SACG Hero of the Day

On this Earth Day, local business CleanTurn drove bags of mulch and soil generously donated by Scotts Miracle-Gro to the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden from Franklin Park Conservatory.  (You may recall that CleanTurn helped us out like this last year, too).  Once the bags arrived, volunteers from Alvis House (a non-profit re-entry program) formed a human chain and stacked it in front of the Garden.  We are very appreciative to Richard Harris from the Growing Hearts and Hands Community Garden on Oak Street for coordinating the Alvis House volunteers for us.

Sadly, through some sort of miscommunication, the bags arrived earlier than we anticipated and were placed in front of the Garden instead of in the back as we had arranged.  (I had hoped to get a photograph of the human chain).  Richard and one of our neighbors were concerned about the bags’ safety.  So, even though I wasn’t dress appropriately, I went over and hauled over half of the bags to where they will eventually spend eternity.  Hopefully, another SACG volunteer will stack the rest behind the shed until we or the Block Watch need them.

Many of the bags will go to top off the raised beds used by our youth gardeners.  Others will go to fill the raised bed along the alley from which our neighbors and other passersby may help themselves.  Some will go in the new raised flower bed along the southern edges of our western fence.  Others will go to mulch the front flower beds and our herb garden.  Finally, the rest will go to the flower beds created and maintained by our neighborhood Block Watch.

When I began moving the bags around the Garden, one of our neighbors – whom everyone calls Ms. D – volunteered to help.  (For the record, I know her real name:-) ).   She gardened with us in 2009, owns her own gardening gloves, and often keeps an eye on the Garden for us because most of us live elsewhere and/or work odd hours.  I put her to work distributing mulch around our new cherry and peach trees.  (Be assured, I had already placed the bags there myself and did not make her carry the bags, too, because they probably weigh more than she does).   Even though this is not a particularly good picture of her, that is why she is our Hero of the Day.   She was very complimentary of the tulips blooming in the Block Watch flower beds.  Like her, they are very cheerful.