Mentors: That's who we want to be when we grow up!
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Those who shape others' gardening outlook and abilities seem
to have some things in common. One is tenacity, as portrayed so
well in this story we received recently. It's about a man who grew
wonderful trees and shrubs and we had the pleasure to meet out in
his growing field one fine day... but it's also about a whole lot
of Mentors.
My Dad, Bob Biggs, owned a nursery and grew plants all his life.
He and my mom moved into a big retirement community in April. My
dad wasted no time in getting green things going and growing. He
got the community management to pay for and build raised beds for
veggies which he cared for.
Funny, I have mentioned the newspaper mulch thing to him many
times in the last 20+ years but he didn't really pick up on it
until he found out a new friend, Pat Lanza, wrote a book about it.
Now he thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread. He shredded
paper and used it as a top mulch much to his neighbors chagrin in
Florida. It worked though. :- )
He is in the process of having lots of shelves built in the
little plant room at the retirement community and also having
lights installed on chains for seed starting. He also spoke to the
Brighton Garden Club on Bonsai a month or so ago. They even brought
the meeting to him. He is consulting with the current chef to build
a kitchen garden in a mostly vacant courtyard next to the kitchen.
The beautiful 3 story atrium there had all artificial plants. That
is changing little by little. He will always be a mentor and
gardener. Fellow residents call him Gardener Bob. He's making
lemonade out of lemons, so to speak.
Here is the link to that article about him:
http://livingstoncounty.mi.newsmemory.com/default.php?pSetup=livingstoncounty_experience
(The URL can't take you directly to the page. It does take
you to where you can toggle a date box to 7/26/11, then turn
to pages 12 & 13. And there's Bob.)
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