OXFORD – The Oxford Garden Club (OGC), the non-profit community beautification group, started working on landscaping the newly expanded Oxford Memorial Library at Fort Hill Park at the end of April. Donna Schindler, Elva Hawken, Jeanne Cline accompanied by spouses John Farran, Ken Hawken, and Lyle Cline weeded, pruned, dug, planted and watered areas outside of the landmark library. The volunteer labor only followed after weeks of careful research, planning and designing. It took more than one planting session, but everything will be groomed and mulched to perfection for the library’s new Community Room Dedication Ceremony on May 31.
All plants were selected by the experienced Club members for their hardiness, attractiveness, and adaptability to the soil and light. Once decisions were agreed upon, a landscaped design was created.
Some of the new and winter hardy plants you’ll see outside the library are a ‘Miss Kim’ lilac shrub and a ‘Blue Bunny’ hydrangea. The, later than usual, modest blooms of the Miss Kim have the most intoxicating aroma of all lilacs and the shrub stays manageably small. The Blue Bunny produces an abundance of blue and white flowers in late summer until frost.
Select trees were in the scheme too. There was a redbud tree, an early spring bloomer, and a long flowering, ‘Satomi’ kousa, pink dogwood. Nearby the trees, they’ve planted some handsome, dense looking ‘Wintergreen’ boxwood shrubs that will provide good evergreen color. There were some accent bluestone boulders placed for added interest and unity of design. Basic plant maintenance was been taken care of too. Existing shrubs were upgraded with pruning, leaves were raked away, and some unhealthy mugo pines were removed.
The Library project is being done with in-put and help from the library and Village Board and is going to be an ongoing garden plan for the next few years. In the future, a reading bench will be added to accent one garden for visitors to enjoy.
Be sure to stop by the library, at 8 Fort Hill Park, to see the new landscaping additions. Also, on Monday, May 31st, at 1 p.m. the Library is having a Dedication Ceremony of the new Community Room. All are welcome. The 200 year old, Oxford Memorial Library was once the home of the famous bridge designer Theodore Burr, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Oxford Garden Club has a very busy planting season planned with many interesting and fun programs. Their annual Perennial Plant Sale will be in LaFayette Park on June 12.
For some Club background, visit oxfordny.com/community/groups/oxgarden.html. If you are interested in becoming an active member please contact Jeanne Cline at 843-6278 or email: jlcline@frontiernet.net . The OGC meets the third Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m., at different homes on a rotating basis.