We could not have had more perfect weather for our ninth annual Dirt Day in historic Lafayette Park May 20! Once again, Dirt Day was very well attended. It may have even been a record turnout, from what I hear!
I am newer to Woodland Heights and to this event. I heard about Dirt Day for years, but I always had conflicting gardening events taking place at the same time in the past. I had never attended until last year. I am a pretty hard-core gardener, though, so I had always been curious about Dirt Day.
When my husband, Murray, and I bought a house in the ‘hood a few years ago, we got involved in the goings-on of Woodland Heights. Murray actually organized the live music at this year’s Dirt Day and performed as well, along with our friends Murph and Jacob Moore (aka The Blue Milos), Paul Phariss, Martin Hill, David Hinson and Doug Loch. Thanks, guys! You really helped make the day special with your musical gifts.
You may be reading all this and asking, what is Dirt Day? Well, Dirt Day is annual event in Woodland Heights. It’s a day for community to come together to celebrate warm weather and each other. Nothing costs anything at Dirt Day. It is a completely free family-friendly event. Our “vendors” represent different City departments and/or civic organizations. Each vendor booth provides one free activity or handout for kids. Some organizations/departments that were represented were SGF Yields, NeighborWoods, Springfield Tenants Unite, Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks, Habitat for Humanity, Master Gardeners of Greene County, the Springfield Greene-County Library (Heirloom Seed Library), the Springfield Fire Department and more.
Special thanks, of course, go out to The Fools Gladly for providing free clowning entertainment for all of the children. You clowns always make us smile!
And an extra special thanks goes out to the Springfield Dream Center for providing free hotdogs to everyone who was hungry.
Even with food, and clowns, and everything else going on at the event, the plant table is one of the biggest parts of Dirt Day. It has been called an “exchange” but that part is not required at all. It’s much more of a plant share/giveaway.
People brought daffodils, iris, day lilies and various house plants. Myself, Sarah Roberts and others started flowers and vegetables from seeds just for Dirt Day. I even brought the last of the tomato plants from the sale the Master Gardeners had at the end of April.
One lady brought seven red raspberry plants, some echinacea (coneflowers) and Jerusalem artichoke. They went fast! One lady I gave some of the Jerusalem artichoke to told me she had been buying it (for its edible root). She was so happy to get some to grow herself. Another woman brought more of a beautiful succulent she had given us last year. It made my day to get to tell her how well it had grown for me and to give to others again!
Some people offered to pay, and of course we didn’t take their money! Dirt Day is free. This is just what neighbors do for each other, they share their plants! Others were shy about asking for a plant without having brought any to exchange. It reminded me of our church potlucks … “it‘s OK if you didn’t bring a dish, we always have plenty to share.” And, boy did we share on Dirt Day!
Big thanks to Sarah Roberts, who once again, started a zillion seeds and literally brought a truck full of starts to share. Thank you to Susan as well, longtime friend of our neighborhood association president Becky Volz. Susan doesn’t even live in our neighborhood, but comes to help “woman” the plant table with us. How cool is that?
Thanks also to Demita Gookin who had sewn upcycled dog and cat food bags into tote bags with handles. Our attendees got to take their plants home in them.
It was a fun day of plant swapping, face painting, digging in the dirt in hopes of winning prizes, birdhouse painting, hat making, listening to music, and just good times with friends old and new.
In Master Gardener training I learned to never to call that stuff on the ground “dirt.” It’s SOIL. Still, I won’t suggest we change our event name to “Soil Saturday.” It can stay “Dirt Day.” And in Woodland Heights we think Dirt Day is the best little event in Springfield. We’ll be back at historic Lafayette Park to do it all again next year. And I’ll be right there at the plant table to make more new friends! I got to talk plants for four hours, bring home some new ones for myself, and I made a lot of new friends. What’s not to love about Dirt Day?!
