God's Gardeners work to share the beauty of God's love for creation with the community around us by maintaining the grounds of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in such a way that they reflect that love.

The people of St. Stephen's, knowing that we have received God's grace, find various ways to reflect it. Worship, Christian education, the many ways in which we share God's special passion for the powerless and poor, and our various social events all share the Good News. Another way is the care we show for the grounds around our building.

Hundreds of people who have never visited inside our church drive by and see our grounds--our calling card, the face we present to the world around us. The more pleasing and inviting we make them, the more likely it is that someone who needs what we offer will feel welcome to come inside.

We plan to make major changes to the grounds this year. "This fragile earth, our island home" was created with widely different biomes, and Aurora is not a verdant English village or a tropical rainforest. We are in semi-arid high plains. We can best serve our immediate needs and the needs of future generations by accepting, adjusting to, and celebrating where we have been placed.

Accordingly, we are going to make a transition to xeriscaping. Among the immediate benefits we expect are lower water bills and less time spent on maintenance because there will be no mowing. If watering restrictions are imposed again, xeriscaped plantings are more likely to survive than grass would be. Aurora Water’s conservation program will actively support institutions and families that want to make this change.

 Making such a dramatic transition will be a big job, though.  If you have a craving for a lot of fresh air with a little exercise in good company, we invite you to join us. Weather permitting, we generally meet to work the morning of the third Saturday of every month.

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