Greenwood Gardens
GARDENING DOYENNE
Lezette Proud moved to Short Hills from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1955, with her husband George and raised their two children, Polly and David, here. Afounding member of the Township Beautification League( TBL) and former presidentof the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now( CLEAN), Lezette now works at Greenwood Gardens as a tour guide and trustee. We sat down with Lezette to discuss the TBL, her 62 years in town, and atomato plant in a shoebox.
HOWHAVEYOU SEEN MILLBURN AND SHORTHILLS CHANGE DURING THE YEARS YOUHAVEBEEN HERE?
When we moved to town, themailman came twiceaday. Wehad an egg man and a man who came to the door to sharpen knives. There was no rule about dogs being on leashes. We had aSpringer Spaniel who lovedtogo down to what is now Charlie Brown’ s and come home with aloaf of bread! Back then everybody was outdoors playing. They had no sports for girls, but the boys had Little League and soccertofocus on; even back then the Millburn football team couldn’ t do it! I had a bell, and at 8o’ clock Iwould ring it andthe kids would come home. It was a different wayoflife.
THE TOWN BEAUTIFICATION LEAGUE WASFOUNDED IN THE SUMMER OF 1984. WHATLED TO ITSINCEPTION?
It began as a Short Hills Garden Club project started by Nancy Goat and Betty Eddy Cornwall( town volunteers), who planted daffodils in all of the Millburn Avenue traffic islands. This was sowell received that the TBL was born. Of the eight residents who founded the League, Ellen Morris and I survive.
HOWDID THE TBL GROW FROM THERE?
We had a notice in The Item, with pictures of the daffodils. We planted flats of marigolds when the daffodils finished. We weeded all the traffic islands across from what is now Trader Joe’ s. Then we decided the downtown needed sprucing up. We got whiskey barrels and the township had the mulch. We planted geraniums, on the important intersections in Millburn. We watered them all summer! Everybody had their watering assignment for their corner.
HOWWAS THE TBL FUNDED?
We had amassmailing thatweput in the tax return thatwent out in 1984. We satat the town hall and stuffed envelopes. The funds came in, so we were able to get moregeraniums, and moretubs.
For more information on the Town Beautification League,
please contact TBL President Linda Landy at 973-715-7823
WHATWAS YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN ON CHURCH STREET?
Thirty-five years ago, there was a little boy, Joe, who lived in an apartment with his mother next to the Junior League building. He had a sprouted tomato seed in a shoebox and he wanted to plant it. The manager of the Junior League told him to call me forhelp, and I found a placefor Joe to plant his tomato plant, in a landlocked area on Church Street where the Shade Tree Committee heeled in trees for planting later. The Neighborhood House nursery school president said they would help. Theydug up 20 plots of 10 by 20 feet, and Joe got a garden. There are now 80 plots and there’ s a long waiting list to have one. Some people who garden theredon’ t speak English, but you can always hold up a plant and youcan all admireitand smile at one another. It is more than gardening.
WHATHAPPENEDTOJOE?
Joe went to St. Rose. Hecame to my house as an adulttovisit me; he rang my doorbell and therehewas in asuit and tie!
MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE MAY 2017
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