Sun, April 12 1-4 p.m. An Afternoon in the Gardens of Grasmere Park - Helpful Spring Gardening Tips

Sunday, April 12 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

An Afternoon in the Gardens of Grasmere Park
Helpful Hands-On Spring Gardening Tips

Need advice on how to tackle your garden beds, plants or shrubs this spring as they awaken from their long winter dormancy? Join Durand-Hedden for a ‘hands-on’ day in the gardens on the grounds of Grasmere Park. 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 12 experienced gardeners Helen Kensinger and Judy Halesky, and arborist Todd Lamm will explain how to plan, maintain and prune your spring garden. Proper techniques for cleaning out planting beds, preparing planting holes and planting and maintaining perennials and shrubs will be demonstrated. Visitors are invited to come with their gardening questions and, if they wish, to lend a hand as we begin to prepare the park grounds.

Two acre Grasmere Park is the setting for the historic Durand-Hedden House and once was part of the original 40 acre plantation that surrounded it. The public park is to be enjoyed for passive activities like strolling in the meadow or viewing the Maplewood Herb Garden. It was named for longtime Maplewood mayor Robert Grasmere through whose efforts the house and property were purchased by the Township.

The house will be open and visitors can also catch the intriguing exhibit, The Maplewood Theater: Its Forgotten Saga, which explores the ever-changing 87-year history of the Maplewood Theater, spanning silent films, vaudeville, talkies, a famed era of live theater, neighborhood cinema, and the current sixplex. Out in the carriage house the Country Store will be selling historic- themed treasures: early American children’s games, books and toys, facsimile documents, quill pens and ink, historic cook books, cookie molds, tin lanterns, reproduction ceramics, hiking sticks, local honey and more. The hard- to-find original Doors of Maplewood poster and Smile, the history of Olympic Park, will also be available.

The event is free. Donations are appreciated. The Durand-Hedden House is dedicated to telling the history of the development of Maplewood and the surrounding area in new and engaging ways. It is located in Grasmere Park at 523 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood. To arrange group tours call 973-763-7712.