A community garden takes teamwork, and some members of the team don’t “garden.”
They are behind the scenes making great things happen for those of us who do.
Our first supporters are the township and borough councils who provide the land and keep the water tanks full for our annual project. Their backing is vital to our success, and we appreciate all that they do to help our progress.
This year, the borough provided us with a shed where we can store our tools and equipment. During previous seasons, my family’s “garden shed” was the back of our minivan. Rakes, shovels, scissors and watering cans rattled against extra poles and buckets as we rode around town. The kids’ soccer and baseball equipment was thrown in next to dirty work gloves and sometimes muddy shoes for our daily trips to our patch. Occasionally, on carpool days, I had to apologize because our car smelled like the garden shed that it was. Although the fragrance was “earthy” not “stinky,” we liked to keep the windows rolled down a bit to air out the car on each journey. And on grocery day, I continuously would forget that space for our purchases was limited to the front seat. My family thanks you Borough! Your simple act of kindness has given us back our car.
Another team player behind the scenes is the local farmer who plows the land each year so we can move in and plant. If we had to plow our spots individually, the project would fail. And thank you, too, for plowing the land at the back edges of our plots mid-season when the adjacent grass starts to get out of hand. You give our gardens beauty and each of our growers peace of mind.
Finally, I’d like to thank all of those who battled the cold winds last week to measure and stake each plot with string and poles so we will know where to plant. Working in that weather required the strength and perseverance of toiling in a frigid wind tunnel. The volunteers did an amazing job. Each plot is numbered and ready to go. Thank you for stepping in when many members of the garden couldn’t. Hopefully, we will be able to repay your kindness before the season is over. But know you are appreciated, and your hard work has been noticed.
–cawk
greenthumbchatter 