As the days get shorter and the snow starts to fly it’s time for us to bid farewell to our beloved bump-out garden.
Thankfully, it has been long enough since we built it this spring that I’ve mostly forgotten how much work it was, so I’m not dreading the disassembly too much. Next week, we’ll break out the shovels, make a big mess, and cart all the plants off to their new homes.
The 2020 bump-out was great, but I’m even more proud of the 2021 bump-out. Featuring rusty bikes, cool art by
Laurie Cullum, and of course, tons of plants, this year’s garden was a great success. We also hosted more than 25 local authors in the parklet to sign and sell books.
I loved watching children and adults alike delighting in the fun of picking ripe tomatoes on the sidewalk and getting to recognize our Main Ave neighbors who took lunch breaks in the garden. I loved watching the late-growing sunflower stalk muster up a single, beautiful flower right before the hard frost, and I loved never once having to look at a big truck parked in front of our shop all summer long. I sincerely thank everyone who took some time to sit and enjoy our bump-out.
As the conversation begins about the future of bump-outs downtown, I hope the Maria’s Bookshop parklet has convinced everyone that we’d all benefit from more public green space and fewer cars on Main Ave. In the meantime, however, you can be sure that Peter and I will keep sticking plants on the asphalt.
(And psssst...Stay tuned for the return of the Bookmobile this holiday season!)
