Gardening & Grounds

The St. Fiacre Garden Society:
With Spring around the corner and our Assisi Center completed and opened, we are looking for gardeners and those interested in helping us to plan and beautify our parish campus.
If you can help, please contact Fr. James at frjames@stfrancisa2.org or through the Parish Office.

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish
Gardening and Grounds Grooming Group

VOLUNTEER HERE:  Gardening and Grounds Volunteer Form

Several gardens surround the St Francis of Assisi campus of buildings, including, but not limited to, the church, school, rectory and/or parish offices. These gardens need to be a beautiful expression of hospitality, in particular, the entrances, to our fellow parishioners and visitors as well as reflect a statement of our appreciation for God’s creation and nature.

Existing gardens  (see parish gardens and grounds map here) include, but are not limited to:

• Peace Garden: Installation to commemorate 60th school anniversary (photo 1,2)
• Mary Garden: Perennial garden to honor Mary, mother of Jesus (photo 1)
• Memorial Garden: Shaded quiet space for burials of parishioners (photo 1, 2)
• Parish Office Entrance: 2015 renovation by Eagle Scout Peter Stumbo (photo 1, 2, 3)
• Front of Church Planters: 2014 mostly native plant renovation (photo 1, 2)
• Front of Church: the West half by the cement wall
• Front of Church: the East half by the cement wall
• Rectory Backyard: 2014 mostly native plant renovation on hillside area (photo 1, 2)

VOLUNTEER HERE:  Gardening and Grounds Volunteer Form

ALSO SEE OUR: Vegetable Garden – Sustainable Garden Project Volunteer Form

SEE PHOTOS and STORIES at: St. Francis Garden Blog

St Francis of Assisi Botanical Gardens…The primary activities of this Ministry include:

Grounds Grooming (e.g., weed, water, prune, mulch, etc)

Gardening (e.g., design, plant, transplant, etc)

The main goals are:

To recruit (and maintain) enough volunteers for grooming of existing gardens

To improve all gardens in design and plantings (native plants emphasis), specifically, initiating an effort on the front entrance of the church and expand to existing (and new) gardens over time (e.g., 1-5 years).

Existing gardens (see map) include, but are not limited to:

Peace Garden: Commemorates 60th school anniversary (photo 1,2)

Mary Garden: Perennial garden to honor Mary, mother of Jesus (photo 1)

Memorial Garden: Shaded quiet space for burials of parishioners (photo 1, 2)

Parish Office Entrance: 2015 renovation by Eagle Scout (photo 1, 2, 3)

Front of Church Planters: 2014 mostly native plant renovation (photo 1, 2)

Front of Church: the West half by the cement wall

Front of Church: the East half by the cement wall

Rectory Backyard: 2014 mostly native plant renovation on hillside area (photo 1, 2)

Lead Gardeners:

– Karen Cole for 
the Peace Garden,
the Rosary Garden in front of church (if no one volunteers)
the garden below the Rosary Garden in front of church,
– Karen Cole (& Anne Neal) for 
“the front strip of gardens” = “the garden below the Rosary Garden in front of church” = “the Front of Church: the East & West halves by the cement wall”    – _______ for the Mary Garden; the Memorial Garden; the Sustainable Garden &  – Fr. James (& Terry MacLean) for Rectory Backyard Gardens.

Donations and volunteers (with families) are ALWAYS welcome. If you like to garden, or want to learn to care for one of God’s gardens – this is a wonderful hands-on way to minister.

VOLUNTEER: 1-2 hour activities/special projects may include, but not limited to:

• Spring remove debris/dead plants; prepare beds and plant annuals and perennials
• Summer water and weed weekly/bimonthly; mulch; deadhead flowers
• Fall rake leaves/clear beds, plant bulbs
• We invite you to sign-up for April to October activities by please completing form entries below.
• DONATE: Compost/Top Soil/Fertilizer, Equipment (e.g., Hoses)/Tools (e.g. Trowels/Garden Gloves),  Plants (e.g., Annual, Perennials, Woody Ornamentals/Shrubs, Trees).
• SPONSOR:  Adopt a specific garden with an annual monetary donation
• PRAY: For God’s blessing on our soil, on our hearts and on our hands as we garden.
• Learn more at our garden blog and, our parish garden page.

In addition, see our
Sustainable Garden Project.

QUESTIONS: Please contact key ministry members:

Karen Cole (734-994-7045) cole@aaps.K12.mi.us

Scott Wright (734-821-2121) justice@stfrancisa2.org