Emerald Gardens Celebrates a Productive Summer
We have been busy at Emerald Gardens MorningSide. Since early spring, the garden has been exploding with life with over 500 native plants designed to attract pollinators and various insects beneficial to the ecosystem. I like to say that it was intended to attract "pollinators and people," and it has done just that.
The bees literally swarmed the bee balm when it was in bloom. Monarch and swallowtail butterflies are frequent visitors to the swamp milkweed and butterfly weed. Robins, cardinals, and a few birds that I cannot identify are often seen foraging for food or just hanging out. As I was sitting and talking with Latisha Johnson one day, we saw a hummingbird feeding on a cardinal flower donated by Keep Growing Detroit. That was special. Watching God do his thing has been a treat for a city boy like me. I am especially pleased that so many beautiful people have been attracted to the garden. The quote from the movie Field of Dreams has come to mind on more than one occasion - "If you build it, they will come."
Emerald Isles Community Development Corporation (CDC) builds community by transforming neglected spaces into beautiful and productive places. It appears that we plant flowers to attract butterflies. We also plant seeds that grow a community, which includes people who live in Morningside, East English Village, and other neighborhoods in our great city. This community has donated its time and treasure to help make this place one that we all can enjoy.
This summer we were blessed with an AmeriCorps Summer Worker, William Gardner, from Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), a grant from Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD), and a partnership with Bethany Lutheran Church that enabled us to launch our Summer Food Security Program. This program had a three-fold purpose:
To assist Bethany Food Pantry with its program
To hold weekly vegetable gardening classes and to share the produce with the participants
To provide meals to the community
We culminated the program on August 26th with an event to celebrate the people who have helped us thus far. A special shout-out goes to Helen Allen, Zelda Anderson, Brent Collins, Dorothy Hamilton, and Dorothy Johnson. They faithfully tilled the soil and tended the vegetable gardens, which resulted in a bountiful harvest. Last but not least, I want to thank my beautiful wife, Sharon, for helping me with another one of my many projects. Sharon, I love you, and I could not do it without you.
Work continued throughout the summer to enhance Emerald Gardens. Images courtesy of Gary Gray