Garden Refresh

You may have noticed mountains of soil in our parking lot and extra hands hard at work around our landscaping. Gardener Becky Graham has defended our beautiful plants from being overtaken by hoards of invasive Horsetail that sprouted up from construction soil. She’s amending the soil naturally; a big step toward making an even bigger vision of hers a reality.

“I love creating sanctuary in the landscape: a relaxing, beautiful, inviting outdoor living space for all…humans, and wildlife. It all starts with healthy soil, and a healthy soil food web. Next, plants that thrive in our environment without the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. I use a mixture of plants for pollinators, edibles, natives, and ornamentals with four seasons of interest,” Becky said.

Customers, neighbors and others strolling by often stop to admire the gardens and Becky loves all the positive feedback.

“I have enjoyed hearing from our customers over the years that tell me they appreciate what I do. It fuels my passion, and makes my job not seem like a job at all. It is a pleasure, and an honor to have the opportunity to share my love of plants, and nature in such a beautiful space in our community,” she said.

The co-op prioritizes creating a welcoming environment and showcasing nature is one way to do that.

“The landscaping at the co-op is the customer’s first impression of the shopping experience. Becky does an amazing job ensuring that the garden around the building reflects the high quality, healthy, and vibrant environment inside the store,” Co-op General Manager Matt Stanley said.

Becky started gardening for the co-op at our former location in the spring of 2014 when all we had was our small “parking lot garden”. Now landscaping surrounds every side of our new building and medians throughout the parking lot. You can also see her work inside the store next to the deli seating area and mural.

Here is a gallery of photos Becky took outside our store.