In March of 2019, when we first visited the park, snow had just melted, the Ompompanoosuc was overflowing its banks, and the park was not a place that many people would want to be!

Later in April the park was open, but of course there was no fruit. The few flowers in evidence in late April and early May were cheery daffodils (below), pulmonaria to welcome the bees,  primroses, and double bloodroot just opening.

In five years since the park was created, only one tree had died, and in 2019 it was decorated and christened the Freedom Tree (below.)

By mid-summer, the park was lush, and there was a riot of flowers.

Some people (ourselves included) enjoy the park in late afternoon or early evening, when the light is special:

While others like the heat of a summer day for swimming and picnicking. 

In 2019, many of the fruit trees were growing too tall for our backpack sprayer. (below)

At the same time, the Byrne Foundation came through with a second generous grant so we bought a bigger, more powerful sprayer. 

(People sometimes ask what kind of foliar spray Barbara is using. It's an organic mixture recommended by orchardist Michael Philips. It contains seaweed extract, liquid fish oil, pure neem oil, and effective microbes. It deters insect damage and promotes health and growth.)

We also used a little of the Byrne money to buy some high-quality Radius garden tools for use in the park (below.)

On and off throughout the 2019 season, a number of people answered the call for volunteers at the park. They were terrific.

The biggest volunteer day was in August, when somewhere between 15 and 20 people turned out to work!  Volunteer support like this is necessary if the park is to remain a community asset into the future.

Several regular volunteers had already gone (or are hiding for the photo).

In late summer and into September, tree fruit and berries were ripening. (Pear, plums, and apples are below. Then blueberries and gooseberries)

September was time for another annual celebration in the park. Sensible Shoes, in the persons of Barbara Blaisdell and Tim Utt, provided terrific music. Food came from from so many attendees, like an outdoor potluck. With concern about climate change at a pitch, there were signs of the times at the celebration.

Signs of the times

When the season was nearly over, around the end of October, Global Warming Mums came into their own, and whenever there was sunshine, bees enjoyed a late feed at the Edible Pocket Park.

Click here for Pocket Park 2020

Click here for the beginning, and history of the Pocket Park