Dunbar Memorial Garden

Every Saturday someone at the garden finds money and we joke about the coins being payment for all our hard labor. Today I found a shiny penny, which might well be a good reflection of the volume of work I got done. Ha!

While I knew that Sarah would be in from Ball State to join us, it was GREAT to have Tyler back in from EKU. w00t! Katelyn brought along her younger sister Lindsay who will attend Dunbar NEXT YEAR and a mixed bag of our usual suspects came to work as well: Serena, Gracie, James and Christopher. Miranda showed up a little late but that was due to her baking a delicious zucchini bread (with chocolate chips) as a belated birthday treat for Serena (who just turned 13 - NOT).

It was hot and sunny at the garden and as Sarah pointed out, while attempting to dig up a weed, very dry! Even with the heat, weeds got pulled, plants got pruned, pathways got swept, the butterfly puddling area received some special love - oh and yeah, Chris's VW bug got rocked (don't ask, I don't know why).

While I was a total DOINK about using the camera today, Grace had her own and we're hopeful she'll share her pics with us! The garden is so well-established now and relatively weed-free which makes it is so very nice to be there and enjoy all our work without feeling compelled to hustle the way we did this spring and earlier in the summer.

While the weeds were sparse, the litter was not. Blargh. Mostly cigarette butts thus the title of this weeks' post. I can say that while I didn't perform any major hard-labor, I did fill a plastic bag full of butts. So, while the crew disbanded to go about their lively weekends, I spent some time tonight making signs that say "Our Plants Don't Smoke" and am hoping to have a few extra "butt cans" in the garden before the students return after the long weekend. I did get a photo of the bag o' butts but Blogger is being a butthead so will have to return at a later date to post the pic.

Miranda sat with me after everyone else had left and we shared stories and aspirations for gardens all over the campuses of Fayette County Schools. She is an incredibly vibrant and intelligent young woman with so many forward-thinking ideas. I am very much looking forward to working with and helping her this fall and winter and she will appease some of the withdrawal that has arisen with so many of our "garden volunteers" who have left for colleges far away.

Natalia headed back to Michigan this morning with her rattlesnake master in tow and was sorely missed today. As was Grace who already posted that she misses the heat now that she's in Massachusetts. Love to them and all who spent so many Saturdays making this sacred space even more special. WE MISS YOU!

Next weekend we'll be spending time in the art room with the wonderful Art Teacher Ms. Eller. I have every intention of doing a better job with the camera duties - and every intention of doing whatever we can this fall and winter to keep the spirit of the garden and all it means upfront and center.

Love, love and moar love.
<3>

After a one-week hiatus (for Mindtriggerz), we got back to the garden today and really did nothing but talk! Actually, that was just me.

I cornered Miranda and Serena to find out how the Dunbar Garden table fared at Open House and then to bounce ideas and projects off their incredibly wonderful minds. Many plans are underway and there is much plotting, planning and planting to be done. Details forthcoming.

Jamie's mom came by today and helped Katelyn and Serena pull weeds. Natalia sharpened the pruners and went to work on the showy sunflower that decided to stop showing off. The farmification of Grace Li, while not complete, advanced to level 8.2 while she postponed packing for Amherst to stroll around the ironweed with her weed digger in hand! This was the last Saturday for both Grace and Natalia so of course they were ushered off in style with a rattlesnake master to adorn their campus living abodes (Michigan and Massachusetts, respectively). We will sorely miss their beautiful faces and hard working hands but know they will return next summer and in the interim be "learning and stuff" - a piece of our hearts will go off with these incredible young women - hurry back!

And Jamie's mom kept weeding. Love you, Suzie!

James and Josh and Gracie set off with sandpaper to rough up the wooden benches in prep for an additional coat of stain. I just kept talking but did manage to spy the first Monarch Caterpillar of the season (that we know of) and grabbed the ghetto cam to catch a pic. The beauty of digital photography is that even a cheap camera can occasionally get a great shot, which I dare say this one is! I have decided that Mr. or Mrs. Future Monarch Butterfly was intently reading the "Please do not leave litter in the garden" sign. Either that or he/she was dodging the flock of goldfinches that were nibbling sunflower and purple coneflower seeds.

