DMZ 2, Back Yard Garden
behind homicide victim memorial
Yesterday was a great day for writing on this posting. Dawn and Marna, founders of DMZ gardens had a party for the opening of DMZ garden 3, The Orchard and DMZ garden 4, The Healing Garden. DMZ 2, Back Yard garden was created last year and of course the original DMZ, the only one I was involved in, as Z, was the first one, DMZ 1, now called the Perennial garden. All four DMZ community gardens are within a few blocks of each other in what is called the Brochert Field District, the area of the original “Brewers” minor league ball park.
However, I forgot to write the posting and remember just when I was getting in bed. I decided to postpone the posting till tonight and today’s until tomorrow if I remember.
I met Dawn in 2008 or 2009 when a group of us were helping her build a porch on one of the houses she owns and rent living spaces and provides care for persons with mental illnesses. She is a strong woman and hard worker with a great sense of humor. I met Marna about the same time at one of the prayer vigils for homicide victims. She was one of the three mothers who founded Mothers Against Gun Violence when all three woman had lost their sons to a man with a gun he probably would not have if there be universal background checks for all gun sales. Marna has a number of major illnesses but somehow keeps on going and giving to the community.
About the same time I had an interest in Growing Power and was establishing my old home gardens. I found out that Marna and Dawn both had an interest in gardening and Dawn owned a vacant lot. So after I introduced Dawn and Marna to each other the three of us, with the help of friends and Growing Power developed the first DMZ gardens.
The garden is in a community with high homicide rate so the DMZ, D for Dawn, M for Marna and Z, because my initials did not fit, came naturally. I noticed in the new brochure Dawn gave me the slogan for the DMZ gardens is “From Trigger Fingers, To Green Thumbs”.
After a year or so I faded away from active participation in DMZ gardens and last year, with other community members and Growing Power developed the second garden, now called the Backyard garden.
When I went to take a picture of this garden, baron for now, I noticed a freshly marked tree memorial for recent homicide victim. (See picture of DMZ 2 on side and DMZ 1, 3 and 4, as of last Saturday below.
I feel blessed bring these two wonderful woman together with the community and with the magic and wonder of God’s growing power they will grow. In fact, DMZ 5, Rebecca’s Cat Garden, “an outdoor cat refuge” is in the planning stages. With Dawn and Marna and all the community people that are participating in the gardens, with blessings of nature and God, they can say: “Together We Are Growing Power.”
DMZ 1, Perennial garden.
DMZ 3, The Orchard
Planting tree
DMZ 4, Healing Garden
Boy on wood chip pile in
Garden to Be
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