CBC Update

I've been meaning to post about the various projects at the Crestview Baptist Church, my neighbor across the street for sometime now. If you scroll down to the bottom of this blog you'll see a variety of short snippets in the left column and lots of photos cataloging various beginnings of earth related projects chronicling the last 2 years. Two of these projects continue. The first was a collaboration with Tree Folks, my neighbors and friends on Dartmouth Ave and the CBC. We planted 17 trees two years ago this November. Of the original planting, 15 trees made it through the hottest summer and coldest winter since the 50's...which I think is wonderful. The other is the Rose Garden seen below, on Earth Day 2009, two months after we put in 9 Martha Gonzales Roses, and the day we installed the Solitary Bee Habitat and two Cecille Bruenner climbers on Melvin's Pergola.

They don't look to shabby for 2 month old roses!


And here are the two climbers and the bee-box.

Melvin loves concrete...you should see his backyard. Anyway, the sign appeared without a word...I called him when I saw it, at that time...I don't think he knew my name yet.

Here is a view looking up Dartmouth...the trees are doing great! The grass that we'd removed came back, it was St. Augustine in full sun! Bermuda has taken over...not what I'd planned, but what can you do? Bermuda is hardy and I'm stunned that it grew over 8 cubic yards of Davey's Mulch...which really isn't mulch, but super rough wood chips.

On Valentines Day 2010, the rose garden was merely 1 year old. If you're not convinced that location and proper planting make all the difference in the world...you should see my puny Martha Gonzales planted the same day, which is almost exactly half the size. What the church has that my yard does not, is space and full sun...two main ingredients to successful roses.

The roses cover the wall, are stunning and in 2 years time should cover the pergola. I haven't seen Melvin in months, they got a new "fire and brimstone" preacher since the projects of '08 and'09 and that seems to make all the difference, there. All relationships ebb and flow, and the CBC has been my neighbor for nearly 14 years. Right now, they've let all the plantings that Melvin and I did in the parking lot for last years Earth Day die, but the Martin box remains. We (Regine and I) continue to try and explain what is a plant and what is a weed to the ground crew, who weekly whack down flowers that we've been trying to establish on the space between the sidewalk and street. But, the roses thrive, and the trees are taking root. By the time the children born on our block in the last two years are grown, our street will be lined with fruit and flowers and Mother Nature will have the last word.

Happy Gardening,

and thank you to all the wonderful people who helped with these projects!