Glimpse from the Garden

Pictured Rocks National Park, MI

As the cool air is upon us and my mind is consumed with thoughts of pumpkins and hot apple cider I feel an ode to the summer is past due. I am back into school with new( used) books, new classes, and with classes in a new Gold Leed building named SAGE (wisdom of nature and the nature of wisdom) that opened this fall. I am also in a new house, like a real house, with a mom named Betty, a dog named Gracie, and I share a room with my friend Lacey. I had a very busy summer that involved spending a lot of time outdoors in the garden, hiking, and biking. I was able to see friends get married, purchase a home, move to new cities and follow the Lord leading them in new directions. It was great, and emotional at times. Vulnerability.

I am drowning up to my ears with heaps of fresh produce from my two garden plots, one at UW-Oshkosh community gardens and the other from Marvins Garden at the Gardens of the Fox Cities, not to mention the abundance my parents send me home with from their garden when I visit. I am busy cooking up lots of delicious meals, including my favorite Eggplant Parmesan!

Here is a reflection piece I wrote for the Gardens of the Fox Cities newsletter:

The Shasta Daisies are done blooming and the Monarchs are sparsely to be seen, a contrast to the middle of June when I first stepped foot in the Gardens of the Fox Cities. The gardens have changed a lot in two months and feel as though I have grown and changed with them.

Walking into Marvins Garden for the first time felt as though I was entering a magical little garden land. When children started arriving and the Gardeners and Explorers classes got rolling the magical Marvins land began to transform. The foot tall Sunflowers from June are now towering ‘ginormous’ giants that hang their heads to keep watch. The newly installed shed became a hideout from the rain. Gatherings took place at the blue table, and a feast of pickles, salsa and pizza we made one week was food fit for a king or queen. We took adventures and explored new territory on the 38 acres of the Gardens of the Fox Cities, catching butterflies, watching birds and looking at flowers through a kaleidoscope. The year ended with a friendly competition during Ecology Olympics and all the kids in Marvins went home as Olympian champions. New surprises are peaking through the leaves each week; right now there is a green pumpkin the size of a basketball, ripe and ready tomatoes and squashes of all variety waiting to be harvested. Being a leader and watching the interaction between children and the outdoors was fun and encouraging to see their excitement. Personally, I learned a lot from Hannah about organization, curriculum planning, allowing kids to be kids outside, and the generation of exploration of senses in the garden!

During my two months here at the gardens I have enjoyed watching the phenology of the flowers and trees. I got a front row seat every Thursday, as the dryness of late summer kicked in, my routine was watering the gardens around the Schieg building, Witzke Blvd. and Capitol Drive. The whimsical pink Queen of the Prairie bloomed and faded as the large dinner plate Hibiscus took center stage. I learned a lot about the flowers and trees from Vicki and other volunteers who had much knowledge to share. I practiced my newly learned plant identifications and facts as visitors to the gardens would stop and ask questions.

I would not have spent my summer any other way. The fun, beauty, friendships, knowledge, peacefulness and sense of civic engagement that I engaged in at the Gardens of the Fox Cities has been a job experience I will cherish forever.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." - Psalm 119:105