The Schoenherrs, Edible Estate #15, season two

…of Edible Estate Regional Prototype Garden #15: Twin Cities at Chez Schoenherr in Woodbury, Minnesota commissioned by the Walker Art Center seems to be as active, fecund, fertile, loved, lived-in, tended, and edible as ever – which I learned from intrepid journalist Kim Palmer’s (who has been hot on the Edible Estates beat since the open call in February 2013)  Star Tribune story today…and some highlights:

A talent scout tried to recruit the Schoenherrs’ young-adult kids for a proposed reality show (they didn’t bite). Mom Catherine was surprised when she stopped at a garden center, started to introduce herself to the clerk, and was told, “I know who you are.”

They supplemented that with about 1,000 plants they started from seed in March under grow lights in their basement. “They [the seedlings] covered the whole ping-pong table and a couple other tables,” said Catherine. The basement was so lit up that “I was worried someone would think we were growing pot.”

Sometimes the Schoenherrs don’t even know where their produce is going. “Once John said we hadn’t gotten many strawberries, and a neighbor said, ‘Yeah, you did.’ ”

Even the smallest neighbors lend a hand in the garden. Elsasser, who operates the home-based Little Helpers Child Care, has incorporated the Schoenherrs’ “Children’s Garden” into her summer schedule. The kids help weed and harvest and make pesto for their lunch… Gardening time is one of the highlights of our week. The school-age children said the thing they were looking forward to most was the garden. “One little girl loves carrots so much we can hardly get the dirt washed off.”