New Front Garden at Grace
After months of planning and in consultation with local landscape architect, Arthur Bartenstein, and Staunton garden consultant, Barbara Brothers, the Property Committee installed a new garden at the front of Grace Church on April 28th. In preparation, church volunteers removed old, overgrown plants and added new composted topsoil. The concept is to establish a fresh, open and inviting space which would appeal to churchgoers and passers by. This is mainly a white garden with bushes and flowers blooming from spring to autumn and includes:
● Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet, ‘Sixteen Candles’)
● Fothergilla gardenia (Small Witch Alder, ‘Mt.Airy’)
● Hydrangea paniculata (Little Lime)
● Itea virginica (Va. Sweetspire, ‘Henry's Garnet’)
● Magnolia stellate (‘Royal Star’)
● Phlox paniculate (Garden Phlox, ‘David’)
● Lilium (Oriental Lily, ‘Casa Blanca’)
● Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
And soon to be added:
● Clamentha nepeta (Calament Plant of the Year)
● Convalaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)
● Hermerocallis x hybrid (Daylily Heavenly Artic Ice)
● Anemone x hybrid (Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ )
● Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)
● Paeonia (Peony, White variety to match existing peony)
And possibly Viburnum x juddii and Trillium grandiflorum Great White Trillium).
The garden around St. Francis will be thinned out, but we will maintain the hellebores (Lenten Rose) and narcissi.
When you stop by church, please feel free to sit on our new teak bench and chairs and enjoy the garden.
Elizabeth Boetsch
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