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)

Update on Sustainable Garden (Week of May 22)

Hi,

I went yesterday and did the following.
  • Planted a 4pack of tomatoes; left another in case you don't get to store; otherwise I can plant
  • Planted basil (2 plants by garlic) and (4 plants along outside perimeter north)
  • Planted marigolds in 4 corners of Luke (tomatoes); left remainder (2 packs?)
  • Encouraged/placed pea plants onto strings
  • Kale, swiss chard, spinach are germinated
  • Cleared most volunteer potato plants from Matthew
  • Still have peppers at home (for pots)

Here are some photos:

          

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This Week with the St Francis Garden Ministries

Kudos to Nadine Brown and Teri Murphy who have really polished/enhanced the Memorial Garden which to most visitors/viewers who honor their deceased family members would not notice.  Their activities have included but  were not limited to:

  • Fertilized the rhododendrons
  • Transplanted hosta for even and symmetric arrangement around the marble bench
  • Weeded (of dandelions and voluntarily transplanted/seeded saplings) and mulched two upper tier areas
  • Trimmed back the myrtle from the wall of name placards for better access to reduce plant destruction
  • Removed old extraneous bulb (e.g., tulip) plantings
  • Trimmed shoots, dead branches, and suckers off the larger trees
  • Mulched the ground floor areas

Thank you very much, again, Teri and Nadine, for honoring the departed with this well maintained space.  Photos of their garden efforts:


Secondly, thank you to Erich and Ann Marie Jensen who this week finished mulching trees both right and left to the general entrance area of the Rectory that were not completed on the May 6th work day!


Lastly, big thanks to Karen and Jeff Cole who have begun transplanting grasses, penstemon and coneflowers along the stark gray cement wall at the lower sidewalk from the east parking lot to the front steps of the church.  Stay tuned for future photos, as the plants grow and fill in this area.

Respectfully submitted,
Erich Jensen 



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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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