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Evy McGinness (also known as EmilyCompost) passed away on
July 15, 2004 at 10:15 in the morning, after a two year battle with breast
cancer.
Evy had gardened in New York, New Hampshire, Virginia,
South Carolina, and Florida.
She will be missed.
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Evy pursued many
activities besides gardening over the years.
- She was a Girl Scout leader and
trainer for many years.
- She played women's soccer for
five years on the "Over 35" league.
-
 She was a wood worker, made, and
sold early American woodcrafts.
- A voluminous stamp collector, she
traded stamps with people from all over the world.
- She was an active member of the Friends
of the Library in SC and FL where she lived.
- A tireless traveler, she loved to
visit gardens. She borrowed
cuttings and seeds from the best botanical gardens
around the world.
- A joyful beachcomber.
Most of all, Evy was a gardener: a master gardener in Virginia, South Carolina, and
Florida. She created Emily Compost to share her love
of gardening with others around the world. Evy was the
owner and operator of Island Nature & Garden
Company in Fernandina Beach, Florida for three years.
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From her interview,
she said of herself:
 In my early years, I worked in my
mother's strawberry patches. She had three large ones
and supplied fresh strawberries to the local grocery
store. I also had my own little garden plot and a worm
business which failed. One customer, no worms.
The entire family was into gardening
of some sort. We composted and my mother had a
beautiful perennial bed. I remember hollyhocks against
an early 1900's barn, bulbs being planted every
spring, berry picking of all kinds. Tons of canning
every summer. Trading strawberries for eggs.
There's never a day that goes by
that I don't pull a weed, pinch something here and
there, search something out, or teach someone about
gardening, or propagate something.
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Then sing, ye Birds,
sing, sing a joyous song!
What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind.
From "Intimations of
Immortality from Recollections of Early
Childhood"
by William Wordsworth
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Some quotations from Emily's
quotes.
 "Amassing a large plant collection is never the
goal but rather a result of many memories and friends."
"I don't remember planting this."
"We all share the same backyard."
"Laundry can wait."
gardening
writings, read at Evy's memorial services
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