Grad student gardener sees the value in homegrown, culturally-relevant sustenance

Bakari Clark describes herself as a student and a gardener. As the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellowship in Garden History and Design, Clark can now claim to be a student of gardens.

The 25-year-old Virginia native came to Philadelphia to study at Temple University, where she became interested in many aspects of food — its history, systems and access. It wasn’t long before Clark decided she “wanted to have [her] hands in food.” She worked on an urban farm and at a farmers market before cultivating her own plot at the Glenwood Green Acres community garden. That’s when the real learning happened.

“I was welcomed with open arms, surrounded by elders who are very knowledgeable about growing food that has cultural relevance.” Of her four seasons at Glenwood, Clark says, “I have learned so much from people who have been land stewards in North Philly for most of their lives.” Her fellow community growers cultivate foods with cultural ties: callaloo, collard greens, butter beans, peanuts, lima beans, Scotch bonnet peppers, sweet potatoes and more. Clark gets tips on what to grow and how to grow it. “They might watch me work and say, ‘You’re wasting energy. Let me show you how to do that,’” she says, adding that in every instance these interactions are done with “so much love.”

I was welcomed with open arms, surrounded by elders who are very knowledgeable about growing food that has cultural relevance.”

— Bakari Clark

Currently Clark is pursuing a master’s degree in city planning and landscape architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. The fellowship she received is sponsored by the Garden Club of America (GCA) and is awarded annually to one exceptional graduate student whose proposal reflects GCA’s interest in garden history and design and in promoting the future of gardens and their role in the environment.

Clark’s fellowship funds her research into the deeply rooted history of several gardens, including historic Grumblethorpe and the thriving community gardens at Norris Square and Queen Village. Her project explores the origins of these gardens along with information about the people stewarding them today.

Among the many things Clark has learned so far is what motivates people to tend their neighborhood plots. “I feel like for a lot of people what keeps them coming out is the sense of community in the garden and the opportunity for people to grow what they eat, to sustain themselves in a way that is culturally relevant.” The vegetable Clark is most excited to raise is one rich in personal history: sweet potatoes. The sweet potato pies Clark’s aunts brought to family gatherings throughout her childhood were so delicious that she would ask to take a whole pie home to share and savor with her sisters. Now she grows her own sweet potatoes and honors a cherished family tradition by baking Grandma Juanita’s sweet potato pie.

Want to grow something delicious? Clark encourages novice gardeners to join one of the many community gardens around Philadelphia and is quick to reassure anyone worried about a lack of experience. “The gardeners are more excited to have you than you are nervous.” Growing your own food, she says, “is an experiment and an accomplishment.”

Grandma Juanita’s Sweet Potato Pie

Recipe makes two 9-inch pies

2 frozen 9-inch pie crusts (keep frozen until ready to fill)
8 to 10 sweet potatoes, unpeeled
3 cups white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 12-ounce can Carnation evaporated milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste
large pinch nutmeg, or to taste
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 eggs

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add the unpeeled sweet potatoes and cook until soft (easily pierced with a paring knife).
• Combine the sugars and butter in a large bowl.
• Carefully peel the hot sweet potatoes over the sugars and butter.
• With a mixer or by hand, beat the potatoes, butter and sugar until smooth.
• Stir in the evaporated milk, spices, flour and vanilla.
• Add the eggs and mix until fully blended.
• Pour the mixture into two frozen pie shells.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the mixture is set and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before cutting.