Have you ever noticed the gorgeous little gardens that are planted in the Orange Avenue median?
I've walked past one of these little gems on Orange and Second for years before discovering the story behind it. This garden was sponsored by Dr. John Schmidt in 2003, and dedicated to his wife, Patty Schmidt in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary, and in recognition of her sixteen years service as a member of the Coronado City Counsel.
These gardens are traditionally memorial gardens dedicated to people who have passed away, but John tells me "Patty didn't want to wait that long", so John made arrangements with Main Street Limited to sponsor the design and planting of the garden in Patty's favorite colors; red, white and blue. She loved it.
Patty passed away unexpectedly on August 21st, 2010, leaving a large gap in our community that will be hard to fill. She kept an eye on this island, and wasn't afraid to speak up when necessary. And it was necessary fairly often. She was the mother of four grown children, grandmother to seven. She was also my neighbor, and she will be missed.
This is a loving tribute to your neighbor and I'm glad she got to see her garden before she passed away. When my husband and I were driving along the street, we noticed the beautiful little gardens on the median and wondered about them. Thanks for answering that question for us. They are a wonderful addition to Coronado and part of what makes it very special.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the garden photos, Barb. It's a lovely gesture to plant a garden for a person and so much more when they can see and appreciate it. I'll always remember Patty as a warm energetic woman who was committed to fairness and compassion.
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