Drivers who pass through Court Alley on their way to parking lots by the MTO building do so without taking much notice. And for the most part, there's not too much to notice.

Except for one little corner behind a store front on St. Paul Street. Owner Irene Motz, who also lives in the building, has been quietly creating a pleasing-to-the-eye garden.

Perhaps it's the colourful decorations in the garden or the outdoor cafe-like setting she's created with her patio furniture. But Motz said people are stopping to take a look, to chat with her and maybe share a coffee.

She said the entire strip from Court Street to the MTO has the potential to be a more welcoming destination. Starting with her backyard, Motz, who owns Blue Moon at 385 St. Paul St., is slowly working towards a downtown beautification project.

Along a wooden fence behind a Niagara Regional Housing building, Motz would like to see the weeds pulled and replaced by more appealing plants.

The fence itself, she said, could be a canvas for a colourful mural.

For the nearby parking lots, she envisions green medians. For the unsightly garbage dumpsters, wooden enclosures.

The end goal is a heavily travelled pedestrian walkway that is welcoming to everyone in the city, a public plaza where people can meet up and relax by themselves, sitting on a bench.

"There's so much that can be done," said Motz.

For both reasons of ability and property ownership, Motz knows this is not a project she can taken on by her self, so she is enlisting the support of her neighbours, some of whom have joined.

However, she'll take help from wherever she can, as she sees this as a place for the entire city. Motz said everyone is welcome to come help clean up or provide some ideas about how to make the area better.

"Just come down here and take an interest like it's your own backyard," she said.

In the meantime, Motz has come up with another way of attracting visitors. Recently, she spoke with an out-of-towner passing through looking for a parking spot for the MTO building. She offered him hers, he returned later with a coffee, and they sat on the patio.

That pleasant exchange sparked an idea in Motz: pull a bucket of weeds and get free short-term parking.

Ultimately, she sees her tiny effort as a spark to encourage similar efforts elsewhere.

"The idea is to make one area of the city really nice, to give other people the motivation to do more," she said.