Hospital Staff Community Garden  and the Growing Compassion Garden

1) Grow Your Own Food at The Farm at St. Joe’s

Have you always wanted to try your hand at growing a vegetable garden? Or, maybe you’re an expert gardener, but your yard is too shady? Then join with fellow St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor staff and retirees at the Staff Community Garden at The Farm at St. Joe’s!

This space provides physical and mental wellbeing through the food that’s grown and the relationships formed between fellow gardeners. The garden is a large area with individual plots for employees to grow their own vegetables at low cost, plus a training workshop for first-time gardener s(see below for details).

The garden provides a opportunity to grow vegetables for your family, friends, and office mates across the street from where you work. Mentoring is on-going for those who wish to have a knowledgeable resource. Come join us!

Details for 2020:

Garden plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the spring.  There is a fee to cover the use of the plot for the summer, which covers compost, water, pathway, and fence maintenance. First year gardeners are required to pay a refundable deposit of $20 in the form of a separate payment/check.  There is a workday to prepare plots and add compost in the spring. Checks should be made out to “St. Joseph Mercy Hospital”.

Standard plot: 10′ x 10′  or 10′ x 9′  The cost is $15*   

Medium plot: 10′ x 12′  The cost is $20*

Large plot:      10′ x 15′  The cost is $25*.  We ask that experienced gardeners or groups of people who are committed to maintaining their plot sign-up for this size.

*plus a refundable deposit of $20 for first year gardeners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signing up for 2020: You may sign-up as an individual or as a group. If you are a group, we ask that one person registers and pays for the plot.

• First come, first served: Registration will open in the spring, there will likely be a waiting list
• There are a limited number of plots.
• One plot per person/group.
• Note: Gardeners must be staff or retirees who work(ed) at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor at the time of signing-up.
• To register, contact the Garden Coordinator: Rozelle Copeland  Rozelle.Copeland@stjoeshealth.org 
• If space is available, you will then be asked to provide:
  • Payment for the plot
  • Deposit (if new to the garden)
  • A signed Garden Plot Rental Agreement with signed liability waivers for all ‘helpers’

Opening: This depends on the weather and our ability to prep the soil. Dates typically range from the last week of April to mid-May.

Closing: Gardens must be cleaned up by Nov 15th.

Here is the Employee Community Garden Contract for 2020:

Garden Plot Rental Agreement

For more information or if you have questions please contact the Community Garden Coordinator: Rozelle Copeland (Rozelle.Copeland@stjoeshealth.org)

Introduction to Gardening Class:   

DATE: TBD

This class is for the new gardener who is looking for information on how to get started. Rozelle Copeland, the Garden Coordinator, will cover a variety of topics including:

• what to expect
• figuring out what and how much to plant
• how to plant
• heirloom vs. hybrid
• tips for tomatoes

Location of the Staff Community Garden:   The Farm at St. Joe’s 5557 McAuley Dr., Ypsilanti, MI,  Staff garden plots are outside.

 

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2) Growing Compassion Garden

The Growing Compassion Garden is a program that brings a powerful healing presence to St Joseph Mercy Hospital through a joyful and beautiful dose of nature: flowers.  This is an employee-run project to give flowers to hospitalized patients who are alone and in need, as well as to locations frequented by patients. The flowers are lovingly grown by our Hospital staff who volunteer their time to plant, nurture, weed, pick and deliver the flowers to designated Departments and areas throughout the Hospital.

Staff volunteers grow the flowers at The Farm at St. Joe’s, design bouquets using recycled jars collected from employees, and then deliver them. We are honored to have this opportunity to enhance our remarkable care with remarkable compassion, providing a healing presence within our Hospital and to those inpatients who are facing a significant health concern alone.

This program is in it’s 4th year and our goal is to get more staff volunteers interested in supporting the program so that it can be expanded and include more direct inpatient deliveries.

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Cosmos and zinnias

Volunteers are needed for the following:

• Pick and deliver flowers weekly to a designated patient location(s)
• Plant flowers in the Spring
• Water and weed the flower beds at The Farm

This is a rewarding commitment.  The amount of time can be small or large depending upon the task.  Current volunteers share that they feel joy in simply being of service to those in need.  Indeed, it is easy to observe the how flowers  impact visitors coming to an information desk, patients sitting in a waiting room, and people walking through a public lobby.  Living beauty is transforming and healing.

If interested, please contact:

Growing Compassion Gardener: Rozelle Copeland Rozelle.Copeland@stjoeshealth.org