The St. Francis Sustainable Garden Project supports the hungry, at-risk children and their families in our area. We use a garden plot in front of the St. Francis rectory where we grow and harvest herbs, vegetables and flowers. In past years each harvest has produced over 180 lbs. of produce- all delivered to the pantry at Foundations Preschool of Ann Arbor, - child care center for at-risk, low-income families.

The St. Francis Grounds & Botanical Gardens: Several gardens surround the St Francis of Assisi campus of buildings, including, but not limited to, the church, school, rectory and/or parish offices. These gardens need to be a beautiful expression of hospitality, in particular, the entrances, to our fellow parishioners and visitors as well as reflect a statement of our appreciation for God's creation and nature.

Questions? Contact: Scott Wright (734-821-2121)

Thank you to Sustainable Garden Donors

We have just sent out personal thank you cards to the following vendors for their continued support for the St Francis of Assisi Sustainable Garden.  Please help us recognize them by shopping at these locations.

(1) Downtown Home and Garden for a second Earth Box and funds for its materials
(2) Turner's Nursery for 4 flats of vegetables and herbs
(3) Meijer's on Ann Arbor-Saline Road for a $100 gift card to be used garden supplies

Regards,
Erich Jensen

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St Francis Botanical Gardens: Gardening and Grounds Grooming Group (4G Network) Ministry


Dear All,

This is an information share for all garden ministries and volunteers at St Francis and activities of the last month.  Check out the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4baeaf29ab9-garden.  (Next activity date: June 4) Gardens include, but are not limited to, Memorial Garden, Mary Garden, Peace Garden and Rectory and Parish Office gardens.

Karen and Matt Cole, Susan Bass, Terry MacLean, Nadine Brown, Jane Antosiak, Mark Roh, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Eileen Coogan have been starting improvements to the various gardens during April and May under encouragement and support of Scott Wright, Dave Barera and Fathers James and Terry.

Here is a list of activities (with selected photos) accomplished so far:

Saturday April 23
Karen and Matt Cole, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, and Eileen Coogan cleaned up the Peace Garden (i.e., 16 paper bags of compost).  Moments later a St Francis family who were celebrating their son's communion entered and the garden for a photo-op.


Sunday May 1
Karen and Matt Cole, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Mark Roh cleared the Bell Tower area and mulched for a clean look for future plantings.  Additional areas for cleanup, pruning and mulching were initiated, including, but not limited, to flower beds at the base of the brick planters on the front steps, flagstone edged bed under trees along sidewalk, and spirea bush pruning and mulching on hillside alongside the first set of front steps to the church.


Weekend of May 6 to May 8 and more
Matt and Karen Cole mulch top left of first set of front steps to the church.  Nadine Brown mulches half of the Memorial Garden.  Erich and Ann Marie Jensen initiate planting of the west brick planter with zinnias. Susan Bass and Jane Antosiak begin Mary Garden cleanup.  Terry MacLean trims and starts removal of English Ivy at the rectory.  Annual seed and plant sale on Mother's Day includes native plants and more and accounts for half of the $200 sales revenue.


Future Dates: June 4 (Rain Date: June 11) we look forward to partnering with the Knights of Columbus and Scout families and perhaps, confirmation candidates seeking service hours to mulch, prune, trim, weed, clear and clean up more areas of the St Francis property, in particular, garden areas.

Thank you to everyone so far, and please invite fellow parishioners and friends/family outside of St Francis to join us in our beautification of our Pope's namesake church, here in Ann Arbor. Again, sign-up at: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4baeaf29ab9-garden 

God bless you,
Erich Jensen
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St Francis Sustainable Vegetable Garden: Plant and Seed Sale May 8 (Mother's Day)


Hello Garden Volunteers,

Many thanks to Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Rose Sherry, Katy Derezinski, and Michelle, Brooke and Gaby Engelhardt for set up, sales, and shut down at this successful Seed and Plant Sale on Sunday, May 8 (Mother's Day) 8:30 and 10:30 Masses (see photos below).   Extra unsold plants are making their way into the St Francis gardens.

This beautiful sunny and cool morning resulted in the following sales and donations:
  • Seed Packets : (selling for  $.50 - 1)   16 sold   for $11
  • 4 pack Veggies and Herbs :  (selling for $2)                                   44 sold   for $88
  • Native Plants (and thyme) plus a bag of seed balls  ($3)   32 sold for $96
  • Donations       $5.51 
Grand Total: $200.51

We still need volunteers for this Thursday's final planting, weeding and watering for the summer (weekly), and produce deliveries to Foundations Preschool (weekly).  The "more the merrier volunteers" means activities are spread across many and only an hour or so of commitment here and there.  Thank you very much for considering even if you can occasionally back up individuals when vacations occur.

Prayerful regards,
Erich Jensen
734.771.8511




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Fwd: St Francis Sustainable Garden: Parts 3 and 4 Seed and Plant Sale May 8, 10 am - 12pm AND Planting May 19 3:15 - 5:00 pm

Dear All,

We still need help with:

Seed and plant sale (May 8)
Final planting of crops (May 19) 
Watering, weeding, harvesting and delivering (summer 2016) 


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We thank the Sherry Family, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Katy Derezinski, Julie Lavender, and John Schommer for the following garden activities on the beautiful and cool Saturday April 23:
  • Amended Matthew, Mark, and Paul beds with top soil
  • Removed dead plant matter and leaves from Peter, Paul and Francis beds including, but not limited to deadheading daffodils, pruning red and black raspberry canes, removing browned flower heads from Autumn Joy sedum
  • Set up the bean pole structure in Paul bed
  • Planted onion and potato seed/sets
  • Weeded and cleared dead debris from native plant beds
  • Set up 2 rain barrels 



On the same day another team of St Francis gardeners cleaned up the Peace Garden in front of the school and filled nearly 15 bags of winter and fall garden debris:







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