By: Fritz Ritsch
This time of year, St. Stephen’s grounds are blooming, and it’s not unusual to see some dedicated vol-unteers in sun-hats and gloves working away in the hot sun to take care of our beautiful plants. Many of those volunteers are actually master gardeners, and they have not only maintained our grounds but actually are responsible for many of the plants and flowers that grace our campus. Our neighbors consider St. Stephen’s grounds a place to rest and relax, to sit and have lunch, to walk their pets, or to walk our labyrinth.
Our nearly seven acres of property are valued by both our members, friends, and neighbors. But be-yond the visible work of volunteers and professionals who help maintain the yard, there are a lot of invisible ways we keep our campus beautiful. In 2016, the Property Committee budgeted $11,495 to grounds expense. That covers hiring greens-keepers, buying plants and equipment, and so on. How-ever, that’s just the beginning.
We have budgeted $4600 for lawn irrigation–essentially using and maintaining our sprinkler system–and $14,000 total water expenses for the year, which includes both indoor and outdoor water use. Your generous pledge is essential to keeping St. Stephen’s grounds a beautiful as our magnificent building deserves!