Have you ever wandered through a vacant piece of land and wondered about its history? Remnants of old stone walls, a flowering tree or a daffodil without any human habitation nearby or maybe it is the remains of an old foundation or farming implements. Imagining a family working the land, children laughing, dogs barking.
 Our community is full of such remnants. Last summer I walked the Clarkston Community Garden which closed during COVID. I had a very similar experience but as I walked the garden I didn’t have to imagine. I remembered. Where were the garden plots that fed families and those in need of donated food? It was all gone! How could it be? Nature was exerting her will to thrive and grow where families once tended their gardens. Reverting back to what it once was – a meadow. She was doing a magnificent job.
 I wandered through the garden. Some of the donation gardens of produce still remain holding off the invading plants. Here and there herbs struggled to maintain their tenacious grip on the land. It seemed sad to me. The time, sweat, and effort to build the garden, disappearing in a handful of years. Then I switched gears. What once was could be again. The garden wasn’t dead, it was resting, hiding under the meadow waiting for the eager hearts and hands of those who would like to bring it back to life.
 The Clarkston Community Garden will reopen in the spring of 2025. There will be plots to rent and others that will grow produce for donation to food banks. There is a lot of work that needs to be completed prior to opening the garden but I am confident we can do it. If you would like volunteer call Linda at 248-931-0790.

Linda Zbarcha
Independence Twp.