Shrewsbury Garden Club Members
Keep Busy This Summer
10 JUNE 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
It was easy to tell that many people have spent time in May with gardening
on their minds. After months of poring over catalogs, dreaming and
sketching, the public turned up in impressive numbers for the annual
Shrewsbury Garden Club’s spring plant sale. Proceeds from this sale are
used to maintain the public gardens around the Shrewsbury Borough
municipal complex. All orders for geraniums and other annual spring
The club was also still enthusiastic to use the tips that local garden
designer Erin Koberle, of Erin Koberle Gardens, shared during her talk
and demonstration on container gardening. They were most excited
about using perennials in pots which reduces cost and adds interesting
foliage in stunning arrays of colors and textures.
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trance to Borough Hall. Using Koberle's advice, the planter’s design uses
winterberry plants as anchor plantings to provide year-round color. To
produce vibrant red berries in winter for a lovely holiday display, they
chose male and female plants and these planters also had room for colorful
annual plants. They also planted two containers located in front of
the Shrewsbury Historical Society using the same concepts. In early May,
pink blooms, huechera with reddish, lobed leaves and Creeping Jenny
that has zingy lime trailing foliage. As the temperatures soar, the Martha
Washingtons will stop looking fresh, so they will be replaced with
shop for replacements.
Two mornings in May were spent in the walled garden. The English
ivy that romantically scampers up the brick walls was given a healthy trim.
Several established shrub roses also received a good pruning as dead or
crossing branches were removed and the shrubs were shaped up. This
month, they should be covered in rosebuds and ready to put on a show.
Several members spent hours on their hands and knees cleaning up the
ground covers which had grown enthusiastically. Next, the club used
mulch to top off the pathway
that meanders through the
garden. A new rain barrel was
also installed in this space.
Set up on bricks, this terracotta
colored vessel will collect
rain water, making it easy for
hardworking club members
to give thirsty plants a drink.
A new St. John’s Wort shrub
was purchased for the area
just outside of the garden.
This shrub is native to North
America and supports pollinators
with its cheery, yellow
blooms all summer. Add
drought tolerance and deer
resistance to its charms, and the club has high hopes for this shrub making
a big impression.
Club Co-President Judy Bonanno, of Shrewsbury, was positively giddy
about her new cordless leaf blower, which she is using to clear away loose
soil when containers are being replanted. Notable envy was displayed
when Lara Garrett, of Red Bank, came to a day of service with her new
"baby shovel." These mini shovels with shorter handles and smaller
blades make them ideal for planting in containers or squeezing that one
last plant into a tight space.
New members are welcome to join Shrewsbury Garden Club. Members
can live in Shrewsbury or the local area. Email shrewsburygardenclub@
gmail.com for membership details or visit ShrewsburyGC.com for
more information about the club.
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