By Kate Thompson

The efforts to restore and update the Gladys McCoy Memorial Garden continue with generous support from the NIKE Athlete volunteers, John Barker and others.  The Athletes energetically maintain the garden with trash removal and leaf raking and debris removal on a regular basis. (We congratulate them on the reopening of their store, which was closed by the pandemic and vandalized after the murder of George Floyd.)

John Barker has created a conceptual garden design to include themes of color, diversity, community, and endurance. He also met with the owner of the Cistus Nursery to review the design and discuss the choice of planting for the site which lacks irrigation.

John is the treasurer of The Hardy Plant Society and has requested that they help us form a non-profit entity under their auspices, so that we can receive donations. John is also writing a grant to obtain funds for the new plantings.

We have obtained permission from the trustee of the property to begin landscaping with new plantings and John, ever the eager gardener, put in some Bergenia starts with “big bold leaves” below the memorial plaque, as pictured above. 

Update: In October Mossy Tree Care donated their time to get the trees in shape which was very appreciated especially after the big windstorm. According to Kate Thompson, “Five men from Mossy Tree Care each donated two and a half hours of energetic labor to clean up the hardscape of the garden. They were a delight to work with.”