PARKS: Where Nature Meets Community

February 22, 2022

North Country GC of Long Island Helps Rejuvenate a Pocket Park in Oyster Bay, Long Island

As part of the The Garden Club of America’s PARKS: Where Nature Meets Community initiative in honor of Frederick Law Olmsted, the North Country Garden Club of Long Island (NCGC) gave a grant to rejuvenate a pocket park in Oyster Bay, New York. The small, but important, public space is adjacent to a municipal parking lot and serves as the gateway into the Raynham Hall Museum’s lovely historic garden.

The project, a joint effort by the club’s Civic and Garden History & Design committees, called for a major clean-up of the landscaping including the pruning of existing shrubs and removal of invasive plants. Boxwood, crape myrtle, a ‘Dragon Lady’ holly tree, rhododendron, pachysandra, and new irrigation were installed. ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas were transplanted from the Raynham Hall garden. The town of Oyster Bay joined the efforts and repaired the brick sidewalk. Next spring, 245 daffodil bulbs will emerge in the beds of pachysandra.

Park visitors now have better visibility into the historic garden as they sit on benches, nestled among Ginkgo trees. Also, groups of school children have an improved side entrance for entering the Raynham Hall Museum. NCGC is pleased to have taken part in this initiative and to support the Oyster Bay Community with the revitalization of this civic space.

The Garden Club of America (GCA) is a proud founding partner of the Olmsted 200 bicentennial campaign. The GCA's contribution to the celebration is the unprecedented opportunity for all 199 GCA clubs to connect the needs of their communities with Olmsted’s revolutionary vision for parks and public landscapes by participating in the GCA’s initiative, PARKS: Where Nature Meets Community. Each club project helps their local community public spaces while collectively celebrating Olmsted’s genius for public access to nature across the country.

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