Michael McCarthy Memorial Garden, All Saints Episcopal, Concord
Fall
Original draft of the garden by Petra McLean Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Description
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The Michael McCarthy Memorial Garden is located at All Saints Episcopal in Concord, NC in memory of Michael John McCarthy, a beloved community member and plantsman. It was designed to create a peaceful environment while providing year-round interest, utilizing a variety of recycled resources for construction and maintenance. The garden has now been established for over a year and is growing more beautiful by the day.
Development began in 2018 with land clearing and pathway creation. The felled trees were processed into firewood. The paths were covered with gravel screenings and, later, #78 gravel to prevent water erosion from rain. Mulch was sourced from a company that recycles yard waste into useable garden products. Discarded city curbstones were repurposed by local professionals into a stairway to the garden.
Many volunteers were instrumental in the creation of the garden including the design, sheet mulching, gravel spreading, picnic table, stepstone acquisition, watering, drip irrigation installation, and planting the shrubs and trees. In the summer of 2019, we were blessed with funding to drill a well and professionally install an irrigation system.
Plants used in this garden:
- Red Maple
- Canadian Hemlock
- Southern Magnolia ('Little Gem')
- Fringe Tree
- Flowering Dogwood ('Cherokee Princess')
- American Arborvitae ('Emerald Green')
- Weeping Redbud ('Traveller')
- Japanese Maple ('Kiyohime Dwarf', 'Tsukasa Silhouette', 'Kuro Hime', 'Emerald Lace')
- Tea Olive
- Boxwood ('Wintergreen')
- Encore® Azalea ('Autumn Coral')
- Oakleaf Hydrangea ('Ellen Huff')
- Dwarf Hinoke Cypress
- Christmas Fern
- Dwarf Mondo
To find out more details about the plants in this garden, type "McCarthy Memorial Garden" into the search box.
Fall
Original draft of the garden by Petra McLean Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
525 Lake Concord Rd Concord NC Garden age: 1 year Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Michael McCarthy Garden Plaque Garden age: 1 year Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Summer
This was an overgrown pine stand that is shown here partially cleared. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
Further tree clearing in 2018. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Earth scraped to create paths. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
Paths topped with screenings. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
Final tree clearing. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
31 sweet gum trees were cut down to clear The Path garden area for future plantings. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
View from the parking lot. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
The cleared area ready for planting. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
All Saints' volunteers. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Volunteers installed gravel on the paths and this concrete picnic table and benches. The new shade was appreciated. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Yard waste from Concord NC is brought to Wallace Farms where it is turned into hardwood mulch and other soil products. "Nothing is wasted in God's economy." Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Without this tractor, The Path gardens would not be possible. Here we are placing "78" gravel on top of screenings as we were having trouble with the screenings washing out in heavy rains. The 78 gravel works very well and stays in place. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Spring
Getting ready to plant. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
A daughter plants a note as well as this magnolia tree in memory of her beloved mother. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
Volunteers celebrating a successful day. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
Volunteers blessing the garden. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
Drip lines with hose installed pending the new well. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Summer
Volunteers celebrating the installation of a new well. Garden age: 2 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Summer
New irrigation system installed. Garden age: 4 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Summer
Sheet mulching with cardboard. Garden age: 4 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Summer
Fresh hardwood mulch at the garden enterance. Garden age: 4 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Fall
The steps, built out of discarded curbstones, were given in memory of John Yelton. Garden age: 7 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Fall color. Garden age: 1 year Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Fall
Memorial Garden with Hydrangea quercifolia in the Fall Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Fall
Memorial Garden with Rhodondron Encore in the Fall Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Winter
Memorial Garden in the Winter Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Spring
Memorial Garden getting ready to plant in the Spring Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Mulch and Gravel in the Fall Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Original draft of the garden by Petra McLean Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
525 Lake Concord Rd Concord NC Garden age: 1 year Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Michael McCarthy Garden Plaque Garden age: 1 year Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Summer
This was an overgrown pine stand that is shown here partially cleared. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
Further tree clearing in 2018. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Earth scraped to create paths. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
Paths topped with screenings. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
Final tree clearing. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Winter
31 sweet gum trees were cut down to clear The Path garden area for future plantings. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
View from the parking lot. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
The cleared area ready for planting. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
All Saints' volunteers. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Volunteers installed gravel on the paths and this concrete picnic table and benches. The new shade was appreciated. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Yard waste from Concord NC is brought to Wallace Farms where it is turned into hardwood mulch and other soil products. "Nothing is wasted in God's economy." Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Without this tractor, The Path gardens would not be possible. Here we are placing "78" gravel on top of screenings as we were having trouble with the screenings washing out in heavy rains. The 78 gravel works very well and stays in place. Garden age: Pre-planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Spring
Getting ready to plant. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
A daughter plants a note as well as this magnolia tree in memory of her beloved mother. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
Volunteers celebrating a successful day. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
Volunteers blessing the garden. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Spring
Drip lines with hose installed pending the new well. Garden age: Planting Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Summer
Volunteers celebrating the installation of a new well. Garden age: 2 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Summer
New irrigation system installed. Garden age: 4 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Summer
Sheet mulching with cardboard. Garden age: 4 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Summer
Fresh hardwood mulch at the garden enterance. Garden age: 4 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Fall
The steps, built out of discarded curbstones, were given in memory of John Yelton. Garden age: 7 months Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Fall
Fall color. Garden age: 1 year Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Fall
Memorial Garden with Hydrangea quercifolia in the Fall Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Fall
Memorial Garden with Rhodondron Encore in the Fall Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0- Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Winter
Memorial Garden in the Winter Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
Spring
Memorial Garden getting ready to plant in the Spring Garden age: unknown Mark Robinson CC BY 4.0
