Spring planting season is here, and the All Souls Garden Team invites you to help grow something lasting through the Memorial Garden Legacy Tree Fundraiser.
For a minimum donation of $50, members and friends of All Souls can sponsor drought-hardy trees suited for Oklahoma landscapes. Trees can be planted at your home, delivered if needed, or placed on the All Souls campus as a memorial or tribute. Every donation supports the ongoing care and renewal of the All Souls Memorial Garden.
The project is supported by members of the Garden Team who have been working to restore and revitalize the church grounds, including the Memorial Garden. Among them is longtime member Terry Lastinger.
“As a hobby, I’ve been growing trees for about 30 years and giving them away,” Terry said. “When I moved into a condo with just a balcony, I decided to keep growing them—and eventually started bringing them here so they could find homes.”
The effort has grown into the Legacy Tree Project, now in its second year. Last year alone, trees from the project helped plant nine new trees on the All Souls campus, some grown from seeds or cuttings taken from trees already on church grounds.
“Some of the trees we planted actually came from seeds or cuttings from trees that already exist on campus,” Terry explained. “So in a way, we’re continuing their legacy.”
The trees offered through the project are selected specifically for Oklahoma’s climate and conditions.
“All of the trees we grow are hardy,” Terry said. “They’re drought tolerant, insect tolerant, and disease tolerant—trees that should last a long time.”
Terry Lastinger, All Souls Garden Team
In addition to planting trees at home, members can also choose to have a tree placed on the church campus in honor or memory of someone special. For those who would like help planting their tree, the All Souls Youth group has even volunteered to assist for an additional fee—turning the effort into another way to support the church community.
Ultimately, the project is about more than planting trees. It’s about caring for the land that holds our shared memories—spaces where people gather, reflect, and remember loved ones.
To explore available trees or sponsor one, visit: allsouls.me/trees.
