MCG no more

This was the scene that greeted me today. Mariposa Center Garden (on Mariposa, across from Center Hardware) is gone. Wiped off the face of the earth. Well, actually, scraped off and dumped in a pile under the 280, across the way.

I'm dumbfounded. I called Hathaway Dinwiddie and left a message asking if that construction company at work in the area did it. I called the SF Parks Alliance and left a message for our contact there - doubt they know anything, but they will help rectify if they can.  And Emily emailed DPW too. I suspect I know who did it though... j'accuse Caltrans!

The strip of land was DPW owned, so this shouldn't have happened. It was planted starting in 2009 with donations from The Godmothers and Center Hardware and lots of backbreaking volunteer work, and contained dozens of Dietes, 2 olive trees, several Yuccas and Agaves, rosemary bushes, native Dendromecons and Eriogonum, Cistus "Sunset", Lavateras, and so on.

If I can access the pile of wilting plants under the freeway tomorrow, I'll rescue the plants that can be rescued (Dietes, Yucca, Agave?) and demand an explanation from who ever did this. A simple heads up that this was to happen would have resulted in consternation, but we could have rescued the plants and put them at PRG or PG.

I mean, come on.

Then, to cap it all off, Matt and I went up to PG after this discovery to move an Agave and found the new tool chest broken into and all the pruners and small tools gone.

Well you know what? Screw this. Back home we go, get the power tools and fix and reinforce the chest. I even planted a few Agaves on the steps area in a spiteful mood, noting that someone had stolen a few plants from there recently and feeling all the more annoyed.

Crack heads and government agencies and thieving plant enthusiasts: Much annoy. So hate.