Our permanent sign is up. Neighbor and soapstone artisan Mark McQuarry spent Friday completing it. On the face of the soapstone boulder he had smoothed earlier, he first masked off areas surrounding the Quarry Gardens logo;
then he incised the letters by sandblasting;
finally, he sprayed paint into the sandblasted areas to bring out the contrast.
It should be visible to motorists in plenty of time to prepare a turn into the driveway.
In other news, Center for Urban Habitat’s Rachel Bush has designed a gallery of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants that will be installed around the sign soon. And the concrete floor in the Visitors’ Center has gotten a thorough cleaning and a fresh polishing.
Mark McQuarry (don’t you love that name?) also makes artisanal things out of soapstone. Some of Mark’s smaller pieces will be among those available in the Garden Shop next month.