Dunbar Memorial Garden

In Kentucky they say if you don't like the weather stick around, it will be totally different tomorrow and this week has been no exception. After 80plus degree temps last week things cooled off as the rain moved in but every forecaster had a different opinion for what our 2nd work session Saturday would bring. Luckily, Ms. Eller - Dunbar's pottery instructor - gave us a fall back plan to work in her room on the ceramic tiles we've been making.

All this rain was supposed to pound through the area yesterday but by late afternoon the skies were kind of clear and the temps were nice so I took a risk and wondered out to the garden in the 5:00pm Friday afternoon rush hour traffic (I'm a whiz sometimes). But, I am glad I went and packed a few empty plant flats because the conditions were perfect for digging up some "narrow leaved" (also known as "lance leaved") goldenrod, a bit of oxeye sunflower and a few large stalks of Sarah's ever-spreading bee balm. The bee balm and sunflowers made the transition easily but the goldenrod is still a little droopy today so we'll just have to wait and see how accepting it is of transplanting.

Several plants were in bloom including the vibrant bright colored "wild pinks" and the London Grove blue phlox. The Cranberry Viburnum and the Chokeberries looked awesome. I spotted the shoots of the 2nd butterfly milkweed (an incredible plant that I just read should be displayed as a specimen in a premo spot) and while I considered moving it while I was there, just got too nervous and opted out. The indigo's (both white and blue) are growing in leaps and bounds and since this is their second year we should have some gorgeous flowers this season.

Due to my "whiz-dom" I left the camera at home but am hopeful that sometime this week we can get some new pics posted on the website at www.jessehigginbotham.com/garden.html.

So, back to today - our 2nd work date in 2009. This morning the skies were gray and obviously we'd had rain overnight which made sanding work on the picnic table impossible. While I poured some coffee a steady drizzle started and I new, I mean "knew," that our work today would have to take place indoors. James and Jerome showed up about 9:30am informing me that there would be no training lab for Mindtriggerz as the park shelter had been promised to another entity :(

So we sat and chatted and ate a little breakfast and then James and I headed out to Dunbar to post signs at the garden about moving indoors to Ms. Eller's room. While there two students showed up and I got a call from Natalia and we all headed around front to go "be artistic."

In the course of the next couple of hours we had about 15 people come in and out working on either creating new designs on tiles or painting glaze on the ones that had been bisque fired. Ms. Eller's incredible daughter Lily, aged 5, provided us with much entertainment and instruction. She moved around the pottery lab in a fashion that reminded me of Jesse - totally at ease, totally "owning" the place, offering her advice and working on her own project. We had several Beta's show up including Ellidia (who dragged in late and looked a bit under-rested but had a generous donation for the Trust) along with members from the Sisterhood including Jackie who was accompanied by her beau, the handsome Kendrell who is getting ready to graduate from Spencerian as the first recipient of the Jesse Higginbotham Scholarship. After obtaining his degree in CAD - his plans include continuing his education at UK and studying architecture. It was a great treat for me to get to see him again.

While I missed digging in the dirt today it was a super cool crowd and I think everyone had fun. We are uber-excited to have more tiles to install in the garden and I know that with the addition of all these other new faces the reason and purpose of why we do what we do will continue to spread and grow like the showy sunflowers.

Oh and lest I forget the Claymation of James, well he did this really cool tile but when he went to make his second he managed to drop kick it or something and well the backside was a mess. He salvaged it with a little clay magic and a beautiful stamped pattern and it was in fact, all good.

We are aspiring for good weather next Saturday as we dedicate our work at the garden to Hannah Landers who would definitely want us outside in the sunshine - where she was so many times, laughing and talking and working and sometimes just "hanging." Oh yeah, and bossing us around. May 6th will mark the passage of one year since we lost Hannah in an auto accident and it's difficult to talk about her without crying and missing her so much. But next Saturday we are donning something purple for her and working as she would at the garden, with our friends.

Forever loved, forever remembered - Josh, Jesse, Hannah. <3

Jesse's Mom