Garden Committee volunteers oversee the care of public gardens at the North Amherst Library and in the traffic island at the west end of Summer Street in North Amherst. To volunteer contact Ava Fradkin avafradkin@gmail.com.
Tending the North Amherst Library Garden
October, 2022
Mary Sayer
The North Amherst Library Garden is a delight to all passersby.
It was established in 2009 when the ancient beech tree had to be removed due to the poor health of the tree. The beech was replaced by a much younger tree in a slightly more central location. At that time, there was just lawn in front of the library and the few plantings around the base of the building.
Nancy D’Amato volunteered to design and implement a charming perennial garden to enhance the open space that became more apparent with the removal of the beech tree. This garden and its peripheral plantings have become much cherished features of the library landscape.
The garden in 2016 — in its heyday and in full bloom
Around 2020 Nancy was no longer able to
tend the garden, and the garden is now in need of care. The DONA gardening committee is volunteering to take on this role. Our intention is to keep the intimate feel of the garden but also to simplify the maintenance and increase the durability of the plantings that are located there. We recognize that this area will be at the back of the library once the new addition is opened in late 2023 and so will have a somewhat different function than it has had up to now. In the future the configuration of the intersection may also be altered.
We intend to concentrate on plants that have multi-season appeal, are drought tolerant, (are hardy in this variable climate) easy to keep looking attractive, and low height to provide good site lines for traffic safety. This means keeping many, but not all, of the plants that are in the garden now. There are lovely spirea, baptisia, peonies, asters, etc. that would remain as the foundation of the garden. Some of the higher maintenance plants would be dug and potted to be sold at a spring garden sale and over time, new, more appropriate plants added to the garden bed to fill out the design.
We are also renewing and maintaining the small island garden at the intersection of Summer St. and Montague Rd. The sweet and welcoming triangle-shaped garden was originally created by Bev Ziomek when she lived on Montague Rd.
If you are interested in being on the committee or getting future work day invitations, email Ava Fradkin avafradkin@gmail.com.