On Gardens and belonging

During my working years in retail, I had a neighbor, Karolyn, who would always say to me I should join the Garden Club. Well I was always sooooo busy I didn't feel like I could make a commitment and if I can't contribute,  then I don't feel like I should join...so when I retired from Macy's, she asked me again, and I said well why not, I should be able to do that now.
So last year as Vice President of the Garden Club, I wrote a grant and received $500.00 from the State to enhance the space that was acquired from Black and Decker by Neighbor Space Land Trust in conjunction with the garden club. This space had been informally gardened by the neighborhood women for decades and planted randomly with memorial plantings.

Neighborhood open space is an asset in older established neighborhoods making them livable and distinctive. However, many neighborhoods within Baltimore County Community Conservation Areas are deficient of open space. These neighborhoods were typically developed prior to open space requirements and have less protected open space when compared to newer developments. In addition, many of these neighborhoods are essentially built-out with few remaining undeveloped parcels of land providing green open space. These remaining undeveloped parcels are being threatened by infill development, which will eliminate the green open space it once provided. Some of these parcels should be preserved as neighborhood open space to help keep communities thriving.
Until now, there have been no programs to preserve small parcels in Community Conservation Areas, where 75 percent of the County's population lives. As a result, Neighbor Space of Baltimore County was formed to help provide open spaces in Community Conservation Areas.

Many women and one boy scout and some of his troop members worked very hard to dig and plan the garden space in conjunction with a highway planner for the planting needs.  Another neighbor donated the pebbles in the walkway and we hauled truck loads of mulch from the county recycle location.  I also wrote a letter to a local politico asking that the county curb the area, and they did this year. So now we are enjoying the beauty of the space that was created with lots of community involvement and dedicated women. This Garden has history as it was started in memory of community women who helped over the years make Greenbrier a great place to live, and now it's just a little better, thanks to the members of the current Greenbrier Garden Club!  So this year as the President, we have to maintain and enhance the community garden, as a garden is always a work in progress.

A couple days ago, I made a few images of the garden and mine....with the Lensbaby soft focus..and a few straight shots too.