Flowers, Dogs, and Fertilizer

I spent this week with maintenance. The morning of my first day, management took me around the offices and explained the entire operation.

Different departments handle specific jobs around the park, such as gardening, painting, wood work, etc. Some of the jobs can be very nuanced, for example wood work often involves creating items that imitate 18^th century style.

I spent my week with gardening, a group of fun and hardworking guys. They gave me some great “on-the-ground” perspectives on the park, and many have been there for a number of seasons. They didn’t hesitate to bring me into the group, and shared tons of stories.

They taught me all the safety aspects of city gardening I wouldn’t have considered normally. They wear thick gloves and never reach under anything to avoid running into needles, they are wary of poison ivy because “city” doesn’t equal lack of poisonous plants, and they watch their step when walking through shrubbery because they’ve each had their fair share missteps into dog, and sometimes human, ‘presents’. Even though they’re underfunded and understaffed, many of them hold a ton of pride in their work, as gardening is a huge part of the face of the park and Old City.

 

I ended the week with a Bark Ranger Activity, where the dogs of Old City were invited to the Pemberton House for a refresher on Dog-Park etiquette and doggie-CPR. Each owner and dog lifted their right hand/paw and took an oath on behavior in the park, receiving a cute “bark ranger” badge in return.