In this day and age, with dispensers pumping out hand sanitizer on any available wall and children more likely to associate a stream with Netflix than nature, it's good to know there's an organization that still thinks its fun to get outside and play in the dirt.
A handful of youngsters from Girls Inc. recently rolled up their sleeves and planted more than two dozen daylilies at the West Street Ward House, kicking off a garden project that has been in the works for the better part of two years.
The girls spent a sticky summer afternoon making a mess of themselves while turning a plain patch of grass behind the ward house into the beginnings of a scenic landscape for the seniors who spend their afternoons in the building and other passersby to enjoy.
“It was great for the girls to have that intergenerational opportunity,” Karen Billings, the Girls Inc. regional director, said of the time spent with the seniors. “And we'd love to do more of that. It just feels really great for us to be able to be part of a bigger community project, not just a Girls Inc. project.”
Indeed, the fingers – green thumbs? – of the garden plan are far-reaching. Billings and Vivien Green, executive director of the Centennial Senior Center, combined to develop the plan, which was originally put to paper in February 2011. Since that time dozens of people have been involved in trying to get the ball rolling.
Including Morgan Sargent, who was the perfect triple threat for the project in that she works closely with Green, is the senior coordinator at the ward house and a contributor at Girls Inc.
So when word came down that 30 daylilies were ready to be planted, Sargent knew just the right workforce to enlist.
“Because I know all the Girls Inc. girls personally, I liked getting them involved,” Sargent said. “But it's still Karen, too. She planned a lot of it, so it's nice for her to see it actually come together. And I think it's good for the girls to get out of Green Street and do something different.”
The girls certainly seemed to be on board, even if in retrospect a major motivating factor was the ice cream they enjoyed after completing the work. Billings claims they didn't know the reward was coming, but 10-year-old Gigi Hunt begs to differ.
“It feels nice that we were being very helpful, and it was nice to know we had a chance to get more ice cream,” she said.
Green thumbs seem to run in the Girls Inc. family, as no fewer than six contributors said they have spent time working in their home gardens with parents or grandparents. That work came in handy as they dug the trenches, poured fertilizer and planted the daylilies in a line dotting the perimeter of the ward house's chain-link fence.
Bree Williamson, 17, has helped plant vegetables at home and was happy to leave a similar mark in a place where the seniors can enjoy it.
“I think it's nice that there's something for them to do and look at now,” Williamson said.
“It feels good to help them, so they have something that makes them happy,” Tricia Jarry, 12, said.
The project seems to have hit that mark. Though the weather has prevented most of the seniors from spending extended time in the garden thus far – the muggy weather and soaring temperatures have led to mostly indoor activities over the last few weeks – just knowing the garden is there is enough.
“I thought it was really good. They did a nice job,” Judy Brickett, a senior who attends many events at the ward house, said. “It's better than what we had when they started. It's nice to have something so you can go outside and sit.”
The weather prevented the seniors from joining the Girls Inc. gardeners for any extended time during the day of the work, but Brickett's sentiment was delivered nonetheless.
“The seniors stayed inside because it was so hot, but when they walked by and saw the girls working they were thanking them,” Billings said. “It was really nice for the girls to feel appreciated.”
There is certainly plenty of work to be done, but the lines of daylilies and a small tree donated by Brochu Nursery have already spruced up a part of the ward house that apparently needed some serious sprucing.
“It's nice to look at that now, compared to what it was. This was an old pre-school camp and there was basically an old Slip-N-Slide indented into the ground,” Sargent quipped. “So it's nice to have this out there.”
Sargent fully intends to make sure the seniors take advantage of it, too. She's giving them a pass during the roasting summer months, but when the leaves start to turn, the patrons of the ward house will be out there to watch them.
“They haven't really gotten to use it yet, but I think come fall I'm going to lock the door and make them go out there,” she said.
Anyone willing to contribute to the ongoing garden project is encouraged to contact Sargent at msargent@concordnh.gov. There is plenty of work to be done, and any and all expertise is welcome, particularly those willing to help construct the raised flower beds or build the walking path.build the walking path.
