Joy Ruth said the secret to gardening is simply understanding nature's cycle.
"See all these snow peas? They're really tasty," Ruth said. "The asparagus goes in December, snow peas in February."
But this year, the community gardener is not certain what will come after March because a certain portion of nature is being lost to urban growth.
"The landlord here has been a really awesome landlord. But it's come time where he wants to sell it," Ruth said.
El Jardin Alegre has been a green oasis on the destitute streets of East Austin for fifteen years.
It was created in 1996 by community members for the purpose of providing a community garden. The garden contains 40 garden plots, a compost area, urban orchard, tool shed, picnic tables and benches, and an award-winning mural.
Like eighty percent of the community gardens in Austin, it's located on private land.
And like many similar to it, it's in danger of being bull-dozed by development amid urban sprawl and raising property values.
"It's very disheartening when you put in so much work and then you find out you're going to lose it," Ruth said.
That was the exact fate of the St. John Community Garden.
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Community gardens
Community gardens may be the next victims to Austin's urban growth and community garden advocates are concerned.
 
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It was turned into an apartment complex several years ago. And there's no chance now that anything will grow out of this asphalt.
"It's a parking lot now," Ruth said.
Ruth fears El Jardin Alegre might soon meet the same fate.
"I can't even imagine because it's beautiful. I can't even imagine," she said.
There's a chance the unimaginable doesn't have to happen.
Karen Banks with the Sustainable Foods Center said she hopes the notion of preserving community gardens in Austin will reach city hall.
"We would like to see more gardens on city property because those are places maintained and managed by the city of Austin," Banks said.
So that the communities that bring life to the soil can continue to find rejuvenation for their own lives from the land.
