Rochester — It's a sunny Saturday, early fall. An abandoned car garage on the corner of Bay and Fifth Street encapsulates a dense landscape typical of city living.

Nothing grows here until you walk 50 feet further into a grassy land that transports you to the magical world of Aerial Springs Community Garden.

When you enter, you'll see the soil's delivered fresh vegetables free for the community and beautiful flowers capturing pedestrians' eyes.

The produce is plentiful, but the essential thing grown on this land is hope, cultivated by the woman that tends the ground.

"A lot of people always say this garden makes them smile," Janelle Hines said.

Hines, an art teacher for 13 years, reluctantly moved to Bay Street from Brockport on April 1st. A sudden rent increase forced her into the city, away from family. When she got the keys to her new home, the neighboring lot of grass was bare until the realtor mentioned applying for a garden permit.

 "I was stressed, depressed, homesick, and needed good therapy ― thus the garden was born," Hines reflected. 

Her depression had developed from being separated from her twin teenage sons, Benjamin and Samuel. Hines has joint custody of the boys, who live with their father in Michigan, but the lack of time she has spent with them since they were one-year-old makes her feel insufficient.

To soothe her mind, Hines began "scratching the ground with a rake." At that moment, two young children jumped over the property's fence to meet their new neighbor. 

"Miss, we play over here; what are you doing?" she remembers the children asking. 

She assured them she wasn't just playing in the dirt or feeding cats. A garden was in the works. 

"Y'all want to help?" Hines asked. 

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Minutes later, Kamani Moyd and her brother Kavarri had tools in their hands. Their sister Majia Davis would soon join them, serving as gardening assistants for Hines ― digging in the dirt and temporarily filling a void for the mother of two. 

"I'm just a nice person; I like to help people," Kamani Moyd said. "I wanted to help in the garden because she wanted to help people." 

"And I just love nature," Moyd's brother Kavarri added. 

The children would rather develop their green thumb than visit a recreation center or wander the city streets in search of fun. The garden gives them a chance to build something from the ground up and practice arts and crafts, but most of all, it provides safety. 

Hines believes she lives in a "good pocket" within the city, yet the sound of sirens is constant. She drowns it out with gardening videos on YouTube. And when gunshots rang, "I tell myself it's fireworks," she said. 

Vandalism has never been an issue at Aerial Springs. If someone did come around with bad intentions, they would have a challenging time getting by the watchful eye of the children, especially Kamani Moyd. 

"She's a boss," Hines said of her young apprentice. "I told her if I ever move, she can take over. She's going to take over anyway." 

Moyd beams with pride as she leads a tour, highlighting the lettuce that "helps your hair grow," the tomatoes that are "good for your skin," or the watermelon the size of a gumball that took 95 days to develop. 

"She (Hines) said when it gets bigger than my head, I can cut it open and have it for myself," Moyd declared. 

The tour continues to the tiny library facing the sidewalk, the solar panels, painted tires, and a seating section for those in the community to sit and relax. 

"I'll look out my kitchen window, and people will be sitting out here," Hines said. "I've found homeless people sleeping in the back. I'll give them food, water, and a change of clothes because I have more than enough to spare." 

Hines works three jobs to make ends meet.  

Everything you see that didn't rise out of the dirt in her oasis is donated. The city of Rochester provided mulch, compost, and tools. They delivered gloves and garbage bags for debris. Money has never been an obstacle in maintaining the garden. The investment is all time and effort. 

"I've been amazed at what the city has provided me just by asking. Hines said. "I hope people don't put off doing things just because they think they can't." 

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Aerial Springs Community Garden was one of 14 participating in Rochester's first Urban Garden Day on Sept. 17. 

The Urban Agriculture Working Group invited people to a day of tours, cooking demonstrations, and other events geared to fuel the city's urban farming trend. 

City gardens improve air quality and are lifelines for neighborhoods in food deserts. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urban farming can reduce transportation costs and help reduce runoff associated with heavy rainfall. 

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In the big picture, a study on urban agriculture published in the journal Earth's Future used Google's Earth Engine software to determine that, if fully implemented in cities globally, urban agriculture could produce as much as 180 million metric tons of food a year. 

Janelle Hines sees the enormous potential and experiences the benefits of her labor with Bay Street. Nonetheless, it's the memories made in her garden that last longer. 

Over the summer, Benjamin and Samuel came to visit from Michigan, helping their mother in the garden during the visit. Hines now believes her move to Rochester was a blessing in disguise. 

"The city can't get rid of me now," she said. "And hopefully, I got the next generation of farmers." 

For more information on how to apply for a city of Rochester garden permit, visit cityofrochester.gov/gardenpermits.

Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.