The Pinelands Garden Club of Medford is pleased to announce that the Butterfly Garden and Preserve, approved for installation in Cranberry Park earlier this year by the Medford Township Council, will be ready to present to the public in early June. On Saturday, June 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the newly installed Butterfly Garden and Preserve will be the site for a “Garden Party” complete with a celebration. This family friendly, free event will feature live music by SJARMS (South Jersey Acoustic Roots Music Society), story telling by Diane Horner, a boutique of handcrafted items, face painting, native plant sale, and educational displays by Pollination Station and Mansions Monarchs. Importantly, all visitors will have an opportunity to visit the educational community garden that was made possible by the work of Pinelands Garden Club of Medford in partnership with many generous community businesses and volunteers.
Visitors to this event will have a chance to meet and thank community friends such as Eric Neugent of Neugent Construction and Mike and Paul Villano of Villano & Sons Concrete who, one after the other, excavated the site and then installed a beautiful sweeping hand-stamped stained concrete walkway that was designed by Courtney Longnecker. This multi-thousand dollar installation was fully donated by these local business people. A garden art piece was also donated by Refined on Main, and Full Circle Woodworks donated a custom bench handcrafted from recycled wood. Time, energy, and expertise were also freely shared by Boy and Girl Scout Troops in Medford along with their leaders and families. The HOMERS (handsome older men enjoying retirement), well known in Medford for their many acts of community service, installed the perimeter fence.
A second celebration will be offered on Monday, July 20, at high noon when Deb Strong of Mansions Monarchs in Medford Lakes releases 75 butterflies she will have raised and “wrangled “ from larvae found locally. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic lunch or snacks, chairs, or blankets for this “launch-eon” and take time to enjoy the garden in its peak months and then take a leisurely stroll down Main Street to enjoy all the new sights.
