Ready to Grow at Clara Brown Commons
Construction day dawned with blue skies and breakfast burritos. Resident kids soon had power tools in their hands, with guidance for the assembly. By afternoon, it was shaping up! Imagination, hope, and curiosity—essential gardening ingredients—were already sprouting.
Resident Tahlia Johnsen had a big part in getting her neighbors enthused for the work. Our Community Life Coordinator Alicia Biggs spread the word. Volunteer Sam Shellenberger worked with our director Jeff Johnsen to plan the box design and materials. Donn Hansum, as he so often does, gathered volunteers. Staff member Benjamin Armas rallied CBC’s youth.
Like many activities at CBC, “The process was the product”—namely, community-building. One option might have been to secure enough funding for a contractor to knock out the whole project professionally. But where would be the friendships among new residents forged in sweat and grime under the sun, and a sense of shared accomplishment?
Since then, an irrigation system was installed and the soil goes in next week. Also next week, Colorado State University Master Gardener Coordinator Merrill Kingsbury and her team will meet with a team of resident leaders who have emerged out of the planter box project. They envision a community garden model, working together on shared gardens rather than individual plots. Two planter boxes will be dedicated specifically for youth gardening. Throughout the summer, the Denver Chapter of CSU Extension Service will provide gardening education for our residents.
At both Clara Brown Commons and Joshua Station this spring, our gardeners are growing and thriving, as they literally plant seeds for their shared nourishment.
