I dwell in Possibility —
A fairer House than Prose — 
More numerous of Windows — 
Superior — for Doors —
Of Chambers as the Cedars — 
Impregnable of Eye — 
And for an Everlasting Roof 
The Gambrels of the Sky —
Of Visitors — the fairest — 
For Occupation — This —
The spreading wide my narrow Hands 
To gather Paradise —
— Emily Dickinson

FOR A PERSON WHO LIVED THROUGH THE CIVIL WAR and the continual loss of family and loved ones through the realities of shortened life expectancy and ravages of illness, Emily Dickinson’s poetry, for me, captured much beauty and optimism and hope for the future.

In pulling my big Random House dictionary off the bookshelf, I learned that “optimism” — like “optimist” and “optimum” — is derived from the Latin “optimum,” meaning best or superlative. The word optimist was introduced around 1730-40 to describe someone who subscribes to the doctrine, famously satirized by Voltaire in “Candide,” that this is the best of all possible worlds.

Voltaire had fun at optimists’ expense. But when you think about it, it’s hard to argue that this is indeed the best and only world we have to live in, for the time being.

Despite our drought conditions, the recent revivifying rains have greened the hills across the Carquinez Strait, and Benicia’s air is sweetly perfumed with the fragrance of trees and flowers in bloom. Farmers, gardeners, foresters and orchardists are the ultimate optimists, as well as very literal “down-to-earth” pragmatists as they go about their work.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure to film the community joining together under the leadership of Benicia Community Gardens and a nonprofit called Common Vision to plant a community orchard on the hillside of the Heritage Presbyterian Church.

Those who worked that day represented the rich diversity of our community by age, gender and background. The Benicia hillside at the church couldn’t have been more challenging, with hard sandstone just inches below the hardscrabble topsoil. Shovels were nearly useless for digging but essential for scooping out soil and the broken bits of rocks chipped out by picks and heavy utility bars. But no one was deterred by this extremely heavy labor! People worked in teams, with one person working to weariness and their partner taking over, allowing the other to rest.

Inside the community hall, water, lemonade and coconut water were available to keep everyone hydrated. Food, fruit and a wonderful community luncheon was served.

Everyone participated. Children painted signs for each of the 18 trees planted in the orchard, and they were also on the hillside helping to dig. The care and optimism for the day — and for the promise of the orchard — was evident in each detail, from the dedication at the start of the day to the selection of the trees, and the outreach and coordination that made the day and the orchard both a “possibility” and a reality. The day ended with a workshop on the care of the orchard.

What a gift to Benicia! What a reminder of the gifts given by those who have gone before us for their vision, optimism and courage for the future! Planting all the beautiful trees and the abundance of their fruit, putting in their spring and fall gardens … if you have the space why not plant a tree?

And if you don’t have the space, you can join the Benicia Tree Foundation when they are planting in the community. You can also plant your garden, even if it is only a flower pot at your doorstep. The act of planting is both a gift and an act of hope, optimism and generosity.

I loved the dedication on Saturday:

“We promise to keep our orchard beautiful and productive, to use resources wisely, to work together in the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, to share the fruits of our labor with community members in need, and to inspire a larger community of Benicia to learn and grow together.”

Brava and bravo, Benicia Community Gardens, Common Vision and Heritage Presbyterian Church!

Learn more

• Benicia Community Gardens: beniciacommunitygardens.org/

• Benicia Tree Foundation: beniciatrees.org

• Common Vision: commonvision.org

• Solano Master Gardeners: cesolano.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener/

Constance Beutel is a member of Benicia’s Community Sustainability Commission. She is a university professor and videographer and holds a doctorate from the University of San Francisco.