From Meadowland Park Conservancy:
On the day before Mother’s Day, a newly landscaped corner of Meadowland Park came alive with music, flowers and community as neighbors gathered to dedicate Esther’s Garden, the latest project by the Meadowland Park Conservancy (MPC) and to kick off fundraising efforts for the garden’s second phase.
The new garden, at the corner of North Ridgewood Road and Mead Street, is the MPC’s first improvement project in the Flood’s Hill area of the park. The event celebrated mothers and caretakers while introducing what organizers hope will become a lasting tradition in South Orange’s “best 45 acres” — the people’s park.
Members of the Maplewood Glee Club, decked out in navy blazers and striped ties, performed a diverse set of favorites, including “Good Vibrations,” “I Am Everyday People” and the doo-wop classic “Shaboom.” Local realtor Lindsey Stone was on-site offering free bouquets of fresh flowers for moms, including peonies and tulips.
The garden was inspired by the MPC Chairman Matt Glass’s mother, Dr. Esther Glass, a life-long educator and late-in-life gardener, who passed away two years ago just days after turning 97. The garden’s first phase was funded through funds she bequeathed.
Conceived as a quiet oasis for reflection and peace, Esther’s Garden will honor mothers and caretaker figures throughout the community while activating an area of the park that has been dormant for many years. The first phase of the project included drainage and infrastructure work along with the installation of the first native plant garden bed.
The second phase will expand the space with additional native plantings, benches and a winding brick pathway through the gardens. To help fund the work, residents are invited to dedicate engraved bricks in honor of mothers, grandmothers and other caretaker figures whose names will become part of the pathway itself.
“Our goal is to make this event an annual tradition on Mother’s Day weekend,” said Glass. “As Esther’s Garden grows, we’ll fill this part of the park with music and celebration every year to honor mothers in South Orange and beyond.”
Esther’s Garden is the latest initiative from the Meadowland Park Conservancy, a volunteer organization focused on creating a greater sense of community in the park through improvement projects and public events. Up next is the group’s Skate House Sessions acoustic music series beside the pond, which will feature a different acoustic set each Wednesday in June.
Anyone interested in purchasing a brick and helping fund the next phase of the garden can learn more at https://polarengraving.com/
To learn more about the Meadowland Park Conservancy and to become a member, visit www.meadowlandpark.org.
