The Challenge of Caring for a Public Garden During a Pandemic
by Laura Strecker, Adult Education Program Assistant
While most everything else halted, closed, or paused in mid-March, the pandemic could not stop spring from arriving at the gardens. The leaves sprouted and the flowers budded as they do every year, completely unperturbed by the situation that was unfolding around them. The fact that the stay-at-home orders and widespread closures coincided with nature’s “busiest time of the year” as it phased from winter dormancy to spring regrowth was both a comfort and a challenge at Green Spring Gardens.
Alda Krinsman working in the garden by the Gazebo. Photo by Laura Strecker
On the one hand, the grounds and trails remained open, which allowed many visitors to find solace and calm in a beautiful oasis when they needed it most. Almost every day there was something new in bloom to enjoy, and the pleasant weather that lingered for weeks on end beckoned visitors to spend time in the gardens. Many individuals and families that suddenly had a lot of free time on their hands visited the gardens for the first time. “I had seen the signs to the gardens but never had a chance to come in and check it out,” said a young woman who was taking pictures of the peonies. “I finally had some free time to come. It is so beautiful.” It was heartwarming to know that so many people found enjoyment and relief at Green Spring during such a trying time.
On the other hand, because our public facilities (i.e., the Horticulture Center and Historic House) were closed and only merit staff could report to work, caring for and maintaining the gardens was going to be a herculean task. Those of you who have your own “little slice of Eden” at home know how much goes into preparing it for spring and keeping entropy at bay: weeding, mulching, weeding, trimming, weeding, planting, and more weeding. Imagine the work that goes into caring for 32 acres of garden! Having already been short-staffed before the pandemic hit and unable to enlist the help of our amazing volunteers, we feared the additional restrictions were going to make it impossible to keep up. So, how did we manage? Everyone who could, pitched in.
Cole Gandee planting and weeding in the garden by the Historic House. Photo by Laura Strecker.
Our horticulturists and gardeners (Brenda Skarphol, Alda Krinsman, Cole Gandee, and Nancy Olney—who came out of her recent retirement to help out) worked tirelessly at weeding, planting, and mulching. Frank Jankauskas was busy as ever, caring for the grounds and ponds, and even building a new Garden Gate door. Visitor Services Manager Susan Eggerton spent hours working in the gardens. Historian Debbie Waugh took care of the weeding around the Historic House. “It had been 18 years since the last time I took on weeding at Green Spring, back when I was a Virginia Native Plant intern,” said Debbie. “With only a skeleton staff here in March and most of April, and no volunteers, the weeds quickly took over. None of us could fail to appreciate all the work that it takes to maintain the gardens. My aching back reminded me that it’s incredibly hard work that just won’t stand for any interruption… But I was buoyed by the ‘before and after’ impact of the work and by the words of thanks and encouragement I got from passing visitors.”
After the first month of closure, when non-merit staff was allowed to return to work on a limited basis, our front desk staff Lisa Jackson and Karen Aftergut and children’s education staff Amanda Mason and Elizabeth Waugh also got their hands dirty. Amanda shared: “I didn’t know anything about gardening, so the thought of working in the garden was somewhat daunting at first. But I was excited to try something new and I’m always willing to fill in when needed. When I first started, it was pretty hard on my knees and back but it was surprisingly fun and I actually learned a lot. Nancy gave me tips for my own vegetable garden. It was almost therapeutic to pull weeds and sit out in the garden.” Elizabeth agreed: “I learned new facts about specific plants and gardening methods that we'll be able to translate into our children's education programs. I have immense respect for all the hard work the gardeners do to make the park so beautiful, and I certainly have a new appreciation for that hard work.”
As restrictions slowly lifted, we were happy to see the return of our volunteers (many of whom no doubt had found it hard to “ignore” the patches of weeds sprouting throughout the gardens and were itching to pitch in), and even got some help from two Fairfax County staff members who were assigned to us through a “job match” program. There is still a lot of work to catch up on, and we are so happy to have the extra hands and much-needed help. Despite the many challenges and limitations we’ve faced these past few months, we constantly hear comments about how beautiful the gardens are looking. It has undoubtedly been a labor of love. We know our visitors and volunteers love these gardens… but the fact that Green Spring has been able to weather the pandemic is a testament to how much our dedicated staff love these gardens.
We are grateful for everyone’s support and hard work, and we are proud to offer a place of respite for our community, in good times and bad.
Susan Eggerton and one of our job-match staff members weeding in the Family Garden. Photo by Marylou Wall.
