An angel appeared.
After many hours of hard work from all contributors, the permaculture garden at Robert C. Corby Arboretum and Wildlife Sanctuary is complete! This is our photo journal blog about this achievement.
To the Pittsford Board who approved the project, Mayor Alysa Plummer, who has been so helpful, along with our liaisons Dave Marshall and Lisa Cove, our new DPW Superintendent, Jason Cernis, Laurie Broccolo, and the volunteers that helped out with the heavier and easier work:
We hope you and we all will enjoy the beauty of this garden as a focal point among the Vernal Ponds for many years to come.
Me in front of the completed permaculture garden at Robert C. Corby Arboretum and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Village of Pittsford. Photo Credit, Rob Corby
Thank you to all volunteers, from weed pulling, rock picking, tree moving, soil and mulch raking, to actual planting.
Friday, September 19
Kathryn Eible (far right) starting on the weeds.
She found a few treasures, like a mulberry and a black raspberry bush, among the many invasive plants.
Kathryn traveled all the way from Churchville to help out on the first volunteer day. She had been on the tour with Tom Biebighauser in April of 2024 for the planning of the vernal ponds, and came to check on what was going on with them now. Take note of the maple sapling that had been planted smack in the northeast corner of our plot before the plan was approved for go ahead.
Tuesday, September 30.
Left to right, Steve Castronovo, Sandy Fedrizzi, Axel Baker, Eddie McCrae
Pittsford Garden Club member Sandy guessed I would need some help, bless her soul. Steve and Axel were both there every day for both the Vernal Ponds and the weed digging, stone removal and finishing touches in the garden. Eddie is my right hand for many projects.
Payton Carroll came up a little after the photo above, and got busy with cultivator and rake.
Payton reappeared after almost 2 years, and we were so glad to see her. Now she is working for A Frog House for a few months before she goes off to graduate school in Environmental Science and Plant Biology.
Saturday, September 27
Laurie Broccolo founder and owner of Broccolo Lawn and Landscape Photo from her website.
Panic over the state of the garden and the unending rocks we were picking up and so few (but wonderful) volunteers, led me on September 27 to call Laurie Broccolo and ask her whether we should even proceed. What a doll and life saving person she was, when she said it would be perfectly fine. She said she would bring the soil and the mulch in addition to the plants I had ordered way back in April, and she would stay in the beginning of the work to show us how to proceed. Ellen Folts of Amanda’s Native Garden also brought the plants we had purchased from her before our hot and dry summer began.
The Big Day. Friday, October 3.
Laurie and driver Chuck DeBree, who delivered like clockwork.
Priscilla Varland, Rob Kupka, Axel, John Hultz, Steve, Karen Hultz, Sandy Fedrizzi
The big pile of composted soil we had to spread. Steve and John are in the background digging a hole to transplant the maple.
John and Steve making the maple’s new home.
Rob Kupka valiantly digging around the roots of the maple.
JoAnne Shannon, Co-President of the Pittsford Garden Club, and another view of Rob. Jessica Berlet, Co-President of the Pittsford Garden Club, not shown in these photos, was there as well.
Camouflaged John Walsh (can you see him? it looks like his head is floating above his shoulders), Judy White, Priscilla, Payton and me. Photo Credit Lindsay Graham
John, Sandy, Karen, Priscilla, Rob, Steve.
Judy and Stan Spector put zip ties on the fence that Steve and Payton installed. Photo Credit Payton Carroll
By the way, if you have 8′ zip ties, feel free to stop up and put some around the stakes and fence at the tops and bottoms, as we ran out of what we had. Also, if you open the gate for any reason, please tie it shut again in the same way. There is no point in having a fence to keep the deer out if we just leave the gate open for them to walk in!
Margot, Stan, Steve, Judy. Photo Credit Payton Carroll
The “youngster” digging mulch and stones up around the bottom of the fence to discourage bunnies while the “oldsters” look on. Just kidding; they did plenty of work.
We were the last ones standing: Stan, Steve, me, Judy. Payton’s selfie.
Sunday, October 5
Frank Caccamise and Rob Corby joined me and Axel to help water the garden on Sunday, October 5.
Other Photos of the completed garden. We can’t wait until next year!
Looking south. Photo Credit, Rob Corby
Looking north. Photo Credit, Margot Fass
Viburnum, also known as Nannyberry. Photo Credit, Rob Corby
What We Collected and Saw
Bags of debris, rocks, logs, cardboard taken from the garden; fencing and posts ready for installation.
Lucky to see this Red Tailed Hawk
Mystery serendipitous photo at the end of the day. What is it? A prize for anyone who guesses correctly.
All photo credits Margot Fass unless otherwise specified.
A Final Word
Image found on Temecula Talk,
Since April of 2024, I have literally spent thousands of hours effectuating the completion of the vernal ponds and this garden. A Frog House Budget is small, and the garden, which cost us $3500 to build, received a grant of only $500 from the Greater Rochester Garden Club district.
We have other projects to do. If you like what you see, and think it is important to conserve the land for the sake of life itself, please contribute generously. You can do it right now here while you are thinking about it. Consider making a monthly donation to sustain our work.
Every gesture for nature is a gift to all.
