Shay and I rolled into the Eastpointe Community Garden a little after 10:30 this morning, running a few minutes behind. In my defense, I had a good reason. I needed to pack up the finished Little Library that Shay had been painting, and I had to round up the last of the parts so we could finally close out the Giving Garden’s auto-watering system. It was a hot one today, the kind of Saturday where you find yourself rationing the shade.

By the time we got there, the place was already humming. Becky was on-site with Joe and their kids. Our friend Davey came by to hang out and say hi, and he didn’t show up empty-handed. He brought a paw paw tree for the garden, which is a very Davey thing to do.

The Two Women Picking Up Trash on Nine Mile

I want to tell you about the best thing I saw all day, and it had nothing to do with vegetables.

I was heading to the car to grab something when I spotted two women walking down Nine Mile. It looked like they were picking up trash, but I genuinely wasn’t sure, because who does that on their own time on a Saturday morning? Turns out, that’s exactly what they were doing. They wandered over to check out the garden and chat with everybody, and I got the whole story.

Her name is Angelina. She’s in her early twenties, she moved to Eastpointe back in February, and she was out with a friend who was helping her work the route. They’re not with the city. They’re not with any organization. This is pure mutual aid. Angelina picks up litter around the neighborhood because she wants to, plain and simple.

The name almost got away from me, I’ll be honest. We talked, they moved on, and it wasn’t until later that I realized I’d never locked it in. So I asked in the group chat, and Davey remembered it. I had this nagging feeling I’d also seen her post in one of the local Facebook groups, so I went digging just to make sure Davey had it right. Sure enough, there it was. She’d written about how she kept seeing neighbors complain about litter in the area and decided to just do something about it instead. New to town, and already out there being the change she wanted to see. No committee, no funding, no permission slip. Just two people and a couple of bags.

I gave them a tour, and they thought the garden was amazing. But honestly, I was the one who walked away inspired. It’s the same thing I think about every time I look around this place. It doesn’t take a ton of resources to make a real difference in your neighborhood. A couple of hours here, a couple of hours there. That’s how the community garden started, and that’s how it keeps growing. Angelina reminded me of that.

Shay’s Little Library Is Finally Home

Everybody was in complete awe of the finished Little Library.

Shay estimates she put 70 to 80 hours into painting it and adding the clear coats. I grabbed a few photos, but I’ll be honest, they don’t come close to doing it justice. She painted a spider web, little mushrooms, a bunch of honeycombs, and flowers you’ll actually find growing around the garden. It’s gorgeous.

You’re going to have to come see it for yourself. It’s up front near the sidewalk. Grab a book, drop one off, and maybe settle in to read a chapter under the shade tree by the fire pit.

The Fairy Garden (and a Reminder to Bring the Kids)

Kat hooked us up with a bunch of new pieces for the Fairy Garden, and Becky’s daughter Rory went to town getting everything prepped and placed. I caught a great photo of her filling a miniature flower pot with dirt using a tiny little shovel. Lulu’s daughter Sophia jumped in to help her add the new miniatures, and between the two of them, the fairy garden got a serious upgrade.

This feels like a good moment to remind everybody that this garden is for all ages and all skill levels. If you’ve got kids climbing the walls during summer break, bring them out on a Saturday. There’s something here for everyone. Rory, for the record, has fully mastered the wheelbarrow, and she’s the official lawn mower escort, walking it from the garden back over to the car like a pro.

Phase One of the Watering System Is Officially Done

This one has been a long time coming. (If you missed the earlier chapters of this saga, here’s where we left off.)

Jeff and Chloe drove over from the South Warren Community Garden to help us finish. Jeff spent most of his time wrestling with one stubborn leak, and for a while there it looked like it might win. He got it sorted out, ran the tests, and put on the finishing touches. I am thrilled to report that the system is fully working. We used it to water the garden today, all the timers are set, and it will auto-water on its own starting tomorrow morning.

That’s phase one in the books. Phase two is where we go high-tech, adding the ability to monitor and control the system right from our phones. More to come as we get there.

The Native Area Deserves More Love

There’s a part of the garden I don’t talk about nearly enough, and it might be the most peaceful spot on the whole property: the native area toward the back.

We’ve got pollinator-friendly plants all over, three beehives, and a three-foot deep pond that’ll soon be buzzing with dragonflies. Did I mention the ducks? Yeah, the ducks are pretty amazing too! Past that is a marsh area full of cattails. You can stand back there for a few minutes and forget you’re a block off Nine Mile.

I spent a little time back there today, taking photos of the pond and enjoying some of the colorful flowers our Bill planted earlier this season. It’s worth the walk to the back of the garden.

Berries, Berries, Everywhere

The berries are coming in beautifully, and in a couple of weeks we’re going to be swimming in them. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and a few varieties I couldn’t name if you paid me. Lisa is the one who primarily looks after this corner of the garden, and it shows.

A couple of berry notes I have to share. Robert, one of our renters from over in Ferndale, swung by after everyone had cleared out for the day and dropped off a couple buckets of blueberry plants to add to our growing collection. He snapped a photo of the berries and shared it in our group chat so we wouldn’t miss it. That’s just the coolest thing. And my personal favorite at the entire garden is the raspberries, especially the golden ones. Our president Bill donated a bunch of his raspberry plants last year, and we can always, always find a spot for more.

The Giving Garden Is Thriving

The Giving Garden is doing incredible. Everything is coming in at once right now, and the whole place is just about to peak in all its glory. Everything is green and big, and day by day there are noticeable changes back there.

Last week’s harvest video reached more than 10,000 people, which still feels a little surreal to type out. Today Katie and I filmed another one and got it up on the socials. Every little bit helps more people find the garden, and more people finding the garden means more food going home with families who need it.

By the Numbers

Here’s how Saturday, June 27th shook out:

• 17 volunteers stopped by to lend a hand
• 18 families picked up fresh produce at the stand
• 7.56 lbs harvested out of the Giving Garden today:
  • 4 lbs of carrots
  • 3.5 lbs of peas
  • 0.06 lbs of radish pods (a surprise smash hit with everyone)
• 139.26 lbs donated year-to-date across both gardens

Katie mentioned that most of the folks at the produce stand were first-timers, including a woman who got seeds from us a few years back and came by just to tell us how well they grew. That right there is the whole point.

The U-Pick Area Is Finished

After about a month of work, the new U-Pick area is finally done.

It was a real team effort. Tomato Bill showed up at 9am to water what he’d planted in the U-Pick beds last weekend before he had to head out. Joe and Becky spent the morning filling the beds with wood chips, I helped fill them with soil, and Becky topped everything off with a layer of straw so the compost doesn’t burn. Next week we plant the rest and start the fun part: waiting for all that food to come up.

We have four new beds ready to go. If you’re reading this and you’ve got some extra summer crops you’d like to donate, reach out through the contact form on our website or hit us up on Facebook. We can always find a home for them.

Same Lesson, Every Single Week

I keep coming back to Angelina and her friend on Nine Mile.

You don’t need a big budget or a master plan to make your corner of the world a little better. You just need to show up. The 17 people who came out today know that. Shay knows it after 80 hours with a paintbrush. Robert knew it when he loaded up some blueberry buckets. A new neighbor with a trash bag knew it best of all.

See you next Saturday.