Twenty-three years ago, Jack Andrews bequeathed funds to Grantham’s Dunbar Free Library in memory of his wife because “The library was very important to Joyce, as was her love of flowers.  The fund was established to perpetuate those loves.”

In researching the story behind this, I went through a stack of paperwork that was all about the flowers—what to plant—where to plant—how to care for them…  William Shakespeare’s works were researched to find reference to flowers.  Many of those flowers were planted in the garden with hardiness zone and light taken into account.  It is obvious that a lot of people devoted a lot of time to making this little garden beside the library the gem that it is.  I could not find personal information about Jack and Joyce but am sure that theirs was a love story.  If they could see the thoughtfully cared for garden today, they would be pleased.  

The following people, listed in the library’s Shakespeare Garden file, volunteered hours of labor to ensure that this garden remains a lovely remembrance of Joyce Andrews: Barbara Burt, John Carroll, Judy and Bob McCarthy, Linda Sadowski, Gale and Andy Schmidt, and Beverly F. Woodhouse.  Our GGC hard working president Elise Kendall has been maintaining the garden for the past few years. As with each successive volunteer, Elise has added her special touch to the garden.  It is truly a labor of love.  
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The next time you go to the library (which now is happily open for outdoor pickup) please take a few moments to stop by the Shakespeare Garden and enjoy the sight and aroma of flowers blooming. Find the dedication to Joyce Andrews. Don’t miss the colorful rocks inscribed with quotes from Shakespeare’s plays (another Elise touch).  Taking a moment in the garden reminds us that life is a short and fragile gift to enjoy.  

Recently I was in my first traffic jam in Grantham.  Instead of being impatient, I was having fun. I was part of a line of more than thirty cars driving past Judy and Bob McCarthy’s homestead on Fernwood Lane to join a group of friends wishing them well on their move to their new home in Lebanon.  Close enough to continue seeing friends and still coming to garden club meetings, for them the hard part was leaving their garden and their trees. 

The year that Judy and Bob bought their house, their first grandson Sam was born. To mark this wonderful event, they planted a Red Maple tree in their yard.  Sam now attends Berklee College of Music as a promising jazz musician.  Little did Judy and Bob know at the time that they would end up planting six more trees to celebrate their grandchildren’s births.  A Hydrangea tree was planted for Madeleine; Phoebe’s was an Ornamental Cherry, and Cheka’s tree was a Dwarf Blue Spruce.  They planted a Viburnam for Griffin.  The Virburnam grew very quietly.  By the third year, it sported a single beautiful white blossom. In 2019, after fourteen years, it was covered with gorgeous blossoms. A Magnolia was planted for Lu, and Agatha’s was a River Birch. Beside the newly planted tree, they would place a rock with the newborn grandchild’s name. They would often take pictures of the growing grandchildren beside their growing tree until they couldn’t fit both in the picture.
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As they prepared to sell their house, they learned that a new septic system had to be installed.  They watched as two of their cherished trees were demolished to make room for the installation.  Maybe you, as I did, experienced a cringe of horror when you heard about the lost trees.  Of course, our reaction is minor compared to how Judy and Bob must have felt.  Ever the optimist, Judy was proud to report that five of their trees are still standing.   They still have all those pictures, their rock mementos and their beloved grandchildren. 
This is how Judy expressed her feelings on living at and leaving their Grantham home: 
One of the blessings of having made 11 Fernwood Lane our permanent home for 17 years, was the opportunity to create a natural world around the beautiful house with which we had fallen in love. Prolific blueberry and raspberry bushes, three raised beds in which tomatoes, herbs, rhubarb and garlic flourished, a lavender hedge that wound around the path to the front door, and perennials galore gave us so much joy. All of us, humans, animals and plants, are connected; severing our connection on Fernwood was not easy. However, we have always been happy in whatever place we have lived and anticipate our new home will have its blessings too. Bloom where you are planted!