By STEVEN JUPITER
FORESTDALE—A bunch of ‘guerilla gardeners’ led by Heather Nelson have been working hard to get the grounds of the Neshobe School in shape for the coming school year. They’ve been planting, weeding, mulching, and generally beautifying the garden plots scattered about the school’s campus.
“I noticed that teachers lovingly started gardens but then when they retired or left for the summer, the plants still needed to be cared for,” said Nelson, a speech pathologist who attended the school as a kid and whose husband, Ethan, currently works at Neshobe. Her mother, Wendy Fjeld, retired from the school a few years ago.
“I’ve spent a lot of time here,” she laughed as she gave a tour of the group’s work.
Two other gardeners from the group—Lyn Desmarais and Jim Emerson—were already hard at work on a garden plot in front of the school that was designed in honor of Sarah Leary, a former student who passed away in a car accident as a teen, and John Dilts, a former Neshobe principal. Irises from a 9/11 memorial have also been replanted in the plot. Late-summer flowers such as coneflowers and black-eyed Susans were all abloom.
The ‘guerillas’ are an informal group of gardening enthusiasts that Nelson hopes to get involved in gardening projects all around Forestdale and Brandon, in conjunction with the groups, such as the Downtown Brandon Alliance, that already maintain some of the public garden plots around town. The name came from the idea of having an informal group that comes in to attack particular projects, guerilla style, rather than a formal group with officers and rules.
“It’s basically just a mailing list right now,” said Nelson. “It’s just a way for people to hear about the opportunities to get involved.” Folks can do as much or as little as they want, on their own schedule.
As for the Neshobe project, “about a dozen people have helped out so far,” said Nelson. “Lyn Desmarais, Jim and Karen Emerson, Wendy Fjeld, Sarah Pattis, Jordan Thomas and her daughters, Hannah Fjeld and her kid…just to name a few.”
“Blue Seal donated annuals,” noted Nelson. “Anyone who wants to donate plants, we’ll find a place for them. Or mulch. Or labor.”
Anyone who’d like to join the mailing list to find out about other gardening opportunities around town can contact Nelson at Hfjeld@gmail.com.
