Rehabilitation Phase 1: De-Fencing
The first in a number of processes we took in order to restore the garden...
The state of the garden at this point in time could be described as dilapidated, but making steady progress (picture the movement of a slightly injured, but healing snail).
This was our first work day, and we worked to remove the old fencing first. Several volunteers came after expressing an interest in the garden through email, and Alden helped explain each step of the process.
To remove the original fencing (which was corrugated and curling from the posts), we:
clipped the ends of adjoining fences,
shoveled out the fencing that was burrowed into the ground,
pulled them out on one side at an angle until the other end was clipped,
pulled out the fence and laid it flat on the ground,
rolled them up firmly,
stepped on the bundles to further compress them,
and finally, pulled them over to the side of the garden for our friend Mark Stowell from physical plant to pick up with a truck.
The entire de-fencing process took the duration of two days. After the initial phase of learning the steps from Alden, we learned to work effectively with one another. We were able to work towards a common goal but, at the same time, grow each others' anticipation and hopes for the garden. At the end of our work, each of us were rewarded with finally seeing the garden cleared of its old fencing.