We saw a great blue heron today that seemed to be a n00bie - it kept lighting on utility lines and seemed to have a head just a little too large for its body. It was randomly funny and in keeping with garden lulz - a pair of monarchs were mating in reckless exhibitionist style and it's always fun to see what the birds, bees and butterflies are doing when we are and aren't around.

With the exception of the weeds that came up easy as the summer rain this morning afforded, we enjoyed a small crowd and a lazy day of being together and goofing off while Jerome and Jaz tended the Mindtriggerz Training Lab and set about bringing five families closer to their own home computer(s). Saturdays (caturdays) are the days Jesse's dad and I most look forward to - we are eternally grateful to all who help us do what we can for our love of Jesse.

<3

With the exception of Kyle (the welding magician) we had a pretty lazy day at the garden. A couple of our regulars were spending their last Saturday with us - Tyler heads back to EKU to continue his reign in 4.0 status while Ellidia starts a brand spanking new chapter at Vandy so we basically lounged and talked and hugged, lamented and yes even complained.

But then there were the paver movers who just couldn't resist adding another 100 to our recycling plan. Chris drove his dads' big truck and with help from Jessica, Michael, Jamie, Gracie, Athena, Beth, Josh and Remy (the dog) - they dug through sand and gravel laughing all the way.

Serena caught us up on the happenings at Dunbar (of which we mostly disapproved, especially the "tardy sweeps") but then Chris recounted a story of the school principal coming out to the garden to pick up trash which made us smile and we noticed all our new cigarette butt cans are being used for their intended purpose so even the smokers are respecting our sacred space.

The biggest accomplishment was the installation of the Dunbar Memorial Garden plaque and Kyle's excessive hard work welding the plaque to our post. JAZ, our days' photojournalist, got some incredible shots. They'll be posted on the website tomorrow after I am in fuller possession of my faculties. This one will do for now - Kyle was using a grinder to pretty-fie the post and make everything look perfect. He accomplished that brilliantly. BTW, Kyle is one of Jesse's dads coworkers who refused to be paid for his work. But we will find a way to make him happy. Maybe he likes homemade cookies, pies, or medicinal native plants??

We did pull a few weeds (but there aren't many there anymore thanks to countless hours and incredible perseverance by our volunteers). Jim Embry showed up and recounted a beautiful tale of an educator and native plant admirer who commented that while visiting the garden she recognized many of our plants but had never seen any quite as HUGE as ours. And I said: "it's because of all the love that has been put into this soil" and I believe that with all my heart. A million patches of land have been planted with a million seeds of love, but none can compare to "our" garden.

As we packed up our gear knowing we had a big evening ahead hosting our Mindtriggerz Picnic at Cardinal Valley Park, we had to call back our paver movers who had just left without our "group shot"- young people never balk at a quick change in course so they returned long enough for us to get the photo op we deserved (even with Remy the dog).

As usual, there was much laughter at the garden and several sweaty bodies. An extra special shout-out to those who worked here then helped promote Mindtriggerz: Jaz, Miranda, Natalia, Ellidia, Serena, Chris and Jesse's dad. And Jesse's best friend Jon - who missed the garden but not the picnic.

<3 <3 <3 and moar.

We called our session at the Dunbar Garden today the "Pre-School Edition" as we spent most of our time making the place look uber lovely for the advent of school next week. Fortunately, among our ranks was one of our favorite Beta's (and Dunbar Senior) Serena (just back from a trip to Lebanon) along with recent graduates Kirsten and Katie who demonstrated major weeding skills and got covered in a lot of sand as they worked along the main paver pathway. Our artist in residence JAZ put the final touches on the newly painted and decorated picnic table while a crew including James, James, Beth, Dawson, David, Tyler and randomly whoever else - worked hard to dig out additional pavers to save from the landfill. I believe the count was at 184 more.

