The Gardens of Alcatraz

Even in a place of brutality and despair, you can find the quiet beauty of a flower garden. More than one, in fact.

Good article from the Sacramento Bee. The gardens on Alcatraz were started by the US Army, even though there was no native water or soil on the island. Gardens were cultivated by prison staff and even a few convicts until the prison closed. Then, the plants survived on whatever rainwater fell on the island, and what was organized became a jungle of growth. Now, the state of California is restoring the various gardens on the island.

Worth reading in full.