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By Editor Becky Watts
ZEBULON - Mark and Mary Nalls are opening up their garden to bless people in the community with collards and turnip greens for their Thanksgiving dinners. They will also have hot pepper relish and a way for people to leave a blessing for community member Ralph McCrary.
Last year, the Nalls gave out 250 huge bundles of turnips and 80 huge bundles of collards last year. They didn’t ask for donations last year and tried to turn away donations. There were several people who insisted on leaving donations so the Nalls gave those donations to First Baptist Church.
This year, the Nalls will have a bucket for donations and written notes and prayers for Ralph McCrary, who is fighting cancer.
The community garden at 127 Gwyn Street in Meansville will open at daylight and remain open until dark on Monday, November 21, 2022 and Tuesday, November 22, 2022 on a first come, first serve basis.
The History of the Garden
Mark enjoys working in the garden and has been planting a garden for the past five years. This is the third year that he and Mary have opened up the garden to the community at Thanksgiving. The rows expanded a little more this year. There are 23 rows of turnips and 16 rows of collards. Each of the rows are 70 feet long making very long rows of green for Thanksgiving this year!He said that he believes that if you have a gift, you should share that gift just like the Bible says. “I have the room and desire,” he said.
“Giving away the harvest really does make your heart smile.” He said that he gets a lot of hugs too.
Mary said that she enjoys the fellowship each year too. “I enjoy giving the bundles away, and I enjoy seeing people in the garden and getting to talk and fellowship with them,” she said. “We meet a lot of nice people this way.”
She helps with the preparation of the relish every year too. They also gave away 130 half pints of hot pepper relish last year. This year, they have 350 pints of hot pepper relish that will be available to the community.
This year, it took about 40 hours to process and can the hot pepper relish. There are 350 jars that will be available for donations from the community as people come through to pick up their greens for Thanksgiving dinner.
Closing
Mark said that gardening requires following through with a process. You have to prepare it, plant it, till it, and harvest it.
He loves gardening. It’s my therapy,” he said. “It’s my place to think…a space to work out problems.”
The community garden at 127 Gwyn Street in Meansville will open at daylight and remain open until dark on Monday, November 21, 2022 and Tuesday, November 22, 2022 on a first come, first serve basis.
And feel free to leave a donation, note, and/or prayer for Ralph McCrary to encourage him in his fight against cancer.