Summer Plant Distributions A Big Success
It’s said that one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time, and CCGA has immense gratitude for the volunteers that have given time and energy to our plant distributions and helped in our gardens this summer! We couldn’t do this without you – THANK YOU!
Friday, July 21 was a day for celebration for the CCGA Resources group, distributing 3,200 plants varying from mature perennials to smaller potted annuals and cultivars, with even a number of native perennials. Many of these plants are already planted and thriving in community gardens. With the help of a group of teen volunteers the morning’s work took much less time than most of us could recall. Their boundless energy and CCGA’s organization made light work of heavy lifting, taking plant material off the trucks and pulling together groups of plants for over 84 community gardens. That was just the first 1/2 hour! Carting barrels of plants to waiting cars was something graceful to behold, a wave of continuous motion. They were amazing volunteers with smiles, energy and enthusiasm who made for a very successful distribution.
CCGA sends another thanks to their adult volunteers and a deep and special thanks to Elite Growers, Nick Michaud of Westover Farms, and an anonymous donor.
Friday, August 11, the teens came out again, and this time EPIC service volunteers were joined by more teens from Angela Taylor’s Garfield Park Community Council. The teens worked together so smoothly as though they were one set of different muscles, complementing each other’s energy and strengths. They’re back to school again by now, so CCGA Resources sends them a mega-bundle of appreciation, thanks, and good luck for the academic year ahead!
At this second distribution, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the volunteers couldn’t have been more energetic or hard-working. Elite Growers provided another round of potted perennial flowers and grasses, some of the very best cultivars, and some very durable ground covers were a few of the 1,000 plants that were distributed. We hope gardeners remembered to water immediately those that seemed “tired” to freshen them. These plants are well worth the effort, as we know they will thrive with your attention.
Kudos to line leaders Angela, Juline, May, Barb, Anna, Mamie, Cynthia, Blanca and to all around helpers Robert, James, and Greg. Finally, to CCGA Resources, Pat Hart (Chair) and her team: Community gardeners surely say as one voice, GREAT JOB!
CCGA community gardens continued to have teen volunteer groups in July and into the first few days and weeks of August before they returned to school, hopefully describing their summer work with the same broad smiles they showed in these photographs, and even better, with a love of gardening.
