Gunther Wellenstein

Waste Lines

Monday, October 1, 2007

I recently had the pleasure to speak at the unveiling of a new community garden.

The Lowell Community Gardens Greenhouse volunteers, under guidance from Deb Harding and Janice Pokorski with assistance from other groups, including a local Cub Scout Pack and Boy Scout Troup, seemingly did the impossible.

The lot at St. Patrick Church, at Cross and Adams streets in Lowell’s Acre, was in desperate need of a make over.

Many months of working in the hot summer sun paid off. The most impressive part of the whole project was that most of the garden’s decorations were recycled.

Marble pieces from the church’s basement were used as stepping-stones; bricks that came from a demolition site, donated by Brox Industries, are marking the free-flowing paths. Bark mulch from recycled tree lines the flowerbeds. Even the plants and flowers were recycled. They were donated from local gardens.

Nearly $2,500 in recycled materials helped for the garden.

What a great example for reducing, reusing and recycling.