The secret gardener of Occidental

One woman's mission to beautify the town of Occidental by turning forgotten stretches of dirt along the town's main street into gardens

On the left is what the town’s verges look like before Marilyn Cox sets her hand to them, transforming them into amazing little gardens (right).

An elderly woman, who works as a house sitter and otherwise lives in her car in Occidental, is little by little transforming the town’s main street by creating small gardens in the dirt strip that runs along the sidewalk.

The Sebastopol Times learned about Occidental’s secret gardener—her name is Marilyn Cox—from a local bodyworker, Sherrylou Carrick—both of whom were too camera-shy to be photographed for this article. I was unable to make contact with Cox, but Carrick shared the story of how Cox has been transforming the town.

Carrick said that Cox’s gardening project started around the picnic tables in front of Howard Station Cafe about two years ago. “Just little by little, it has gone in both directions. She made it all the way to the corner in front of Bohemian Market, which was just all tall grass, weeds, foxtails. There was nothing there, and she’s beautified the whole area.”

Carrick said that she and others have donated plants to Cox’s landscaping project.

“She got a lot of plants from the property I live on—a lot of succulents that just keep on giving and a lot of other plants,” she said. “She digs them up and collects a lot of seeds. She’s gotten donations from other people too, and so little by little, she’s expanded the garden, and it’s beautiful.”

From the beginning, Cox drew water—a precious resource in Occidental—from a neighbor’s spigot and carried heavy watering cans up and down the street, watering her gardens.

“She's been doing this for two years and she’s older so she injured her back, and the last time was just a doozy,” Carrick said. “She couldn’t even move. It was that bad.”

Around the same time—earlier this summer—the neighbor who had been sharing her water decided she could no longer afford to do that. (Water and sewer rates in Occidental are sky high.)

Carrick said Cox told her, “‘I’m distraught and in pain. I don’t know what to do. I guess I’m just done.’”

Cox disappeared for about six weeks—staying with a friend in Lake County, Carrick said—and the summer sun began to take its toll on her gardens. Carrick tried watering the garden herself, but it was just too much for one person, who also had a job and a family, to look after.

Carrick reached out to the Occidental Community Council—a volunteer organization that acts somewhat like a city council in this unincorporated town. Council member Gary Abreim helped by bringing 50 gallons of water down in his truck. But even with both of them watering, Carrick said, “It wasn’t even making a dent.”

Carrick put a call out on Nextdoor, which read in part:

I am calling out now to all of you for your help to save the gardens in Occidental. Do you own a truck with a water tank with a hose attachment? Do you have access to water? Can you contribute water to the community garden? If you are able to water the gardens, please use low pressure and pour the water onto the rocks placed throughout the garden for this purpose. I also feel that Marilyn deserves recognition, appreciation and support for all of the hard work she has selflessly given to create these beautiful gardens. She has done so much to create a beautiful space for all of us to enjoy. Please, if you see her, thank her and give her what you can. Thank you all very much for whatever attention you are able to give to this matter be it water, time, financial support, prayers.

Carrick got a gratifying response to her post. Several people stepped up to help.

“So there’s a guy, Michael. He makes walking sticks and sells them across the street from Bohemian Market. Anyway, he’s allowed us to bring a giant hose from his home and hook it up. He met with some folks that were willing to let us use their water until a more permanent solution was found,” she said. “There’s also another guy, named Beard, who’s a jack of all trades. He has a large water tank on his car, so I approached him,” Carrick said. “Different people are willing to let him fill up, and he’s been doing it when he has time. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Heartened by her community’s response, Carrick posted an update on Nextdoor in the middle of July:

I want to gratefully acknowledge all in our community that have come together over the last months to water the gardens. Thank you very much. Please continue to keep it watered and thriving. Just so you all know, Marilyn has returned to us and is healed but still unable to lift anything heavy. This has not stopped her from starting her work again in the garden. Yesterday, she worked nonstop all day— deadheading, pruning, weeding, sweeping and cleaning the gardens and communal areas. The last I saw her, she had filled two large garbage bags with trash and other waste from the garden, picnic and parking lot areas. I am very grateful and feel that Marilyn deserves recognition and also support for all that she does to beautify our communal space. Please help me to support Marilyn in any way you can. She is a jewel to be cherished. Thank you all in advance for your kindness and help.

Fawn Nekton of the Occidental Community Council said the council has also been working on the problem.

“When something like this watering thing comes up or any other sort of need that people see, they—not really knowing where to go since Occidental is unincorporated and there's no real governing body—people will always come to us and are like, “What do we do about this?”

Since the gardens are located in the downtown business district, the council sent the question to one of its committees, the Business Alliance, which has a What’s App group among local businesspeople.

“That group really felt like the home for this downtown landscape watering issue,” Fawn said. “My office is right here, and I’ve been literally looking out my window and looking at the garden,” Fawn said. “It just kind of made sense for that business group to be the holders of it, because some of them were doing their own watering. It’s actually my husband [James Nekton] and Michael, who have been coordinating the watering.”

She said they’re currently using water from Nekton’s business, Open Door Insurance.

“Right now, we are cobbling together watering,” Fawn said. “They’re typically doing it on Monday and Thursday mornings. Other businesses that have little gardens in front of their area, they’re also trying to maintain those with watering cans. The hope is to get real water hooked up and set up so that the Community Services District” which is the town’s fire and water district—“can take this on and over for the future.”

In the meantime, the gardens along Main Street keep growing, and Cox, the secret gardener of Occidental, continues her careful cultivation.

Cox has also been planting in the little squares of dirt in front of local shops, some of which are watered by the store owners.