If you’ve ever taken the advice of the old adage that life is better when you take some time to “stop and smell the roses,” then you will share my appreciation for a wonderful organization here in Clarkstown that quite literally has planted many roses for our community to enjoy.
The Clarkstown Garden Club is a volunteer organization which aims to help beautify our town and stimulate an interest in horticulture. Since its inception in 1963, the club has worked diligently to turn neglected, abandoned, and otherwise unsightly areas in our town into beautiful garden spaces that have greatly improved our community. This year, the club is celebrating its 60th anniversary and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their efforts and shine a light on the beautiful work they do for us here in Clarkstown.
The club’s history can be traced to 1963, when a group of New City women decided they wanted to start a federated garden club. Organized as the “Welcome Wagon Newcomers Club of New City,” the club was open to all New City residents and held its first meeting at the home of Mrs. James Russell at 33 Mark Lane. Representatives from the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State and other local chapters were on hand to help them get organized. In addition to civic beautification, the club was meant to be a place where the appreciation of horticulture and flower arrangement could be discussed. At some point, the group adopted a logo depicting locally abundant Dogwood blooms with the majestic face of Hi Tor Mountain in the background.
In 1970, the club began work on a major civic beautification project at Dutch Gardens, which still remains a hidden gem in our town. If you visit the site today, you will find a beautiful, tranquil, peaceful garden with seating areas and a small walking path. The garden was originally designed and constructed in the 1930’s and was even awarded 1st Prize in a national contest naming the most beautiful gardens in the United States. However, by 1970, this once beautiful space had become a neglected, overgrown eyesore. Disappointed in seeing what the garden had become and envisioning what it once had been, the club set out to restore it back to its former glory. Working along with the Rockland County Park Commission and the County Building and Grounds Department, the club magnificently restored this wonderful treasure located adjacent to the south side of the Rockland County Courthouse and accessible through a small parking lot off Main Street. Over 100 evergreens were planted, along with dozens of shrubs and flowering plants. If you haven’t been there, I highly encourage you to take a walk through the grounds.
Some of the club’s other more prominent projects include the Blue Star Memorial at Congers Lake, the original “Welcome To New City” sign and garden at the intersection of Main Street and Route 304, and the Children’s Garden at the New City Library, which the club helps to maintain.
Today, Clarkstown Garden Club members volunteer their time to assist in educating childrenabout gardening, supporting and partnering with local organizations such as the Nanuet Library, Meals on Wheels, Keep Rockland Beautiful, and People to People. The club participates annually in multiple community clean ups, holds informational gardening sessions and assists with food drives for people in need. The club also participates in the National Forest Service’s “Penny Pines” program.
The club has earned my gratitude and appreciation for its remarkable work to beautify and improve our town. Please join me in thanking the Clarkstown Garden Club for the continued compassion and support of its members in providing exceptional volunteer services to those in need, and for its outstanding achievements in helping to beautify the Town of Clarkstown.
Congratulations on your 60th Anniversary!
