The GIVING Garden

In one of the country's largest cities, a police officer has turned a small lot into a family tribute and tropical refuge-for himself and his community.

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After a long day as a Chicago police officer, Deronis Cooper happily starts his late-night shift: watering every inch of his West Side condo's garden. "My day job is pretty demanding," Deronis says.

"The garden is my escape." From early spring through summer, Deronis transforms his building's lot, his second-floor deck, and the stairs between them into a tropical oasis.

The lush tapestry of sweet potato vines, coleus, and banana trees-most of which he grows in potshas become a beloved neighborhood fixture.

Deronis started the garden 14 years ago as a tribute to his grandmother Olive Vinson, whose vegetable patch he tended as a child. "She was my best friend, one of the most loving people in the world," he says.