Walk through the alleys of Tower Grove South, and most people notice little beyond dumpsters, overgrown weeds, and scattered clutter. But Myles Tan and Rachel Rigden see something entirely different. Look a little closer, and you might spot it too — in a narrow strip of land beside a garage, a bare patch of dirt tucked behind a fence, or a forgotten corner where not even grass bothers to grow.
To Tan and Rigden, these overlooked spaces are pure opportunity.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
We will never send spam or annoying emails. Unsubscribe anytime.
The two are the driving forces behind Alley Asters, a volunteer-led initiative focused on planting native species in small, alley-adjacent spaces throughout this South City neighborhood. Since the project got off the ground last year, they’ve brought new life to around 50 plots totaling 1,456 square feet — many barely larger than a welcome mat — converting them into thriving pollinator habitats stocked with natives like milkweed, blazing star, coneflower, columbine, prairie grasses, and more.
“We want to be your introduction to native plants,” Tan says. “We’re the people that put them on your property. Maybe you’re pleasantly surprised by how formal they can be, how pretty they can be, how little maintenance they require. Then, maybe, that curiosity gets you into doing more with your property.”
The project took root shortly after Tan relocated to St. Louis in 2022. Once he swapped out the annual plants around his Tower Grove South yard for native species better adapted to the local climate, he turned his attention to the neglected strips of land in the alley behind his home. It wasn’t long before neighbors were asking for the same treatment. Rigden, a former ecologist who now teaches second grade, came on board last spring after connecting with Tan. Together, the two friends have grown what started as a personal gardening pursuit into a neighborhood-wide habitat restoration effort.
“Meeting Myles and seeing what he was doing, I knew I’d like to be a part of this,” Rigden says. “When you make spaces like these prettier, you’re also discouraging littering and treating the space poorly, which I feel is a really good added benefit in an urban area.”
The approach is refreshingly straightforward. Tan carves time out of his schedule to walk the alleys of Tower Grove South, keeping an eye out for small, underused patches of land — typically behind garages or fences — that could support plants. When he finds a promising spot, he heads around to the front door to introduce himself and explain the project. If the homeowner is on board, Alley Asters handles all the planting at no cost. Tan says the overwhelming majority of people he talks to are enthusiastic.
“Walking the alleys really changes the way you see space,” Tan says.
That shift in perspective is at the heart of what Alley Asters is trying to accomplish. Beyond introducing ecologically valuable plants to forgotten corners of the neighborhood, the project is encouraging people to rethink what alleys are actually for.
“First and foremost, we’re trying to get plants into alleys,” Tan says. “But there is this broader idea of trying to get people to change their perception of an alley from a gross place that they don’t really pay much attention to, to something that can be beautiful.”
Some of the sites Alley Asters works with are almost comically small. Consider the miniature garden outside Leviathan Bookstore on South Grand — barely more than a thin sliver of dirt wedged beside the shop’s entrance.
“No plot is too small,” Rigden says.
Despite the modest scale, Tan and Rigden believe the cumulative impact can be meaningful — attracting pollinators, managing stormwater, and reducing the accumulation of litter. Native plants are also particularly well suited to the tough conditions alleys present, having evolved to thrive in similarly demanding Missouri environments.
“The cool thing about natives is that they really like natural soil,” Rigden says. “A lot of these areas have clay soil or soil that wouldn’t be good for a lot of ornamental landscaping or things that people might want to plant in a garden.”
Head to the back of Mann Elementary, nestled between Juniata and Hartford streets, for a vivid example of what’s possible. There, Tan and Rigden turned a litter-strewn alley plot into a lush native garden humming with insect activity. On a recent afternoon walk through the alley, the pair discovered Monarch butterfly eggs resting on milkweed they had planted.
“That’s pretty spectacular,” Rigden says. “That just shows that this can make a difference.”
People are paying attention, too. At last year’s Missouri State Fair, Tan and Rigden entered eight flowers harvested from alley plots into the native plant competition. The result: seven gold ribbons, one silver, and a best-in-class award.
“It’s a really cool thing that plants from alleys in Tower Grove South are winning the state fair,” Tan says. “Isn’t that awesome?”
