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The Shakespeare Garden by Terri Munson

6/26/2020

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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.  
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Saying Goodbye by Terri Munson

6/19/2020

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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! 
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A Lilac Story by Terri Munson

6/9/2020

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Here’s a fitting blog for today—a bit of family folklore from Jim Lantz, the Grantham Garden Club’s much appreciated treasurer.  Jim was born on this day in 1950 to his proud parents Jim and Louise Lantz.

The story begins when his grandmother, Hazel Mae Fairbanks Dinkel, was eight years old.  Her father George Fairbanks built a cottage on Crescent Lake in Acworth, New Hampshire.  Hazel was recovering from Scarlet Fever in the days before penicillin so her Dad, on the advice of her doctor, brought her to the healthy environment of the lake to help her recuperate.  Hazel recovered and her cottage was the site of happy family gatherings for many, many years.  Jim has fond memories of the lake and cottage from when he was a boy. 

There was a lilac bush near the cottage that failed to bloom for twenty years after it was planted.  The only time that lilac blossomed was when Jim was born—never before or since. 
Jim has a videotape of his grandmother retelling the story in 1988 from her beloved cottage.  These are Jim’s grandmother’s words:

"Oh, the lilac bush.  This little thing is all that’s left now. I don’t remember exactly; but my mother set it out in the early 1930's.   It hadn’t ever blossomed. We always used to say, “We wish the lilac bush would blossom.” Well, the year that Jimmy was born, it had probably a dozen big blossoms on it.  I was so delighted.  Why, the blossoms were so beautiful!" I came up on a weekend, and the first thing, I saw the lilacs and I said, “Oh, I wish Louise could have those.”  So we went to the hospital.   I took the big bouquet of lilacs. Well, the plant has never blossomed since.  It has gotten smaller. It doesn’t bud. It doesn’t do anything.”
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Jim’s seems to have had a rapport with flowers his whole life.  His mother told him that at the age of two, he was excited when his father brought home an Easter lily.  Jim now has a beautiful garden that he tends with the help of his wife Amelia (who runs the civic gardens around town for our club).  Amelia and Jim have a beautiful home on Mill Pond in Eastman with lots of land leading to the pond.  Jim’s philosophy is to minimally help his flowers and plants with water and good soil but leaves them fairly wild.  Pretty daisies, buttercups, lupine, buckleberry and clover cover their backyard.  Gorgeous deep purple Johnny Jump Ups have popped up unbidden along the steep rocky path on the side of their house.  Jim told me that if that’s where they want to be, he won’t move them.  He’s just careful where he steps.    

While I was in Jim’s yard recently, there was a lilac bush in full bloom as well as flowers everywhere.  What an idyllic spot to sit on their double swing amid the flowers, watch the baby ducks and geese follow their parents around the pond, and reminisce about wonderful times.  Happy Birthday Jim
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Dandelion - An Unsung Hero - by Terri Munson

6/5/2020

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To begin this blog, I'd like to write about the underappreciated dandelion.   Denigrated as a weed, the dandelion is beautiful whether it is in a field of hundreds or a single flower.  Neither Sherman Williams nor Dupont could ever match the beautiful yellow that the dandelion comes by naturally.  When I photographed one with my macro lens and looked at it enlarged on my computer, I was shocked to see tiny stalks inside—like flowers within the flower.  I was reminded of Dr. Suess’s Horton Hears a Who.   To borrow from the good doctor, I believe “A flower’s a flower no matter how small.”  

At a recent virtual Grantham Garden Club event, Cat Buxton spoke about the value of dandelions.  Not only are they important pollinators, but they help enrich the soil.  They have a wonderfully deep tap root which brings nutrients to the surface.  According to Harvest to Table, a dandelion's taperoot is commonly 6 to 18 inches deep but can penetrate to a depth of 10 feet.  Cat recommends snipping off the stems and flowers rather than digging up the roots.  Soil thrives with little disturbance and diversity above and below the ground.  So don’t kill your dandelions.  Cut off the stems and flowers and enjoy some dandelion greens in your salad or recipes.  The leaves are packed with vitamin A and K and calcium. They make nice wine too.

After the dandelion petals have gone, there is an intricate geodesic dome made up of wings each connected to a single seed.  As children (and maybe recently) we have all picked up fluffy dandelion and blew off the winged seeds just as the ever-wise Mother Nature planned.  The simple dandelion brings health, beauty and fun into our lives. 
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I am reminded by something that President Abraham Lincoln said.  “I don’t like that man.  I must get to know him better.”  Next time you see a dandelion, look a little closer and get to know it better. ​
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