Manager's Message
by Nicole Conners, Green Spring Gardens Manager
Nicole Conners (Photo credit: Ivy Sinaiko) It is 2020 and we are excited! We have so much to look forward this year with Green Spring Gardens 50th Anniversary! Look for the 50th logo on special programs highlighting our evolution over the past 50 years. We will celebrate this special occasion all year long and host a garden party this fall to commemorate this significant milestone!
Major projects for 2020 include phase 2 and phase 3 of “smart irrigation.” A huge thank you to the FROGS membership for the extreme generosity with the Smart Water Annual Appeal. The next phases will begin soon and should be completed before the high watering demands of summer— phew!
We have been working hard on the entrance to the Garden Gate Plant Shop as well. Be on the lookout for a refreshed entrance that is inviting and beautiful. Garden beds out front will demonstrate plant design choices for the selection of plants available to purchase. Remember that sales from the plant shop benefit FROGS.
We also have much to be thankful for. I want to sincerely thank FROGS board members Sarah Munroe, Fred Blott, and Tatiana Lisle for their service and leadership. Sarah was forward thinking with her position as president and bestowed many wonderful ideas and plans for the organization. Fred was terrific support to Sarah as vice president and is now serving as treasurer. As I have told Fred, the treasurer’s work is never done. Thank you to Tatiana, for her services over the last three years, for being the FROGS treasurer, and always ensuring bills were paid and the entire operation was running smoothly. Also a giant heart of gratitude to current president Ivy Sinaiko and vice president Susan Voss. I am delighted to be working with this new leadership on the projects mentioned above. We are in good hands.
It is also time to thank Nancy Olney for her many career triumphs at the gardens. After more than 25 years of service to the Park Authority at Green Spring, Nancy has retired. During her tenure, Nancy constantly raised the bar and pitched in with all areas. She has stunning artistic talents, with a keen eye for garden design. Many of us have enjoyed her talents in the holiday decorations at the Historic House and seasonal displays on the Patio Garden and have been intrigued by her plant palette in the Concentric Garden and Townhouse Gardens. Nancy has provided our visitors with a grand sense of arrival to Green Spring with her gifted touch in the Long Border. We have also learned from her expertise in edible gardening, with numerous harvests in the vegetable garden. Nancy was also charged with curating the Swale Garden and did so with magic. Finally, she always made sure to have the best plant vendors here on garden days. I know how much we will miss Nancy and her countless talents.
Transformation will continue at Green Spring with staff and our organizational structure. As I write this article, the hiring process is underway for the Horticulture Resource Manager. This is a new position for the gardens and one that is needed to continue our excellence to further our growth and development as a public garden and be the chief horticulture resource for the Park Authority.
I am looking forward to all the new things we are doing this year and beyond. It is exciting. Remember to register for a spring program and come visit us!
