Garden Club of Long Beach Island receives horticultural award for Edith Duff Gwinn Garden

The Garden Club of Long Beach Island received a Community Greening Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden, situated on the property of the Barnegat Light Museum. The garden was recognized as an outstanding public planting that improves the quality of life through horticulture. The garden club has maintained the local Eden since 1958.

Photo via GCLBI
Betty Frey attends the reception at
the Pennslvania governor's residence.

Beverly Reitinger, president of the garden club, and Betty Frey, co-chairwoman of the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden, attended a reception and accepted the award at the Pennsylvania governor’s residence in Harrisburg, Pa., in December. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s wife, First Lady Susan Corbett, presented the award.

“We were so excited that we were chosen for one of the awards given out from so many gardens in Pennsylvania and New Jersey,” said Frey. “It was Christmas time, and the residence was all decorated, and there was a wonderful reception with wonderful food.”

Members of PHS visited the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden in July to survey the property.

“We did not apply for the award; I presume someone told them about our wonderful garden,” said Frey.

The types of flowers and trees in the garden and the ease of walking through the vegetation as well as available water for the birds were just some of the PHS’ many noted observations, Frey explained.

“They even liked being able to sit at the picnic table where you can look out into the garden. It is quiet except for the singing birds,” she added.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.