Rejuvenating a Fragrant Garden
Abandoned due to staff and funding cutbacks, the "Fragrant Garden" at the South Chula Vista library has been brought back to life through a joint effort of the Friends, the Chula Vista Garden Club and the California Native Plant Society-San Diego.
Library trustee James Balnis recruited Betsy Cory, a local gardener and native plant enthusiast, who secured a grant from the plant society to install a selection of aromatic plants in the triangular courtyard. Garden club members did the planting, the city maintenance crew repaired the irrigation system, and the South CV Friends provided patio furniture for what Cory and Balnis envision as a peaceful and "teachable" space.
"Clings" on the windows above the garden provide information about the aromatic plants. Click here to download the signs. Below left, Cory and Balnis in the new garden; below right, a few of the native plants,
Library trustee James Balnis recruited Betsy Cory, a local gardener and native plant enthusiast, who secured a grant from the plant society to install a selection of aromatic plants in the triangular courtyard. Garden club members did the planting, the city maintenance crew repaired the irrigation system, and the South CV Friends provided patio furniture for what Cory and Balnis envision as a peaceful and "teachable" space.
"Clings" on the windows above the garden provide information about the aromatic plants. Click here to download the signs. Below left, Cory and Balnis in the new garden; below right, a few of the native plants,
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Garden Dedication
Representatives of the Chula Vista Garden Club and the California Native Plant Society-San Diego gathered at the South Chula Vista Library in January to dedicate the garden, which is slowly beginning to bloom.
"You know what they say about native plants," says Betsy Cory, who spearheaded the effort. "The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap. So in another year, they will be everywhere!" Library director Betty Waznis thanked the groups for bringing the garden "back to life," noting that it is especially popular among children at the library's Kindergarten Boot Camp sessions, who enjoy visiting the space and "learning about the natural world." Amici di Vivaldi performed for the event.
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