Our divine miss Sarah spent a good portion of the afternoon weeding in our soon to be "native shade garden" and was joined by Tyler at some point as the climbing temps caused most of us to want to be out of the SUN. Beth, with a little help from Jesse's dad, dug a perfect hole to set the iron post that will soon display our beautiful bronze plaque that describes our reason and purpose. It's a heart-wrenching plaque and makes us all cry but while the work at the garden has been filled to overflowing with laughter and love, it is important I think that others know and remember why this incredible space is here. And for whom. And for a love that has no other place to go but filling an area with flowers, sweat, tears and yes, even a little blood. Blargh!

Awesome Dawson was in charge of placing our three "Pesticide Free Zone" signs and in the process cut his finger on the metal sign but thankfully had a bandaid in his vehicle (my kind of guy!) Everyone was enamored of the cute lady bugs until Jesse's dad opened his mouth and said "But they aren't spraying for pests, they are spraying herbicides around here" which basically resulted in us all saying shut up and things like that.

Lest I forget to mention, the wonderous young David was our photo journalist today capturing the pictures of our work. Beth has an incredibly smart and sweet younger brother who has proven to be an asset to the garden and is apparently so smart in math that he's enrolled in a "zero hour Magnet math class" at Dunbar even though he is just entering 8th grade at Beaumont Middle School. In my book, that pretty much r0x0rz but what makes me even more proud is the fact that these two siblings are so preciously close and intertwined. This is how "family" should be. Obviously, we love them a lot.

And the rest of our crew - our regulars and our random workers. Everyone's effort has made this a beautiful, safe and wonderous place.

JAZ helped me scrub down all the picnic tables (as well as corraling the cup plant and staking a few sunflowers) and the group moved all the picnic tables into a tidy row and then I obsessed over using the leaf blower to clean off the patio. It looked so pretty and spiffy-fied that surely the kids returning to the Dunbar campus this week will notice. I hope they do. I hope they are in awe like we are. I hope they will revel in the flowers and dance among the rattlesnake masters.

Mostly I will hope that they wonder, remember, consider a few kids named Josh and Jesse and Hannah. Because they are why we do what we do. And why over 150 folks have participated in the garden. Expansion is inevitable. Love there will be endless. As the goldfinches and monarchs and even the random kitteh that wonders up on many evenings will continue to munch on seeds, drink from the cup plant and be glad there is space there for them too. There is a space and a place for us all. We will stand amazed every Saturday when so many young people wonder in and pitch in and instead of sleeping in, will work with us.

That is the greatest demonstration of love. As Jesse would say "fo realz" and as Hannah's fingerprints linger there, and as Josh's life expemplifies, because it started with him. "What would we be without wishful thinking" and I wish they all see us now.

<3>

Sarah did the math and said we had TWENTY-FIVE people at the Dunbar Garden today and every hand was so appreciated - especially since an early morning email from Dunbar's principal gave us permission to recycle the balance of pavers mounded at the bottom of the hill.

Our newest and most extremely special garden n00bie, Wil, was reclaimed from Gulf Shores, Alabama and reintroduced to Dunbar in a very sweaty and productive way. With his help and that of James, Jerome, Tyler, Beth, Dawson, David and Chris FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHT pavers were dug out, packed tight and loaded into a pickup truck guaranteeing they will never end up in a land fill. Major butt-busting notwithstanding!

Wil's connection to Jesse (among other things) made this day a really incredible one for myself and for Jerome (et al). <3>We hope to see him on many other Saturday's as well as the spaces in between.

While Sarah weeded and Jackie started painting with the help of her beau, Jaz, Arlene and others - Grace and Katie hid behind the sumacs and lulzed in the sun. Buckets and bukkits of sand were hauled from the low zone and brushed with love across the freshly weeded pavers. We all moved stepping stones in preparation of the students returning in a matter of days - because of the phenomenal growth at the garden our "peace sign" pathways had to be altered to prevent damaging natives that will have to be relocated this fall. Incredibly, folks kept appearing and what to our wondering eyes should grace the horizon but Lucy, Kelsey and Sarah (a beautiful visitor from France - bonjour!) and what a day. What an incredible, remarkable, perfectly-people-packed day.

