Green Thumb Helpers
A few years ago the Village installed new sidewalks along Delaware Avenue and several small gardens as well. These gardens are located on or near Delaware Avenue and at the entrances of the municipal parking lots. The Village also installed a gazebo on Delaware across the street from the Village Green and surrounded it with attractive plantings. KVIS works with the Kenmore Department of Public Works (DPW) to help maintain and beautify these areas throughout the growing season. The people who help maintain these gardens and plants are called KVIS Green Thumb Helpers.
The idea to become involved in helping with some of the gardening in the Village came from the KVIS Public Properties Committee. This Committee has many fine gardeners as members who wanted to offer their time and skills to help maintain and beautify Village gardens.
Gardens at the Point of the Village Green
For many years the Kenmore Garden Club planted annual flowers in the beds at the point of the Delaware’s (the two beds in front of the brick wall.) The KVIS asked the Club for their opinion on planting perennial plants in the flower beds and they gave a thumbs up to the idea. The beds were then planted with interesting, colorful, and varied perennials by expert plantsman and KVIS member, Dave Brenon. All of the plants you see in these point gardens are donated by Dave and the gardens are tended by him with great care. He has managed to create a combination of plants in the beds there that bring continual color and offer interest and beauty throughout the growing season.
Gazebo Gardens
The area around the gazebo is planted with evergreens, mixed shrubs, and hosta’s. Each Spring, the KVIS gets together to prune, weed, and spruce up the area in time for the Memorial Day Parade. After this initial clean-up, the DPW lays down mulch and two KVIS take it from there. Barbara Hanoven and Gay Tanner work to keep the area looking good throughout the hot summer days until the end of the growing season. At that time, around the end of September, we do a Fall clean-up of the area when we decorate for Autumn. You are welcome to join in this very rewarding way of helping care for your Village home, just give us a call or e-mail us and let us know you’d like to help.
Little Delaware Gardens
The little gardens along Delaware Avenue and at the entrances to the municipal parking lots add some pleasant green space along the sidewalk. This year the little gardens have been adopted by Green Thumb Helpers in the form of Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Daisy’s and Browines. About a dozen Kenmore Scout Troops have adopted the little gardens, weeding, adding flowers, and tending to them for the whole growing season! Saturday, May 15th was planting day and was followed by a pizza lunch on the Village Green. Many thanks to the KVIS event Coordinators, Scout Leaders, Beth Bordeleau and Jessica Sidor, and to the many Scout parents and Troop Leaders. Plaques will be present in each little garden to identify who has adopted each one. One Brownie was heard telling her friend, “Did you know that everyone in the whole Village is going to know that we planted these?”
Delaware Avenue Planters
The containers that are found along Delaware Avenue in the warmer months are placed there by the Kenmore DPW. The containers help add to our enjoyment of the growing season as we walk or drive along Delaware Avenue. The KVIS Public Properties gardeners last year asked the DPW if they could help select plants for the containers and offered to do the planting too. This container planting takes place just before Memorial Day. KVIS members are delighted that the DPW so graciously allows us to participate in helping to beautify the Village in this way and all the ways above. Gardening at home is rewarding but gardening for so many, in public places that belong to us all, gives one a deep sense of pride and a fulfilling feeling of true community. Please consider becoming a Green Thumb Helper today!
