Jim McGurk: A Modern Day Landscape Picasso

As soon as you step on the grounds of Parmly Senior Housing & Services in Chisago City, you can't help but notice the art of Jim McGurk. His work is a gift that he shares daily with those who call the Parmly-area neighborhood home.

When Jim left his native Milwaukee, Wis., to come to the University of Minnesota he thought he was on the road to a career in commercial apple orchards. After receiving his B.A. in agriculture and majoring in horticulture, he went to work in a commercial nursery. It was there that he began to feel the need for something more.

Chuck Zimmerman, who recently celebrated his 25th anniversary of service at Ecumen, recognized Jim's talents and gave Jim his start at Parmly. Jim embraced the opportunity to have a job that would give him a strong sense of independence and ownership in sharing his craft.

Today Jim is in his 17th year with Ecumen. He revels in "creating home" for the residents he serves. He says that his goal each and every year is to "provide residents with the very best yard that they've ever had." That's no easy task when you consider that his "garden" is 23 acres with more than 1,000 trees on the shore of picturesque Green Lake. Yet every year Jim's work generates hundreds of compliments, photos and smiles.

As Minnesota turns the corner from fall to winter, Jim and his crew are busier than ever. In 1988, Jim planted 100 tulip bulbs. Those 100 bulbs have multiplied to 1,500 bulbs. Each of the 1,500 bulbs are being pulled out of the ground by hand, cleaned and stored for replanting. Talk about the personal touch. Jim's hand-made gifts to others simply keep growing.