We Grow Artists!

You see an old bed frame.  We see a trellis.

In the All Peoples Darius Simmons Community Garden, we grow more than plants.  We grow artists!  One way in which we do that is by up-cycling donated items to create quirky, fun structures which help support our plants as they grow and help support our community's creative spirit.

Headboards and baby crib rails make perfect trellises for our raspberry hedge.  We planted the hedge next to the public sidewalk to serve both as a perimeter for our garden and so passers-by can grab a couple of berries for a snack as they walk along.  Every spring, we prune the dead canes and weave the new growth into the slats and curves of our re-purposed trellises.  Of course, we love to paint our trellises with bright, cheery colors, which helps remind our neighbors not to step on baby bushes as they are growing.

During this season's stay-at-home time, families have picked up old vinyl banners (blank on the back side) and permanent markers to create positive message posters.  Positive messages of hope, faith and love are as important to building a healthy community as are fruits and vegetables!  One of All Peoples core values is:  We Serve Soul Food.  The community garden is a great example of how we live into that core value spiritually and nutritionally.

A few weeks ago, we put out the word to friends and partners that we would gladly accept donations of planting pots, trellis items, plant stakes and fencing items.  Friends responded to the call, safely dropped their items outside of their church, and after checking in with us, dropped them off at our garden table.  We sprayed them down and then had great fun checking out our newest treasures! 

Ladders, old kitchen racks, tomato cages, planters, wire, whirly flowers, sprinkling cans, vinyl sheets, fencing...you name it, we create with it!  Especially in times of unrest and uncertainty, creating and sharing hopeful and cheerful art in a natural space which grows heathy food brings life and peace to our neighborhood.  

If you have items for us to repurpose, please contact the church office at 414-264-1616.

The Plant Diaries: Our First Letter

Have you heard the news?  All Peoples Church has started a new program.  It's called:  Porch Pots and Partner Plots.  This year, because of the Corona Virus Pandemic, gardening in big groups in the Darius Simmons All Peoples Community garden will not be happening in its usual way.  Naturally, when we had to explain the ramifications of the new safe-gardening protocols to the little sprouts in the Grow Room, they were sad.  They love hanging out with the Kids Working to Succeed children and folks from the neighborhood and friends from partner churches. 

Of course, we can't have sad sprouts! So, the All Peoples team came up with a plan.  Why not invite KWTS kids to grow potted plants on their porches?  Why not invite church families, neighbors and friends to plant a few All Peoples plants in their own gardens?  Why not ask partners with gardens or fields of their own to grow All Peoples Plots? 

Let's do it!  (All Peoples peeps say that a lot.)

This is how it came to pass that on a lovely Saturday morning, a very kind lady stopped by All Peoples Church to pick up a couple of plants.  Two little tomato plants were selected by Miss Susan, the All Peoples Garden Educator, as the first babies to go out from the All Peoples Grow Room into the wide, wide world.   Naturally, plants that travel love to take photos and write stories about their adventures.  Yesterday, we received a letter from the kind lady and the plants.  Here it is:

To our dear APC friends,

First thank you for giving us such a great start in life. We were so lucky to have the company of all those plants and people who cared for us since we were babies. We miss you all!

We haven’t yet met all our new friends at Kingo, other than the nice lady who welcomed us on Saturday. She drove us to our new home and let us spend a little time getting to know the area as she planted the neighbors we’ll be living next to. It was lovely, but a little overwhelming to be out in the big world. We were feeling tired after such an exciting morning, so the nice lady took us to her house. She said we would be staying with her a few days while she teaches us about how to live out on our own. To be honest, we’ve not big fans of the cold and rain, to say the least. Sometimes we find it hard to stay standing. But the nice lady assures us that when we finally settle into our new beds, we will be very happy that we put in the time to become acquainted with changing temperatures, sunshine, and rain.

That’s all we have to share for now. We pray that God will shine abundance on the APC gardens. Give our love to all our old friends and tell them that great adventure awaits them!

Peace and love to all,

Tom & Mat O.

Tom and Mat O visit their new home.

Tom and Mat O meet a few friends who are little younger
than they are.

It's hard to get used to the wind and rain, but luckily,
Tom and Mat O can hang out at their friend's house.