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 for Donation

Dear Jan,   turnersannarbor.com

The 2 flats of tomatoes, one flat of basil, one flat of peppers and one flat of marigolds is a great donation.  We really appreciate it.

Here is a photo of cleaned garden with cool crop plantings only so far.

Regards,
Erich Jensen
Garden Ministry Coordinator
St Francis of Assisi

Main Sustainable Garden


Some of The Volunteers


Side Garden




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THANK YOU: St Francis of Assisi Grounds and Grooming Cleanup Day May 6 (Saturday: 9 am - 12 pm)

Our prayers were answered in many ways, a beautiful sunshine and comfortable morning (after 2 days of gray, cloudy, pouring rain), and a solid group of Scouts and Knights of Columbus volunteers and more parishioners to clear, clean, prune, hedge, sweep, spread, mulch, dig, edge selected areas at the front of the church, parish offices and rectory.

In particular, kudos, to Brian Biggs who singlehandedly moved and distributed all 180+ bags of mulch.  We also appreciate the efforts of Grand Knight Josh Peck and his son Patrick, and the many, many scouts and parents, including Laura, Freddy and Greg Babe, Lon, Jacob, Alex and Quinn Lowen, Matt and sons Grant and Ryan and scout Carl as well as parishioner gardening regulars, Edd Post, Amy Kilbourne, Susan Bass, Jane Antosiak, and Terry MacLean. (I apologize for any misspellings or missing names).

Here are snapshots of the accomplished work:

A beautiful Saturday Morning


Brian Biggs and Josh and Patrick Peck at the end of the morning


Weeded the Church Back Entrance West



Refreshing around the Bell Tower/Carillon


Refreshing mulch left and right of front church steps

Weeding, clearing leaves, removing tossed flagstones and respreading mulch disturbed by winter snow removal curbside east at church front steps


Hedging the yews and spirea at church front steps and removing invasive tree saplings


New mulch at left church front steps curbside


More blooms and cleanup in the Mary Garden at church rear entrance east


Removing old mulch, spreading 30 bags of fresh top soil and spreading attractive pine bark mulch across all parish office entrance beds 


Complete hedging of row of yews on southside of parish office so staff can view the gardens better


Refreshing wood chips for outdoor classroom southside hill in pine trees from parish office
 

Continuing to remove invasive old English Ivy and refreshing pine bark much across the entire front  and northside of the Rectory


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THANK YOU: Spring Clean Up: Sustainable Vegetable Gardens May 6 [10 am - 12 pm]

Our prayers were answered.  Cool temperatures AND complete sunshine greeted our clean up day last Saturday.  Many thanks for your prayers and great volunteer attendance, in particular, Rose Sherry, Ann Marie and Erich Jensen, Julie White, John Schommer, Teresa Welsh, Sharon Sheldon, Dorothy Greca and her grandson Jacob, and Katy Derezinski who:

  • Spread 10 bags of top soil in the Paul Garden after weeding it
  • Planted potato seeds in the same bed
  • Hooked up 2 rain barrels
  • Picked up/Composted leaves
  • Planted cool crops' seeds (spinach, kale, carrots and onion sets)
  • Edged the perennial perimeter of the main garden (e.g., gospel beds)
  • Deadwooded the black raspberry brambles
  • Strung the poles as guides for the germinated pea plants
  • Cleaned/slightly tilled Matthew, Mark, Luke and John beds

Here are photos of the day:


Left to Right: Katy Derezinski, Rose Sherry, Dorothy Greca, Jacob, Ann Marie Jensen, Julie White (not pictured: John Schommer, Sharon Sheldon, Teresa Welsh, Erich Jensen)


Paul Garden Bed with Potatoes


Main Sustainable Garden (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Beds)[Peas, Garlic, Onions, Kale and Spinach)



Remulched outdoor classroom/meeting space!




Continuing the story, mulching some of the rectory trees this morning……any one want to help mulch the other trees?


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THANK YOU: EARTH DAY CLEANUP BY 7TH GRADERS St Francis Garden Ministries: School Involvement (e.g., Confirmation Service Hours)

Many thanks to the seventh graders who cleaned up a lot of the St Francis school and church grounds last week for Earth Day celebration!  Here are the results including some additional cleanup from a couple of other parties for the curbside pick up (Also thank you to whoever hauled all the bags to Winchell Street for this morning's pick up).

Special kudos to Ms Megan DeVerna for liaising with me on this simple but super beneficial project.  Hopefully this will become an annual tradition with the ENTIRE school.

Happy Easter season,
Erich Jensen

See the Garden Ministries blog!  http://sustainable-garden-project.blogspot.com 


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Mary Garden


Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Mary looked beautiful yesterday with her skirt of daffodils!  Thank you!


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St Francis Garden Ministry: Peace Garden Cleanup Saturday Apr 8 9am - Noon

Dear All,

Many, many thanks to Dorothy Greca, Karen Cole, Ann Marie and Erich Jensen, Amy Kilbourne and Edd Post for their energetic help and hard work on cleaning up the Peace Garden including, but not limited to:

  • Cutting down the tall grasses
  • Raking leaves
  • Spreading 10 bags of new mulch (around the Carillon/Bell Tower)
  • Leveling mounds of old mulch (around Hosta Garden)
  • Trimming a row of yews along the Parish Office
  • Bagging (and readying) all debris for compost pickup (16 lawn bags, 1 x 55 gallon city bin, and 6 branch bundles)

The morning was fortunately cool and bright and comfortable for this gardening effort unlike the original date of Thursday which was rainy and cold with a bit of snow.

See photos below:


Edd Post mowing down the grasses!


Peace Garden in cleaned up state (facing east)


(left to right: Erich Jensen, Edd Post, Amy Kilbourne, Karen Cole, Dorothy Greca, not pictured photographer Ann Marie Jensen)


Peace Garden with Mary Statue and Climbing Rose trellis)


Peace Garden facing west



The debris for Tuesday city compost pickup



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St Francis Sustainable Garden Harvests: 2015 and 2016

Many thanks to our volunteer gardeners over the last 2 years!

Despite a very dry summer 2016 and the bunnies consistently eating the pole bean seedlings, we had a decent production year and good variety.  Deliveries to Foundations Preschool were supplemented by harvests from Cobblestone Farms gardens, too which are not included in the following results and comparisons from 2015 and 2016.

Erich



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