The Circle Garden

On a chilly morning in January 2007, a few short weeks after the RPGG was formed and thoughts of giving back to the community through a garden effort were being explored, Two of the RPGG’s founding members came face to face with the solution for a community project.
     That solution’s name was Bob McSorley. Bob, a CPA with no gardening experience, had a vision of flowers and beauty. He passed out a flier to everyone he encountered to help him with the reclaiming of a small park extension at the east end of Morse Ave. and Loyola Park. Bob’s condo overlooked the park and after many attempts to get the police and the parks’ district to clean up the space and its two large planters, he decided to stop complaining and take action. His goal was to renovate the planters and provide a pleasant environment that families and the elderly could enjoy.
     This project appealed to the RPGG’s founding members and the 2007 community garden project was launched. Bob and his neighbors went door to door for donations. The original group of neighbors had one goal in common: they wanted a pleasant and safe extension of their back yards. They spent many weekends weeding and clearing debris from the planters and surrounding areas. After a few short meetings, the design and purchasing of plants was left to the RPGG community garden team. ( see plant list for what was purchased)
     The Chicago Park District was very supportive of the project and when it was decided to install the planters during the “Painting of the Wall” event, the painting’s theme for 2007 became “The Secret Garden” to tie in with the planting of the garden. Families were encouraged to bring their children to the planters to assist with planting, and donated annuals were set aside just for the kids.
     Four hours, hundreds of perennials, three trees, dozens of shrubs, loads of soil amendments and lots of sweat and laughs, and the garden was completed.
     Then it came, a donation for either $500.00 or 750 tulip bulbs! The RPGG chose the bulbs. Were we crazy? On a beautiful fall day in October, 750 tulip bulbs were planted in a newly renovated area in front of the planters along with over 100 bulbs acquired from the Chicago Botanic Gardens. The bed was created just for the tulips so they could be seen from the beach as well as many other vantage points in Loyola park.
     In 2008 the RPGG community garden team assisted Bob by installing landscape roses, various grasses, sedums, and column barberry to add structure to the tulip bed and to conceal the dying leaf debris of the bulbs.
     Now, on any given day, families can be seen posing in front of the flower beds for photos, mothers and their strollers leisurely wander the planters, while residents of a nearby retirement facility gather with their friends on the benches to play cards and games, and just enjoy the gardens.