The Garden Club of Long Beach Island has been awarded a community gardens grant for the restoration of gardens damaged by Superstorm Sandy from the Garden Club of New Jersey Inc. via the N.J. Department of Agriculture. The $1,000 donation will go toward the restoration of the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden, featured on the premises of the Barnegat Light Museum, and the Beach Haven Public Library garden. The club’s members help maintain both of the local Edens throughout the year.
The gardens, which are open to the public and available for viewing throughout the year, were spared from any major damage. However, some of the club’s members expressed concern for the long-term condition of the flora.
“A lot of the flowerbeds (in the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden) had debris in them, and some of the trees got knocked down,” said Beverly Reitinger, president of the club. “We don’t know about the perennials yet because they haven’t come up yet, but a lot of the flowers have been damaged. We really don’t know what’s going to happen with all the plants coming back because of all the saltwater damage. That’s why I applied for the grant,” she added.
A few of the knocked-down cedar trees are leaning against electrical wires. Reitinger said the club would probably have to hire professionals to have them properly removed.
“A big one fell on an electrical line, and then three or four smaller ones fell against that tree, and that big tree is holding them all up,” explained Betty Frey, co-chairwoman of the club. “We had lots of needles and tips of evergreens strewn about, too. The rushing water ripped a lot of plants right out.”
Displaced from their monthly meeting space at the Terrace United Methodist Church in Beach Haven Terrace, which suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy, the garden club’s members have been welcomed at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church in Beach Haven. They were also invited to host their December holiday party at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies.
The group expects to be back at its usual meeting place by April. Reitinger said all of the club’s belongings stored at the church made it through the storm.
“Several of our ladies are in hotels because their homes have been ruined and they’re rebuilding, but we’re still meeting once a month, and everybody’s helping everybody,” said Reitinger. “The people around here are very generous. Everybody down here has been so kind to all the organizations.”
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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| Photo by Ryan Morrill The Edith Duff Gwinn Garden, located in Barnegat Light on LBI, will be restored from damages brought by Superstorm Sandy. |
The gardens, which are open to the public and available for viewing throughout the year, were spared from any major damage. However, some of the club’s members expressed concern for the long-term condition of the flora.
“A lot of the flowerbeds (in the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden) had debris in them, and some of the trees got knocked down,” said Beverly Reitinger, president of the club. “We don’t know about the perennials yet because they haven’t come up yet, but a lot of the flowers have been damaged. We really don’t know what’s going to happen with all the plants coming back because of all the saltwater damage. That’s why I applied for the grant,” she added.
A few of the knocked-down cedar trees are leaning against electrical wires. Reitinger said the club would probably have to hire professionals to have them properly removed.
“A big one fell on an electrical line, and then three or four smaller ones fell against that tree, and that big tree is holding them all up,” explained Betty Frey, co-chairwoman of the club. “We had lots of needles and tips of evergreens strewn about, too. The rushing water ripped a lot of plants right out.”
Displaced from their monthly meeting space at the Terrace United Methodist Church in Beach Haven Terrace, which suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy, the garden club’s members have been welcomed at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church in Beach Haven. They were also invited to host their December holiday party at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies.
The group expects to be back at its usual meeting place by April. Reitinger said all of the club’s belongings stored at the church made it through the storm.
“Several of our ladies are in hotels because their homes have been ruined and they’re rebuilding, but we’re still meeting once a month, and everybody’s helping everybody,” said Reitinger. “The people around here are very generous. Everybody down here has been so kind to all the organizations.”
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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