The Contributor’s Garden

The Contributor’s Garden was located as a sidewalk frontage to the Prowell’s home in Sebastopol. It began in 1999 as a simple patch of grass, expanding each year since. Soon after it’s first appearance, trinkets of all sorts began to appear, left off by passers by as a sort of offering. Quickly, the offerings came to dominate the garden, filling buckets and rotated in and out of the garden every few weeks.

There were a few videos made of the garden by strangers over the years.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urjMNZlyvWg&feature=em-share_video_user>
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bECas2Qka4s>

The perspective of the garden from 1984 through 1998, when the transformation began on the far end beside the gray fence. A little of everything, changing every year.

An unfettered compilation . . . transformed in its earliest beginnings to a simple patch of grass, tamed with pruning shears.

Expanding in 2000 to a system of epoxied stone walls and terraces of elfin thyme and blue star.

More walls in 2001. A front terrace added, fronting the concrete wall along the sidewalk.

By now, 2002, small offerings were being left. Everything from figurines to medallions. And thus the garden was titled The Contributor’s Garden, with a small sign on the left.

More walls on the right, experimenting with Scottish moss and baby tears, suited to the morning and evening fog of Sebastopol.

The concrete abutment puts the garden at about eye level to a 5 year-old. Something like the perspective we see here.

Barely visible looking through the arbor, the golfer in blue, and the red flag.Showing the Prairie Style house with the bench and a pair of Wood Railings #5

Jump to 2011, and the bonsais have matured considerably. Also a small ledge on the right with colored blocks made in the shop for the toddlers to play with.

2004 expansion. There were regular captions and stories posted in the garden. This 3-page permit process appears below. The other, smaller post was regarding an invasion from Homeland Security.

Dozens of GI Joes as Homeland Security personnel invading the garden.

Dozens of GI Joes as Homeland Security personnel invading the garden.

There were regular posts and stories posted in the garden. This one reads below.

Construction equipment, stacks of lumber, pallets of stone.

A sign appearing during the 2004 national elections.

New, improved walls for the 2004 expansion.

Two of the early little animals left anonymously. Little scenes set up by children, and adults as well.

The new walls built, along with a circular stone centerpiece and a picket fence-line along the back.

The courtyard pillars and circular walk. And a small baboon.

Xmas 2004.

Another expansion. Blue star in bloom.

One of several vases of collected trinkets.

Photographed at the eye level of a 4 year old.

The manifest destiny of a continuing expansionism. The walls gets shorter as the sidewalks works its way up the hill, and the age-accessible reach becomes younger and younger. This section is available to toddlers.

The last two expansions, left unfinished.

Concrete perimeter walls embedded with a medley of trinkets and shapes, topped with a gabled cedar cap.

The lower walled section, with a sandlot area along the sidewalk busy with animals galore.

“At the ballgame, eh?
I’ll have yer head!”