I live across the street from an elementary school. The edge of my garden is ten paces from the edge of the campus. We are abutting islands- separated by a sea of asphalt. Twice a day this sea fills with cargo ships- a fleet in the morning taking little ones to have their brains filled with facts and figures and a fleet in the afternoon to carry their weary minds home.

When the morning fleet arrives- choking the air with car fumes, slamming doors and the tight voices of harried parents- I am often crouching on my shore watching. Enormous red and silver barges glide up the street in immense hast. They stop and roughly toss out their cargo. Little beings swim to the shores of their classrooms.

I am watery in the morning- my mind is on the ether edge of the dream world. My body glides through the crisp air towards each of my garden tasks. To me the motion of the descending fleet is jarring. The theme song sung by dozens of parents “I love you, hurry up” sits heavily in my sleepy ears.

In between my dream world and the world of haste is a thin veil of plants. A hedge of lanky ladies– the Sunchokes, sunflowers native to North America– rule the space. They are the sentries. From their perch, at ten feet, they watch me float and then they turn their faces to watch the furious fleet. They nod graciously at both, and lift their masts towards the sun.

 

My soil test came back from Colorado State University. I’m still figuring out what it means– I’ll have to update you in my next blog.

 

The garden from the street:

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From the garden towards the school:

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Regal sentries:

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Inside the garden:

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…..for Lorene- YES the bees love the sunchokes!!!

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