Garden fairy potting Japanese Maples
It takes a village of angels to tend a garden. This was demonstrated by the Saturday of Boxerwood’s 2018 Fairy Festival which broke beautifully; the skies were crystal clear blue, the air freshly scrubbed by Friday’s showers, the ground moist and springy with glorious new growth. Though we generally like to look ahead in our Newsleaf articles to upcoming events, I cannot help but bask a little longer in the magical glow of this past weekend. We all experience Boxerwood in different ways; this intimate and intricate woodland garden delights people of all ages and connects them each to nature in personal ways.
For being such a small (15 acre) treasure, its impact in touching and inspiring countless numbers of people never ceases to amaze me. On that Fairy Fest afternoon, the garden was given over to the wide-eyed wonder and delight of hundreds of children – nature-crafting, exploring the richness of Boxerwood’s beauty, enthralled by stories under the old Oak, imagining, and possibly experiencing, fantasy folk across these enchanting grounds.
Dozens of volunteers helped to make that special event possible, as described in another article of this Newsleaf. Many other volunteers are invaluable to Boxerwood throughout each year: those who lovingly tend various garden beds, or lend a hand on building projects, or help teach in our environmental educational programs, or assist in the never-ending office tasks. All those volunteer hours, and all those donated dollars, are what keep Boxerwood thriving as an incomparable community asset.
From the 2 nd grade boy who gave all of the 35 cents in his pocket “to help the frogs”, to the anonymous person who left a $100 bill in our donation box, to the W&L Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Alpha Delta Pi sorority who held their very own fundraiser for Boxerwood, we rejoice in the generosity of our supporters. It takes $25,000 to $30,000 each month to keep Boxerwood operating: delivering our award-winning programs, maintaining the grounds, and welcoming visitors each day. We can only earn about half of that through program fees and grants; the rest is up to this wonderful community, pitching in with dollars, hours, and great big doses of love.
Thank you to all you garden angels who contribute in your own special ways to Boxerwood. As we head into the financially dryer months of summer, we hope more angels emerge to help us finance the care of this amazing woodland garden.
