Planting Bee with Chrissie and John

25 May 2024

The true spirit of the MX-5 Illawarra community was shining through on Saturday 25th May.  They came from near and far to help out a mate!  

Adele joined us for a coffee at Bulli Beach Cafe and brought plant cuttings for the garden, Brigid came all the way from the city and planted a beautiful bromeliad garden around the tree in their previously sad, front garden. 

Leann, Lena and Franchesca weeded for hours!  Lesley, Peter, Bryan, John, Ian and Wes dug holes and prepared a path to be built soon and planted their new garden.  Bob planted lilies and dug out tree stumps (and came back Monday to cut and remove them with a chainsaw).  I potted bamboo (I was relieved to hear they were going in pots and not in the garden) for screening.  Ann weeded, mowed, whatever had to be done, she did it!  Chrissie organised us and fed us (really well).  We realised we're not getting any younger and were all sore (but satisfied) by day's break.

Background on why we did this.

Chrissie and John Zaremba moved into their home in Thirroul a few months ago and were struck by the April 6 floods.
Unfortunately their beautiful 2014 MX-5, which they purchased in March 2024, was destroyed by these floods, only four weeks after they got it, having searched for it for over a year!  They also lost their Kia.  They were fortunate their home was not flooded, but the garden they had worked so hard on, was decimated by the flood waters.  

Our mission was to restore beauty where there was devastation. This was a day to wear our gardening clothes and shoes, bring along some gardening implements and get ready to dig.  We were planting joy back through their garden.  

Mission accomplished!  John and Chrissie love their new garden!  Now we just need to find them a new car.....