Hmm, why a photo of our community garden for a post about neighbors?
Because I wanted to share a lovely message from our garden manager about the joys of living in community--and how to solve the issues that inevitably crop up (pun absolutely intended:) Good afternoon gardeners, As I walked through the garden the other day, I talked to Joan, who was getting some help from her garden neighbor Constance in planting some new flowers along the border. A former farmer, Constance enjoys any opportunity to dig a hole. I share her enthusiasm for dirt. Elsewhere in the garden, a group of preschoolers were learning about the different kinds of plants, including a sunflower, which one youngster said she wanted to climb. Her teacher advised against it, and the group carried on observing growing things in our community. Farther down the path, Laurie had made a disappointing frittata out of some purple potatoes and zucchini, but agreed there are many uses for zucchini beyond the ubiquitous bread offerings. My husband still objects to growing them because of their profligate growth habit, so I don't, comfortable in the knowledge that I could easily find someone giving some away on any given day. These are our neighbors. I'm lucky that, even though I live in an apartment, I still have a place where I can play in the dirt and grow some edible and beautiful things. And I get to do it with other people who also like playing in the dirt and growing edible and beautiful things. This is my community. This is our common ground. Lately, I've fielded a number of complaints/reports/observations from some of you about other gardeners doing things you think they shouldn't. I'd like to encourage all of you to start talking to your neighbors. The best way to protect the community is to actively participate in community, and that starts with talking. If you see something you think might be off, use common courtesy and direct communication to resolve differences in a timely and neighborly way. To resolve problems with fellow gardeners, please speak directly with each other before contacting the garden manager. Be polite and listen carefully, and you will usually find that a solution is within reach... Building community takes all of us together, one conversation at a time. May our gardens all be well and thriving, Meg