Jail Plants

It probably isn't an issue with the addresses. I know my husband will often get Christmas presents he buys shipped there and no problems. Not going to post my address to the whole list.
Ellen probably got most of the spammers but the junk email is bad enough I'd rather they didn't visit. Just ask and I'll send the home address. The mail is sorted by regular state employees but it's the inmates who truck it to various office buildings scattered about the facility. It's a co-ed facility but there are by far more women trustees. Nature of the beast I guess. If you hear the stories of how they came to be at the jail most of them include a stupid boyfriend and drugs or alcohol.

They worked 10 hours yesterday on the prison gardens. My husband snagged my hoes and shovels and brought a truckload of manure. He also had five 5 gallon buckets filled with assorted plants I had thinned  No rototiller! Over 90 degrees and they hand dug a bed in front of one of the office buildings.
He only took volunteers. Didn't want to deal with negative attitudes in the heat. By the end of the day more people were volunteering. Capt. is already toying with the idea of getting them to do some of the parks and planters in town. It's already working....more purpose, little bit more freedom, simple rules that need to be followed.

My husband grew up on a rural NH farm. He wishes he was back. Kind of works as therapy for him as well. Doesn't know much about flowers but is always coming home and asking questions. I gave them a good cheat sheet on growing and dividing beardeds. If anybody has or knows of a good one for other common garden plants let me know and I'll print it.

I've got an empty loose-leaf binder here. I'm going to start printing a few pictures of the stuff in various growth stages. Either have to take them myself or google them up. Got pics of 95% of the plants I donated. Was a problem with the red bee balm getting weeded out earlier this spring. Easy fix, my wet soil I grow bee balm like nuts but the weeded ones would have been lovely this year. A book of pictures and hints would work nice.
I can see my Rodales Perennial Encyclopedia is missing. Good reading. Hope it comes back.

He went in his own clothes yesterday. Got dirty and sweaty right with the inmates. More respect. More teamwork. Something few of the officers would have done. The 3 volunteers went back to the dorm dirty, tired but with their heads held high last night.

So maybe when they get out it will only get them a job at Wally world or Lowes. Most of them will garden. A new hobby that won't get them in trouble. You all know how good it feels to see a plant bloom that you've never seen before. Big thing is the socialization and teamwork. Was a good day for them.

Thanks all
Sue in NH
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: sibrob@yahoogroups.com 
  To: sibrob@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2003 03:28
  Subject: [sibrob] Digest Number 967

     Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 09:20:29 -0400
     From: Ken Walkup <krw25@cornell.edu>
  Subject: Re: Re: plants at NH prisons is for real

  To Sue and all potential donors,
           I would suggest sending your plant donations to Sue's home 
  address, rather than the prison.  I know it's a minimum security facility, 
  and the inmates who might see the address labels are women & probably 
  trustworthy, but the reality is that there are some people in correctional 
  facilities who will try to get over if they can.  You don't want someone 
  who opened your package showing up on your doorstep later to say 
  thanks.  My signifigant other works in corrections, and some of the stories 
  I've heard...
           Ken

           At 01:38 AM 6/27/2003 +0000, you wrote:
  >Thanks Ellen.
  >
  >Didn't occur to me that some might think it's a scam until after I
  >posted it. Just can't think that way I guess.
  >
  >Any easy grow plant that will tolerate zone 5 would be welcome.
  >Oldies, no names, lost tags. Whatever. Beggars can't be choosers.
  >Beardeds, species or sibs or something to tuck inbetween the iris.
  >
  >I thought of iris because I know I've come close more than a few
  >times to composting a perfectly pretty flower only becaue it
  >increases so fast that I have already saturated family, friends and
  >neighbors. Resorted to leaving some on the curb in front of a friends
  >house who had a busy road and sidewalk once with a free sign on them.
  >
  >Here's the actual prison address
  >
  >NH Dept of Corrections
  >1 Rightway Path
  >Laconia NH 03246
  >Attn. Cpl John Foster
  >



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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