“The earth has music for those who will listen.”*

I’ll be honest: When it comes to nature, I was never much of a listener. Oh, I’ve always done my best to help preserve the earth, believing fervently in the critical importance of environmentalism – but in those hectic work and family years, I’m not sure I stopped to appreciate more than an occasional mountaintop view or sunset.

In retirement, however, my perspective has changed. My recent training to become an Extension Master Gardener – (a title I feel sheepish sporting given the many far more experienced folks in my cohort) taught me to more closely observe plants, which has in turn shifted my perceptions of the nature around me. Suddenly, while I can’t necessarily tell you the colors of my neighbors’ houses, I can describe in detail the shrubs and flowers they’re growing in their front yards. And with noticing comes appreciation, micro-joys to brighten my day.

It’s this awakening that has caused me to belatedly become aware of our lovely gardens at UU Asheville! I am deeply grateful for the work of Kate Jerome and Venny Zachritz, who coordinate the Landscape Team that is responsible for this amazing, all-volunteer effort. As a subcommittee of the Environmental Action Team, the Landscape Team practices sustainable gardening, using native and food plants to attract pollinators and support wildlife. In the last five years, the group has worked tirelessly to plant, transplant, and maintain gorgeous pollinator, wildflower, butterfly, and diversity gardens – all spectacular additions to the UU landscape. 

Kate and Venny are aided by a team of about ten congregation members, but they can always use more help! The team meets on the first and third Saturdays of every month for a two-hour work shift. If you’re interested in helping out – even if Saturdays don’t work for you – please contact them:  katejerome2020@gmail.com (Kate) or VPWZ5258@gmail.com (Venny).

I asked Kate and Venny about their inspiration for this service; after all, gardening is tough work! Kate loves the enthusiasm of volunteers for climate justice, the opportunity to share information about sustainable gardening with the community, and the knowledge that “we are making a difference in our landscape.” Venny is likewise inspired by the dedication of helpers, as well as by her ability to share “this service of dirt and sweat…with the congregation.”

If you haven’t taken a walk around our UU campus in a while, I encourage you to make time to do so before or after your next visit. I hope that, like me, you’ll find the rainbow of colors lining the sidewalks, and the lively bees and butterflies darting among the coneflowers, to add cheer to the landscape and a lift to your spirits.

Melissa Himelein 
Board of Trustees

*Attributed to varied writers, including William Shakespeare, George Santayana, and Reginald Vincent Holmes