remind Austin of his home, it probably reminds him of his childhood. Personally, during my visit to the garden I got to learn how beautiful the symbolism of the community garden truly is and how important it is to the residents of the community. For the members of the community, this garden represents each resident planting a piece of themselves in their community by choosing a plant that represents where they are originally from. Overall, having this garden in the community is something that brings together people of immensely diverse backgrounds and allows them to work together to create something beautiful. Visiting this garden really put this idea into perspective.
