Grovers—2 legged (Anonyman) and 4 legged (Laddie and Dreamer)–enjoy the iris display in Founders’ Park. May, 2014. Paul Goldfinger photo ©
Heck Ave. An Ocean Grove side/front garden. Blogfinger photo June 3, 2014. ©
Peonies at 128 Heck. June 5, 2014. Blogfinger photo
OG secret garden
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Did it ever occur to you that most of the events in town are mainly for tourists? What do we do to provide events specifically for Grovers?
Yes there is a town-wide picnic scheduled for July 18, but I’ve been thinking about OG secret gardens for some time. We have gardeners in town who have created the most amazing floral and vegetative displays as they have overcome the challenges of small spaces.
But if a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound? The same sort of question evolves from gardens—-miracles of nature—- that no one besides the homeowner gets to see. Is the visual impact as marvelous as when many people get to witness those fragile displays that peak in June in our town?
Why not let neighbors from anywhere in the Grove come visit your garden on one special morning? I raised this idea up the flagpole a couple of years ago, and we got a few positive responses, but never actually tried it. Grovers can bring their friends, and outsiders who hear about it can come. (We won’t advertise except on Blogfinger)
So here’s the suggestion: On Saturday June 14, a date when gardens should look great, let’s have the People’s Garden tour from 9 am-1 pm. To participate, all you need to do is give me your first name (s) and your address. Then, whether 2 people or 20 people show up, you can have the pleasure of sharing your garden’s treasures. I will post the participating gardens during the week of June 7.
I know it’s short notice, but this is a funky idea, such as those popularized recently by Tom Costantino in a comment on BF where he extolled the virtues of quirkiness and character in our town.
And even if only a few gardens sign up, that will be OK for starters. Eileen and I will do it, and I bet some people show up to see the results of her hard work. Fear of failure is not an option as we try, as Ken Buckley often suggests, to make OG a better place.
FRANKIE RANDALL (Ok, the month of May is over, but what the heck. Make believe he’s singing about June) And oh, Frankie Randall was born in Passaic, NJ—in January.