I gave up my concrete slab of a backyard for greener pastures last year. I admit, in the six years we lived in South Baltimore, we didn’t do much with the place. But some efforts were made.

My husband, missing the more fiery tastes of Los Angeles and Texas, where he had previously lived, managed to grow hot peppers that were so tough they survived more than one frost and may even still be there. We also had a naturally growing weed – it appeared native to the area of Fort Avenue and Light Street — that looked pretty good, so we kept it until our Realtor suggested we get rid of it.

Others, apparently, have better and more creative ideas on how to green your cement slab. The Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance (DBFA) presents, "The Urban Patio: How to Create a Kid-Friendly Outdoor Space" on Saturday, April 12th at 1 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Free Library Southeast Anchor Branch.