Garden Festival at Humpty Dumpty House

What began as a "disastrous" property, a life-changing accident, and an idea to help others, has sprouted into the Humpty Dumpty House, a newly licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which hosted a garden festival as part of the UCCE Master Gardener program on Sunday, Aug. 10 in Loma Linda. The event included presentations on “How to Become a Master Gardener”, “Wildlife Habitat”, “Vermicomposting” and “Horticultural Therapy and Container Gardening.” One of the presenters and certified master gardeners, Jerry Poupard of Highland, is a retired high school counselor who gardens as a hobby. He shared that though he has a small gardening lot, he gets a lot done. Wina Garrett, a certified master gardener in Texas, now gardens in Morongo Valley, “I think it’s gorgeous here," she said, “I’m hoping to learn more about container gardening because I have a lot of golfers and it makes it really hard to garden.” Attendees were treated to pamphlets of information and shared gardening advice with one another, while gaining information from the presentations. The Humpty Dumpty House grows fresh organic produce in its garden and distributes to the community at least once a week. The gardens are open to citizens for to study, events, and for memorials in the tear garden. “We don’t usually find the families, they usually find us,” Jannika Petrovska, founder and groundskeeper said. Often individuals that need help finding a job will also contact Petrovska. “Sometimes I’ll go to Home Depot, I’ll learn then I’ll train them, then I’ll call people I know and try to find them work. Petrovska has trained a man in stone-wall building, who continued on to find work as a stone-wall builder." Jannika Petrovska was a third-year medical school student at Loma Linda University when she had a life-altering accident that caused her serious injury; bed-ridden and paralyzed from the waist down, with serious burns, her garden was succumbing to torrent rains. After extensive therapy and hard work towards healing, she describes the Humpty Dumpty House property as pieces that just fell together. Well enough to be out of the bed, and in a wheelchair, she began cleaning the gardens piece by piece and the property began to grow and produce. As the gardens began to produce more, she often heard stories about families that could not afford fresh food, so she started giving away to families in need. Petrovska helps anyone in need. She recently heard of a three-year-old girl that needed clothing, so she went out and found clothing to give to her. “We’re here to help anyone who needs it,” Petrovska said. One day she met a lawyer passing by the Humpty Dumpty House who asked what her non-profit was, “I said what non-profit?” It was then; with the help of the lawyer she began the process of turning her work and the Humpty Dumpty House into a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Petrovska is the sole groundskeeper of the Humpty Dumpty House. She receives help from friends, volunteers and even people off the street who offer a helping hand. “I see it [the Humpty Dumpty House] continuing on and being a part of the community, going beyond me, going on even after me. I see the organization growing; right now we’re so small because there’s only so much I can do. But now that we’re a certified 501(C)(3) non-profit we can begin getting more funding, grants and growing. I don’t see us being a charity, but an enabling organization helping people continue despite tragedy, illness, or disability,” Petrovska said.