Good morning.
I am Carol Sugg and I’d like to talk a few minutes about Trinity’s Friendship Garden. Trinity has had a garden almost 7 years. Our garden benefits the Friendship Trays organization which is Charlotte’s equivalent to Meals on Wheels. Trinity’s was the 17th garden established of what is now 125 gardens in the Friendship Gardens network. Would you care to guess where Trinity ranked last year in terms of pounds of produce donated? With over 700 pounds of fresh produce donated to Fr. Trays Trinity was #2 out of all 125 gardens for pounds donated – 2nd only to the garden at Garringer High School which is at least 2 acres in size and employs several gardeners in addition to their volunteer help. In comparison our garden covers an area of 640 square feet.
The Friendship Garden network requires that we garden organically which means no artificial fertilizers or pesticides. This method results in wholesome vegetables for the recipients with no worry about consumption of potentially harmful chemicals.
Trinity is blessed with a site to be envied for our garden. The present location has an abundance of sun and excellent drainage. We have added compost and other nutrients over the years resulting in soil that is ideal for growing vegetables. Right now we have kale, tomatoes, several varieties of squash and cucumbers growing. Our spring garden produced kale, turnips and potatoes. Friendship Trays especially encourages the growth of turnips since they can use the bulb as well as the greens for the meals. I’m sure you’ve read about the shortage of honeybees throughout this area but at Trinity we have our own beehives. These hives are tended by Trepp McMahon and ensure our plants and those in this area have sufficient pollination.
What a perfect fit this mission project has turned out to be for Trinity. How gratifying to know we are making a significant contribution to a very worthwhile organization. We would love your help to keep it going. There is a sign up available online at Signup Genius or you can contact me or my husband Gary should you want to help. Helpers usually take a week of responsibility of weeding and harvesting the garden. These are not daily tasks but usually 2-3 times each week.
I should mention that all garden helpers are encouraged to keep some of the produce for their own tables.
We are hoping to set a new record of produce donated this year but we need help to get there. The decision to plant a fall garden will depend on the level of interest we receive. You do NOT need to be an experienced gardener to help out. It’s a great learning experience for children when they realize vegetables aren’t grown at Harris Teeter. If you’re a novice, you will learn as you go – and as I’ve heard one of our volunteers say “There is something spiritual about watching food grow from seeds to harvest”.
What better way to be an up close and personal participant in God’s creation?
Thank you!