The goal is clear.

We have 22 weeks to complete the first phase of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s role in the development of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston – 22 weeks to find 8000 or so plants and have them in the ground in accordance with the design created by Halvorson Landscape Partners.

The planting phase is only the beginning. Those of us that garden will understand that the real work, and the real joy, begins after the plants are in the ground. To reach this point, however, we must work our way through the 22 weeks.

The plants are only part of the project. Activities related to soil, construction, logistics, staging, irrigation, volunteers, etc will be needed for a successful garden to be built.

The good news is that we have begun. We no longer have the luxury of talking about the pros and cons of the project. The focus in the next 22 weeks needs to be on completing this phase of the project.

Our first plants arrived last week! This was the result of a generous donation of about 600 perennial plugs from Ken James Greenhouse in Georgia. They will be grown on at MHS and be ready for planting in early spring. Thanks Ken and Leah! This is the beginning of a long process and our goal is to invite the entire Horticultural Community, from the Professional to the home enthusiast, to join us in making this happen.

There will be hundreds of bumps along the road, but that is the nature of gardening. For example, a truck driver from a major delivery company decided that the boxes from Ken James (those are the boxes with the big letters on the side that spell LIVE PLANTS) needed a cooling period so they were left on a remote loading dock for the night in 15 degree weather. Maybe he was right. The frozen solid plugs were placed under a cool, dark bench and now, after a few days, the indication is that they will survive quite nicely.

This week will be spent searching for more plants, understanding the soil situation and preparing for the New England Grows trade show in early February. NE Grows is an opportunity to meet Horticultural Professionals from all over the country and solicit support for our project.

We need your help to make this dream come true. Please contact me if I can answer any questions about the project or if you would like to be a part of helping to put the Green in the Greenway – 22 weeks and counting.