“It’s 6:30 am and Derek like a good teenager is still asleep. On a summer morning, my husband and his buddy are hitting the local mountain trails, while I make my escape up the road to the farm where Rock Wall Garden is still asleep in the shadows. For the next hour or so I work the rows on the south side, weeding or seeding by hand. When my green troops salute the sun, standing straight and brisk with the turgor pressure from yesterday’s water, I know my time is up. I go home for breakfast, and notify Derek that it’s time to get to work. I bring him his hat with his Crocs, and he obligingly lays aside his Nintendo Switch, getting up off the couch with a yawn and a smile. At the greenhouse, Derek’s first duty is to check the refrigerator. There was that time when Mom left him an apple pie. You never know… It is summer and the most important stash is water bottles, so I take one and shake it up with a bit of drink mix. Derek settles into his vintage rocking patio chair and starts two favorite activities of many kids with autism, rocking and chewing the top of his water bottle. Summer priority number one is Hydration. He walks all around the beds of strawberries, lettuce, radishes, carrots, peppers and peas, etc. He proudly smiles down at their efforts...”
— Watch the rest of the story at the link below
At Rock Wall Garden, we believe in chore-eography! My son Derek, who is on the autism spectrum and is non-speaking, is an integral part of our day-to-day operations. However, to accomplish this, we have to approach some tasks (like spreading grass clippings) in a creative way. Sometimes it takes a bit longer, and there's often a more efficient way to do it - but at Rock Wall Garden, we aim for duets over solos.
