After dinner this evening ashacat and I popped up to my folks' place for a walk through the orchards. When we were done, we stopped in to chat with my mom and dad. My dad gave me a copy of this letter, from the president of the senior association at the Knox Lane housing complex here in Glastonbury.

Knox Lane is a low income / elderly housing complex run by the Glastonbury Housing Authority. Sitting opposite the old town green, it has long been a somewhat barren, barracks-like place, with a wall of overgrown Yews at the entrance, completely swallowing the sign. Glastonbury Partners in Planting has done two major projects at Knox Lane this year. First, we brought in 14 large planters, planting them full of flowers with the residents, and teaching them how to maintain them.* Second, we've worked with the Glastonbury Parks Dept. and the Housing Authority to get the entry way trees cut down. Over the past month we have replanted the entrance with two new mixed beds (low shrubs and hardy roses) and three new ornamental trees.** The Housing Authority is promising a fine new sign to go in the space we laid out for them in the main planting.

Getting kudos isn't the reason I volunteer. But my, those were wonderfully sweet words.

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* Large planters are particularly good for the elderly -- they're roughly two feet tall, so the plants are up where someone in a wheel chair or constrained by a walker can reach them. They're also easier (and cheaper) to install and maintain than traditional raised beds.

** Including one of my absolute favorite trees, Cornus mas -- an early, early Spring blooming dogwood with tiny yellow flowers. Commonly called Cornelian Cherry due to the deep red fruit it develops in the fall.