The Monadnock Garden Club has nominated Dr. Michael Gordon and Maude Odgers for The Garden Club of America’s Civic Improvement Award in their town of Peterborough.
Their shared passion for horticulture and design became inspired by their attendance at a seminar given by Lynden B. Miller 15 years ago to improve the public spaces in town.
Peterborough is a historic town, the site of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” and the Contoocook River figured prominently in its early years. The river winds through the town under several old stone arch bridges. The small business district is bordered by several parks, both old and new. A short walkway from the parking lot leads to a covered wooden pavilion along the river. The background of sculptured ‘wave’ yews with colorful perennials, amusing boxwood shapes, and a low-maintenance walkway defined by an arching black metal border invite people and dogs with impunity.
The garden walk continues along the river with benches to a greensward containing picnic tables ending near the shops. Each of the bridges features large planters with exuberant annuals.
When an old building abutting the business area was recently redesigned to accommodate condominium units, the nondescript hill that was visible from their windows became the Bocelli Garden, funded by a local family. The garden illustrates Gordon’s and Odgers’ talents as the choice of plants for color, texture, and year-round interest is a tour-de-force. With the recent addition of a stone patio with Adirondack chairs, the garden beckons.
Putnam Grove, across from this new garden, was established in perpetuity in the 1800s and is continually being updated. Clearing and opening increase its usefulness to the pubic and it is now planned for more improvements.
Both Gordon and Odgers are members of the Town Park Commission and they have attracted a core of volunteers who come out every Wednesday to work in the parks, maintain the plantings and keep everything clean and in order.
As their work progressed, the manager of the shops in Depot Square employed an excellent floral designer to change all the planters in the business district on a seasonal basis, further complementing the lovely picture of Peterborough. The town’s budget and their use of grants has made this all possible.
This type of public garden improvement is exactly the kind of inspiration needed to further enhance and encourage public pride, outdoor enjoyment, and sustainability.
A further note on their own properties: Gordon’s is situated on a very steep hill near downtown Peterborough, where he has planted a ‘pedestrian’ garden for walkers-by in town, while developing an interesting and challenging garden on the hill in back. Odgers’ is out of town where she has used her yard space to hone her planting skills so evident in the townscape. It is clear that the shared information from their gardens has found fruition to the town’s benefit.