Padre's Garden Blooms more than Roses

Fernando Fernandez, Owner Green Line Landscape Service

In a past article I shared my story about how I feel in love with the rose garden at the Mission. For many, the Mission plays a great role in their lives. For me the peace and serenity of the grounds I cherish every time I visit.

The recent “Cutting of the Roses” event I enjoyed working in the garden and talking to people about gardening. As I was working away this gentleman came up to me and we started a refreshing conversation about the roses and over-all landscape. It was apparent he was very knowledgeable and I could tell he has a passion for it, which later I found out began at the age of seven working in the fields in Mexico.

In our conversation I found out Fernando Fernandez is not only a California Licensed Landscape Contractor but something dear to my heart, he is also a Certified Advanced Green Gardener PLUS a Qualified Landscape Water Manager!

The Green Gardener program originally started in Santa Barbara county many moons ago. A dear friend of mine Phil Boise was one of the creator’s of the program. I myself, went through the classes because this is something that Ventura County wanted me to implement as apart of the “Our Water, Our World” IPM program I designed for them.

So here I was standing in Padre’s Garden talking to Fernando, someone who not only took his business serious enough to get his California License but went beyond in acquiring knowledge that is so important in the understanding the over-all landscape, which quite frankly, doesn‘t come with being a Landscape Contractor. For example, detecting pest problems and addressing them utilizing IPM and less toxic methods, proper water management (top issue in the landscape) and so much more.

The Monterey Bay Green Gardener program is coordinated by the Ecology Action Community and funded by the State Water Resources Control Board. To become certified 40 hours of hands-on instruction (by top Phd’s and the like) are required plus continuing education to maintain your status. So if you are in the market for someone who really knows what they are doing, explore the Monterey Bay Green Gardener’s website to find a educated knowledgeable landscape professional.

Okay, back to the garden and Cutting of the roses. As I went about my restoration pruning I say about a ½ an hour later Fernando popped back up with a cup of coffee in hand for me where he introduced his lovely wife Michelle. We chatted more and I felt new friendships were being formed. At the end of our conversation I was very excited when he handed me his business card and wanted to volunteer in the restoration project.

Yesterday Fernando picked me up from King City and away we went to the Mission. We spent the day not only restoring the roses, (which is a very tedious process) but we had the opportunity to develop a kinship based on the knowledge we share. Whenever I work with a professional such as Fernando, I realize the more I know the more I need to learn and I am grateful he shared the knowledge he has acquired with me.

The Mission is a magical place where all the people involved are what this world is about. It’s the good things in life, especially where friendships bloom just as beautiful as the rose garden come spring.

A big Thank you to Fernando! I encourages you to take the opportunity to have him pay you a complimentary visit and assess your landscape needs. His business is Green Line Landscape Service and he can be contacted at 831.682.6119. Happy gardening! Deborah

Gifts from the Garden

Tina Lopez, one of the many talented creators/founders of Gifts from the Garden with Lt. Col. Jill Sizemore, another happy customer!

Photographer: Frank Starkey

By BARBARA STARKEY

After the renovation of the Padre’s Garden in about the year 2003, the yearly event in November was founded which is “Evening in the Garden”. An evening of candlelight, entertainment, food, wine and fellowship with guests gathering from up to 500 miles away and now foreign countries.

At this time a supporter of the Mission began a canopied-lighted gift event in the Garden which featured gifts from the Padre’s Garden.

Several women were gathered and put their cooking skills to work. Experiments with herbs and fruits from the garden were made and the outcome was jars and jars of unique products..

Jellies and jams were made by these women. The fruits were acquired from the Padre’s Garden of course.

Now, becoming excited and encouraged by their new-found skills, this tiny group of determined women started fashioning trinkets to sell in their delightful tent. The trinkets were in association with wine and the jellies.

The herbs, jellies and jams were canned in ‘wide-mouth half-pint’ glass jars. Then ‘tied-off’ with country style materials, a note was added to the ribbon as to the contents of the jars and a St. Anthony Medal from the Mission Gift Shop attached.

Mint from the Garden was hand picked, cleaned and dried. . Then the women put the leaves through a hand process of candying and canned them. This usually seemed to be the favorite product sold but also the most time-consuming to prepare.

The women dried the rosemary, mint and citrus rinds to make hand scrub, another favorite.

The group of dedicated,-determined ladies were fortunate to have Betty and Jim Barrington of the King City area join them. Betty is an award winning canner. She grew up with fruits and vegetables in her hands at the side of her Grandmother and has been canning ever since.’

The Padre’s Garden is still giving after all these years! The fruits in the garden are apples, apricots, plums, cherries, quince, tangerines, pears and lemons. The herbs line up as mint, rosemary and chamomile.

One of the ladies always prominent in the middle of the “Gifts from the Garden” is Tina Lopez of King City. She hastens to add:” Each of these harvests depends upon Mother Nature (and the squirrels and raccoons) of course, so we do not always have every item every year.”

I’ll tell you this; if it’s THERE the ladies in the tent at the Mission functions will have it canned and ready to buy! They are one determined bunch! God bless ‘em.

All monies go to the Restoration Funds of the San Antonio de Padua Mission, the greatest gift of all. To find out other ways you can help please visit Campaign Preserve Mission San Antonio