Groundskeeping: Randy Summerfield
Randy Summerfield took a break to talk with us about groundskeeping on a recent Saturday morning.
For some time now, Randy Summerfield has been keeping our grounds in shape, and he’s looking for assistance – and assistants – for this labor of love.
We caught up with him on a recent Saturday morning, as he and his weed-whacker steadily clipped the grass growing between the flagstones near the columbarium. He’d already trimmed back a bush, that relishes its position next to the garden wall with its extravagant growth, and was moving onto other areas needing care.
Randy grew up in Charleston, returning 7 years ago to spend time with his mother. She passed 5 ½ years ago, and now Randy has settled in, with Charleston once again being his home. He’s had a love affair with the Episcopal Church since childhood when he attended Choral Evensongs at St. John’s, and as he moved from city to city professionally, he attended services in Columbus, and joined Episcopal Churches in Boston and D.C.
We’re happy Randy chose to become a Saint of John and are grateful for his attention to our gardens. He, by the way, considers himself a groundskeeper, caring for what is already in place, rather than a gardener. Randy described gardeners as those who look at a space and have a vision, carrying it out by planting flowers and plants in a way that is both pleasing to the eye and allows the plants to flourish.
Randy is looking for both fellow groundskeepers and gardeners to help develop and maintain our grounds. Give him a call – he’s in the church directory – and can be found in our gardens most Saturdays. You can also stop by to see him during the Ministry Fair September 10 following the 10:30 a.m. service where he’ll be recruiting gardeners – and groundskeepers.
A bench, a statue and a Butterfly Bush, the perfect recipe for contemplation.
A pile of trimmings removed from the large Beautyberry bush in the background, which is under constant attack by a wild vine. The bush and the vine are hardy and grow quickly, so tasks like these are never completed.
