Toil in the Soil

Friend and supporter Steve Weinberger puts his back into it, helping us maintain our garden.

The Academy garden is a labor of love, with an emphasis on labor! Do you know what else we love? Our awesome, helpful, generous friends!  Of course, we’re talking about Steve Weinberger, our garden guru. Steve is an avid gardener who has volunteered his time, his energy, and all of the resources that we need to grow and maintain our lush vegetable and herb garden. And when we say that Steve volunteered his energy, we are not kidding! He arrived at the Academy at around 9:30 am and worked in the hot sun with us until close to 2 pm. Not only is he largely to thank for the health of our garden, he is also a great role model for the sheer joy of work.

As we prepare for autumn planting, Steve provided us with gorgeous copper-colored raised beds and all the raw material we need. He taught members and staff how to get the precise mix of soil, perlite, peat, and worm castings (best of all, it’s all certified organic!). In a few weeks, Steve will return with seeds and starters for our fall planting. It’s just a matter of time before luscious homegrown beans, eggplants and tender lettuces grace our autumn lunch menus.

A thriving garden is a great metaphor for a successful life. It’s an act of patience as we set our attention to one step at a time, giving each task our full attention. Sometimes we must simply wait. Sometimes timing is everything. As it has every year, we are confident that it will be worth the effort. We expect that our vegetables and herbs will flourish just as we all do, with adequate time and attention.

Pictured above are (left to right) Ben Burnside, Steve Weinberger and Kevin Geyer