John Follmer is an Iraq war vet and an adviser to Los Angeles County on military and veterans affairs, who works with homeless vets on the tough streets of Los Angeles.
But on Thursdays, he’s a gardener.
“We are here in the center of the largest city in the United States, and aside from an occasional helicopter, it’s hard to imagine you’re only a quarter mile away from the 405 freeway,” Follmer says, standing in the dappled sunlight under the trees.
This garden, built in 1968 on the West LA Veterans Affairs Campus, had fallen into wild disrepair when Follmer found it six years ago and started to clean it up.
“It’s just such a peaceful place, and I think that this place truly is a deserving place for the veterans,” he says.