The Gardeners on “Grass Patrol” at Concourse Lake on May 12:

On Saturday May 12, four Gardeners did yeoman’s labor at Concourse Lake! Our club was given the job of making-perfect the newly-established tree and schrub beds at the 50th Street entrance to the lake, and it was acknowledged that we had the weediest beds of all!!  Sarah Collier brought out her pitch fork, Wyn Coghlan had her trowel in the dirt (and presciently brought Gatorade), Connie Stelzenmuller manned her spade, Betsy Crowell had broom and garbage sacks, and we all dug out well-rooted tall grasses and assorted rocks, cans, and weeds. This was a BIG job and it took three hours persistent effort to get it all done; see Connie’s picture of the many bags of weeds that we deposited on the roadside!!

On June 9, 2012 Concourse Lake will be officially opened to the public in ceremonies including the mayor and other city and park officials. I hope many Gardeners will take pride in the part we have played in this undertaking: leaders from the Gardeners helped in the planning stages, we gave a $10,000 grant in seed money, and many generous donations came from the Gardeners in memory of our member, Helen Edwards, for the purchasing of thousands of bulbs to be planting in October. (One of the large beds that we cleared last Saturday will be the location for a lot of those bulbs.) And we can even take credit for weed-free beds at 50th street!

So, on Saturday, when our backs needed a break and a stretch, the Gardener team rambled around Concourse Lake in search of water and friends. All the local garden clubs were represented and the ladies, and some husbands too, had their heads in the dirt. We were impressed by the quite clean blacktop pathways, the new benches, the seating in the amphitheater for student outdoor-classes, the marsh plantings that have matured, and the reduction in geese since we have last seen the area.  And on this Saturday many additional projects were accomplished: grasses, water iris, and other water plants were inserted in the soil at the lake’s edge, a major perennial-bed along the path was fully accomplished in these three hours, some Dads and boys-in-gators were clearing swampy weeds, and other fellows from the park system were creating netting with poles and string and plastic fence to keep the geese away from planted beds.

The PCGCA hospitality desk rewarded us with luke-warm coffee, donut holes, water and sandwiches for which we were very grateful!! In our suggestion box: a porta-potty.  Join us next time! We had great conversation, good cheer, and a satisfying job well done!

Betsy Crowell

 

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