Building Community

It's no secret that one of my biggest goals for the last year (and it turns out this year too!) has been to really build my neighborhood into something great.  We built an amazing patio and grill area.

Marco and Neighbor Tim built a beautiful bike shed and arbor.

There are new flower beds, the community library and we even hosted a really, really nice tree care workshop.

But I just couldn't stop there.  I really, really want people to be able to plant, and grow, and personalize their homes here in the big CG, but it has been really difficult since our soil is, well, less soil and more clay and sand.  And that's not just my opinion either- we did a soil test and sent it to MSU.  For $6 they came back with all kinds of specific suggestions to help grow all sorts of different plants, grasses, vegetables and trees.  For more information about getting your own soil tested click here for more info.

After the soil results came back, I put them with other information I have been collecting too- guides on native Mississippi plants, information on attracting (or deterring) wildlife and pollinators, how to landscape when starting with nothing, all kinds of things.  Then I labeled everything with a very friendly "Property of Community Green:  Please read and return" and filled an entire expandable folder. The folder went straight into our library for everyone to share.

Want to create something similar for your home or community?  I collected my information from our local Master Gardeners club, the Mississippi State Extension Service, the Garden Club, the Community Garden and the Arbor Day Foundation, but I'm sure there are plenty of other sources.  

I guess the point of this is to inspire others to get involved with their own neighbors.  Not everyone in CG comes to every meeting or event or community cookout, but it is very important to me and Marco (and several other neighbors) to offer these types of experiences.  You don't have to host a dinner party every week to meet the guy next door.  Sometimes you just have to be willing to get your hands dirty.  

Anyone else working on group plantings and curb appeal?  Anyone else planting rogue watermelons?  How cute would it be if we had our own pumpkin patch this year.  Don't think I haven't started working on that already!

Weekend Outlook

This weekend I am hoping to get a little more work done on our median here in the neighborhood.  A few months ago I wrote a grant to help develop this:

That's our giant median in the middle of our community.  Notice that greenish grassish stuff?  That is probably the most green I've ever seen it.  I'm sure it's a trick of the light or something.

Anyhoo- I wrote the grant, we got it, and now we have some extra money to spend in order to make this space really nice.  We're already really close to finishing laying the stones we bought for our new patio.  And we've moved all of our recycled bricks for our new fire place and grill.  Very soon we will be installing a new bike rack and a bike storage area.  I am very, very excited to see these things coming together and I hope this weekend will be a great success.  Also, I'd like to have this entire project checked off my to-done list...

But since that picture isn't really inspiring- YET.  I thought I'd share another picture from last weekend.  This is part of Lake Saint Joseph in east Louisiana   Marco and I went down last Thursday to stay with some friends and enjoy a nice relaxing weekend.  This tiny part of the lake was the only picture I took in 4 days, but I think it makes up for all the ones I didn't.  

Happy Friday!