Saturday and Sunday were filled with hard work digging up various members' gardens in preparation for planting. Although members encompassed various levels of expertise, everyone involved had a blast. Curtis even managed to unearth an Indian-head and a snake buried in his soil! Here's his take on Saturday:
Allrighty... here's my take on the workday:
I woke up late, and considered staying in bed... but the warm sun peeking through the blinds made a compelling argument to get up and enjoy nature. As I pulled into Elizabeth Anna's, there was a tug of social-anxiety that nearly made me turn around and head home. I didn't know any of these people. I don't really know how to garden. I don't have any tools, and haven't even paid the membership fee. Why not just go home and clean the house or watch a video? Too late. Elizabeth already saw me.
Turns out I'm the first one there. "It looks like you might be the only who's getting their garden worked on," Elizabeth says. "But... I just wanted help on other people's yards. My yard's a mess. And I'm not even a member of the Urban Garender's Club yet." Then another volunteer, Adrian, walked through the door and Elizabeth said, "Yay! Now we have two gardens to work on," to which Adrian replied, "I really just wanted to help with other people's gardens. My yard's a mess. I haven't even paid my fee yet." Suddenly it occurred that part of the nature of a community project is that it doesn't require great talent, resources, or experience. It only requires that you show up. Everyone has fear, everyone likes to stay comfortable in their bubbles. But if you show up... you get to reap the benefits. How simple!
After a few more recruits appeared, we loaded up the tools and headed to my house. I've been unsuccessfully experimenting with low-water xeriscaping in my yard, and was nervous that my fellow gardeners might laugh at the dead prickly-pears, dying lavender and dried up rosemary carcass. But Elizabeth only offered genuine advice... never condescending or belittling. We dug out the weeds and St. Augustine grass to prepare the soil, and I learned that I needed some gypsum to break up the clay, and some compost to add organic nutrients. At some point, we found a hibernating snake! In my yard! How cool is it that there are grass-snakes hibernating in the earth of inner-city Fort Worth!
Elizabeth had some delicious organic lunch prepared for us back at her shop, and afterwards we learned how to plant peas. Kneeling down in her garden and feeling the soil is like being a kid at Six Flags. There are so many possibilities and so much life.
Then we headed to Adrian's to work on her garden. Adrian is a madwoman with an aggie. She goes to town. And... she lives right down the street from me and I didn't even know it. Dan, one of the most gentle and intelligent people I've ever had the honor of spending a day with, began picking Adrian's weeds and eating them. We all thought he'd gone crazy, but he explained that her backyard is covered with a healthy, native ground cover that's quite tasty. Wow. Food really does just grow right out of the ground. Sometimes you don't even have to plant it. Nature just provides it.
At the end of the day, I'd worn myself out and enjoyed every minute of it. I made several new friends that live in my neighborhood.
I'm so glad I didn't stay home!