Personally, I felt like I served little purpose but managed to get my one-on-one time with my home girls (and a few of the home boys) and am thrilled Kelsey is going to Transy and even that Lucy will be my "peace babe" at Peace College in North Carolina and that I got to hug Kendrell (and everyone else) and absolutely relished the look on Jerome's face as he was grabbed from all sides, spinning Sarah and Tyler and Crystal Beth and there is no better place than this one, because it is a greenie love-fest no holds barred.

Audrey brought her precious Ashton (in from Florida) as well as her pal Sarah then Miranda arrived all aglow and if I have failed to mention anyone, forgive me, because I really was completely overwhelmed (and still am) by our tour-de-force. We missed the heck out of Natalia off on her trip west with her family but her relentless paver weeding is obvious, apparent and loved. We hope she has fun. We look forward to her return in a few weeks.

While our attempts at a group photo epic-failed due to our continued "incoming" reinforcements, I do think everyone left today not simply tired but also knowing what good work they managed and maybe, I suspect, a tiny bit infatuated with not just this space, but with each other. I know I am. Fo' realz, as Jesse would say.

Fo' realz.


Love, love, love. I promise to post teh other photos tomorrow on Jesse's website and a few on Facebook. For tonight, I am just too plumb "whooped."

<3
Jesse's Mom

Neither rain, snow, sleet, road closures, nor hearing impairments can keep us from our Saturday gatherings at the Dunbar Garden. Actually, we didn’t have any sleet or snow but I did wake at 7:30am to a downpour of rain: potential impediment number one.

After some lengthy discussions with Jesse’s dad we decided to just pack our essentials and not the usual excessive amounts of food and garden tools and just wing it in the hopes the weather would turn. Scouting Intellicast.com I read that from 10am to noon there would be a 10% chance of rain and the skies would be mostly sunny.

As usual, I headed out early to Dunbar and there encountered potential impediment number two: the main road leading to the garden around the athletics fields was “CLOSED.” I sat and stewed, debating moving the barrier and taking my chances but as luck would have it someone who had been walking the track told me there were patches of new asphalt along the road. I parked my car just knowing there would be folks coming in from the “access road” off Man O’ War who might be deterred from joining us because of the sign. Jerome said “No one comes that way, meet us at the front of the school” and of course I said “No.”

Within five minutes, up drives Natalia, then Jaz, then Sarah and finally Tyler – ALL using the access road. HA!

We pooled together, called Jerome and decided to drive back out Man O’ War and meet at the end of the road past the baseball field. We trekked up the hill to the garden with enough hands to pack all the supplies.

Our “core group” intact, we were wonderfully surprised to see Jackie and two n00bies Arlene and Maria who had walked to the garden, ignoring all potential impediments. These three young ladies were joined by Jaz and Katelyn (whose dad also loaded my truck with computer donations for Mindtriggerz) and with paint brushes in hand were soon transforming the picnic table into a work of art and love.

Then here comes Grace who we now call “Gracie” because she calls James “Jamie” and those two hauled some major buckets of sand (and played in the creek) as the rest of us pulled weeds from between pavers and re-sanded.

Impediment number three: I have some major hearing loss that has been the butt of many harmless and loving jokes at the garden but it has never stopped me from working, enjoying and appreciating these beautiful and precious young people who give up Saturday mornings to maintain and increase the incredibleness of the Dunbar Memorial Garden. Tyler came up to hug me and at that point said “I want to apologize for calling you ‘deafie” last week” to which I responded “Tyler, not only did I not even hear you say that but it would take a lot more than that for me to be upset with you,” and then I told him how it reminded me of Hannah. Jerome would often send her to fetch me to get my opinion or approval or whatever and in my minds eye I can see her gorgeous freckled face and hear her voice increasing in volume as she said “Hey Bekki, HEY Bekki, HEY DEAF LADY” and so I thanked Tyler for giving Hannah back to me for a few minutes.

