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I was drawn in by a personal sense of responsibility to contribute to a community in need, but have found a body of people who have shown me and my efforts love and appreciation. As I pull weeds or put together a raised bed in the vegetable garden, I’m approached by many people with offerings: help carrying buckets of garden debris, glasses of iced sweet tea, or company and conversation.
In my opinion, a garden should be a sanctuary in its own way; a peaceful refuge from the chaos of life. It is a multi-faceted and ever changing place where anyone is welcome, whether it be to harvest food, tend crops, pick bouquets, or to sit and enjoy the fragrance of flowers, the buzzing of bees, and the chirping of birds. It is a place where a person can enjoy solitude, or find comfort in congregation. I work with this vision in mind and an intention to nurture these characteristics of Haywood Street garden.
Personal contribution to the community does not have to be precise skills, large sums of money, or an extravagant gesture. It can come in small ways, and by choosing to be present. It can be a couple of hours on a beautiful Sunday morning in the garden. I look forward to my time spent there and to continuing to build a garden that so many others have poured their own labor of love into before me. I look forward to hearing the stories of the people around me.
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