Books and Benches … A Perfect Duo
by Gioia Caiola Forman, Green Spring Master Gardener, and FROGS Board Member
There’s something magical about being outdoors, sitting on a bench and having a book to read. Years ago, while I was living in Boston as a young college student, my father sent me a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s 'Walden'. He encouraged me to go to Concord, approximately 15 miles from my dorm, to visit Walden Pond and begin reading the book. Today Walden Pond is an established park. Back in the late 60’s it was just a lake surrounded by a few benches. There was a sign explaining the lake was formed by retreating glaciers thousands of years ago and another sign paying homage to Thoreau.
My life-long habit to always carry a book and hope to find a bench to read on was started at Walden Pond.
Mindy Nash sits on her late husband’s stone bench with his favorite book and flowers. (Photo credit: Gioia Caiola Forman)You don’t have to travel to Concord to read in a beautiful naturalistic setting surrounded by water, wildlife, and singing birds. Just visit Green Spring Gardens and head to the wooded stream valley with ponds that flow into Turkey Cock Run. There’s a beautiful bench made from a split rock dedicated to Bruce Nash, once a FROGS board member. Bruce, like Thoreau, was a lover of nature. His interest in horticulture began at an early age, helping tend flower gardens at his grandfather’s farm in Alexandria, Virginia. At 15, Bruce got his first job at Alexandria Floral Co., working in the greenhouses and, in time, started helping in the florist shop. This ultimately led him to pursue a degree in floriculture from Virginia Tech. After graduation, he returned to Alexandria Floral as their manager and worked there for 30 + years. Bruce was a gifted floral designer, and some of you might remember the holiday and floral design classes he taught at Green Spring.
He was a man who loved teaching and taught horticulture at Northern Virginia Community College. As Green Spring is a horticultural park, it became a favored place to hold his plant identification classes. He was known to put yellow sticky notes over plant and tree-markers when it came to exam time. His wife of 26 years, Mindy, a current FROGS board member, says she was told by a Green Spring gardener that she found a sticky note on a marker after his death. Like Thoreau, Bruce loved trees and was a life-long learner—which explains why one of his favorite books was a reference book, Michael Dirr’s 'Manual of Woody Landscape Plants.'
Reading outdoors is a multi-sensory experience. Being at Green Spring during good weather is the perfect time to find a recognition bench and read a book. There are many benches located around the grounds. You can sit and focus on listening to the outdoor sounds or get lost in your book. It’s great to read outdoors with children. Reading outside helps children learn to sharpen their attention and listening skills as they deal with the distractions of people, traffic sounds, birds, and lawn mowers.
Chocolat Forman's Bench next to the Little Library in the Children's Garden. (Photo credit: Gioia Caiola Forman)Green Spring’s Children’s Garden offers a “Free Little Library.” Unfortunately, this little library is currently closed because of safety precautions relating to Covid-19. In normal times, however, it’s stocked with books that children can borrow, take home to read and, when finished, return to pick up another. The Children’s Garden is a perfect place to encourage reading outdoors, discover nature, explore, and even water plants.
Next to the library is a bench for reading. This bench is dedicated to “Chocolat Forman.” The dedication reads:
Medical alert dog…Ambassador to all.
Dearest friend and companion…Honorary Master Gardener
Forever in our hearts
2001-2016
This bench is very special to me because Chocolat was my medical alert dog. Children and their families frequently sit and read on the bench.
Chocolat Forman's memorial bench (Photo credit: Gioia Caiola Forman)
Books are an important part of the Friends of Green Spring (FROGS) culture. FROGS offers two book groups focusing on horticulture and nature. If you’re interested in what they’re reading, see 'Recommended Reading' in the fall 2019 issue of Gardenline. You’ll find fascinating selections. So pick one of their titles or grab whatever you’re reading, pack a snack, and go find a bench at glorious Green Spring. I promise you’ll be delighted!
Gioia Caiola Forman and Chocolat (Photo credit: Steve Forman)
