The Vanderbeekers’ project to transform a neglected lot into a vivid garden reflects the real-world history of New York City’s community garden movement. This grassroots effort began in the 1970s when the city faced a severe fiscal crisis, leading to widespread urban decay and thousands of vacant, trash-filled lots. In response, resident groups like the Green Guerillas began reclaiming these derelict spaces through “guerrilla gardening.” Their efforts included tossing “seed green-aides,” filled with seeds, fertilizer, and water over fences into vacant lots to beautify them, and putting flower boxes on abandoned buildings (“Our History.” Green Guerillas). These efforts echoed those going on in other areas of the city as well: On the Lower East Side, Luis Torres and José Ayala were instrumental in developing community gardens, and in 1971, Hattie Carthan formed a youth group in Bedford-Stuyvesant to care for local trees (“Our History”). These efforts transformed eyesores into productive green spaces that fostered neighborhood participation and provided fresh produce. 

Recognizing the value of these community-led initiatives, the city created Operation GreenThumb in 1978 to provide resources and lease city-owned land to gardeners. In the novel, the Vanderbeeker children embody this spirit of civic action, taking it upon themselves to clean up and cultivate land that has been abandoned for years. Their conflict with a real estate developer also mirrors the primary threat faced by real community gardens. Since the 1990s, hundreds of gardens have been lost to lucrative development projects as the city’s real estate market boomed. This context highlights that the children’s struggle is part of a long-standing battle to preserve community-centered green spaces in the face of urban development.