We were excessively happy to see Richard Weber of Springhouse Gardens arrive with his expertise and horticultural bag of magic tools and he set to work pruning, advising, marveling and even snapping some pictures of the garden. As we began to disband around 1ish, we were all pleased with what we had accomplished and what we will continue to do in the name of love. And we all really loved the view from the bottom of the hill of the garden up high

And yes, Tyler has a heart – a really big one (and not just a keychain facsimile thereof!!!).

Love you all madly and without end.

<3

Jesse’s mom

At the beginning of Summer Break our divine Miss Sarah advised us all that bugs rarely bite her beauty. Unfathomable to me because I have always been the bait for any and every insect and recall ever summer counting the dozens of mosquito, flea, chigger, and black fly bites I was eternally blessed with since I was "knee high to a grasshopper" and since my parents moved us from the city to the country.

Two chigger bites to the belly button later and Sarah now knows that "sweet" is a term determined by many elements - and surely within a berry patch. Sorry, Sarah - it's the price we must pay for strawberry raspberries, n'est ce pas? When Sarah lifted her shirt at the Dunbar Garden today I don't think I was the only one shocked by the demonstration of the proverbial meanness of the chiggers. But we managed to sympathize then go back to work. No actually, she gave us this showing late in the day which was grand because I'd hate to scare folks from work at the garden because we DO NOT HAVE CHIGGERS AT THE DUNBAR GARDEN!!! (mosquito's - yeah we have those).

Rewind, back to this morning. I arrived a few minutes early under the auspices of watering our n00bies. Sarah sauntered up as did Jaz, Katelyn and Natalia ready to get some work in before Jesse's dad showed up to boss us around. Sarah is drawn to weeds like a homing device and the other gardeners wondered around bundling up sunflowers with gardening tape. We pruned back some sad beebalm then did the same with a few oxeye sunflowers. Jackie arrived to start painting the picnic table and had good creative help by Katelyn and Jaz.

Our freshly "moved" Tyler moved some mulch as did our farm girl Grace and her sidekick Natalia (with some help from JR) and the side bed of Fringetrees and Josh's red maple were transformed in record time. Among our "snacks" Natalia (with assistance from her pal Maggie) created a rice-krispies-treat that included essence of Andes mints - consumed happily and heartily by us all. Raspberries from Berries on Bryan Station were also in the mix (sans chiggers) and the cool temps made working conditons pretty darned optimal.

At the end of our work-day, Jesse's dad discovered our Northern Bayberries have leaves that are like the bay leaves used in cooking so smashed a few to stick up our noses. I'm not sure everyone appreciated the olfactory overload but I kinda did. When we planted those guys I picked them out because they are among the few "almost evergreens" the native plants offer. Cool stuff that we always learn something new when we are at Dunbar.

Oh and btw, the gold finches were all over the place when we got there this morning (and Jerome and I witnessed one at my house this afternoon). But we wondered at the seeming lack of butterflies this year? Plenty of bees and bugs and caterpillars. It reminded me somehow of how Jesse and I would stand at the kichen sink hand washing dishes (yeah, I know so 19th century) and how I told him about a girl in highschool on the speech team who performed an excerpt from a holocaust play about how "butterflies don't live in the ghetto."

We'll have to keep looking, maybe they are there when we aren't. I have seen one Monarch and a random cabbage white but it's strange the lack of them when last year was so resplendent? Fayette County Public Schools doesn't seem to be doing anything out of normal in their herbicide sprayings but what if they are using a new brand of chemical? We are MULCH MADNESS this summer so maybe that will help? One day soon there will be no reason for them to spray at all - we are working on that.

Love. love. love. to Sarah, Natalia, Katelyn and Grace. Jaz and James. Tyler and Jackie. Jesse's dad and our mulchification. The garden speaks for itself because it is continues to be awesomeness and floribunda. Yeah, and pretty darned pretty. :)

Love to all. <3>