Thanks go out to those who made possible the roses tumbling over the white fence in front of the Congregational Church; the mums on the porch of the Ag Hall; and especially the gourd hanging at the end of Old Courthouse Road. Hats off to the people who make beautiful or whimsical things happen, for the pure pleasure of it.

Happy 25th birthday to the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School. I vaguely remember the birth of that special little school and am sure that its founders are as surprised at the anniversary as anyone.

A school really is like a garden: enrich the soil, take cuttings from your friends and spend a lot of time tending the plants. The charter school is a unique place and a happy garden, and I think the kids understand they are being well tended.

Moira Silva is hosting a five-week memoir workshop series at the library, on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. until noon. The workshops will be held outside for the first few weeks, and will move to Zoom when the weather cools down. Participants “will leave lighter in spirit and richer in purpose,” which is how encounters with the lovely Moira always go, in my experience. Register online and do it quickly: space is limited.

Polly Hill Arboretum is having a plant sale now. Check out the native plant plugs, sold in sets of three for $14.99. They have been thoughtfully grown with good long roots, so they will take hold quickly in your garden. The arboretum will pack your plugs in mulch so they are ready to plant.

I have been there twice in two days to ogle junipers, “southern gentleman” winterberry, and “yaye” North Tisbury azaleas. Many other incredible selections on offer, and for very fair prices.

Recreational soccer starts this week at the West Tisbury School. This program is a labor of love, from maintaining the fields, to assembling the uniforms, to preparing drills.

Soccer is my favorite kid-sport because they get to run constantly and the games are one-hour long, no surprise extra innings. Coaches are always in demand, so if you have a couple of hours per week and a secret hankering to herd cats, it’s not too late to get involved.

Happy birthday to Amos Sauer, whose 13th birthday party we accidentally crashed last night at said soccer field. Amos has one of those faces that allows him to get away with pretty much anything. I cannot believe that he is a teenager; that is crazy.