Gardener Sylvia Li has created and maintained a circular sanctuary surrounded by a bustling Ballard intersection.

"This was once a big tangled mess filled with bottles and cigarette butts," said Li, referring to the roundabout she takes care of, where 22nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 58th Street intersect. Her apartment is just across the street.

She's got nerve while watering her prized morning glories and bouquet of purple asters at 8 a.m. while the rest of Ballard seems to be motoring like mad around her little floral island to get downtown in time for work.

Surrounded by her floral arrangement are about 50 small, hand-painted rocks with cheerful children's faces and scary skeleton features to celebrate Day of the Dead. Some rocks spell out words like P-E-A-C-E.

"I painted some," Li said. "My daughter Dawn, a professional landscaper, painted some. And even my 2-year-old-grandson painted a few."

She admitted she's never gotten official permission from the city in the several years she's been at it, but pointed out, "I garden at St. Lukes. I transplanted some of these flowers from their garden, with Father Johns blessing of course."