Standing on the plot of land once owned by Joseph Bonaparte – former King of Naples and Spain and brother of Napoleon – garden steward Lara Periard shared her enthusiasm for developing the Point Breeze Historic Garden.
“This project is unique for several reasons,” Periard says. “Unlike a standard vegetable garden or farm, its purpose is to represent the history of the land, as well as to grow food for donation to the community. We are growing historic crops, primarily what would’ve been grown by Bonaparte’s gardener at the time.”
The first planting includes carrots, fennel, parsnips, beans, beets, squash, turnips, kale, radishes, and cabbage. Volunteers have also planted flowers, lavender, and blueberries by the house.
Connecting visitors and local residents to the land and to each other is another reason for Periard’s enthusiasm. D&R Greenway’s garden and the adjacent gardener’s house are part of the 60 acres that were permanently preserved in December 2020 by the land trust in partnership with the State of New Jersey and City of Bordentown, N.J.
D&R Greenway’s president and CEO Linda Mead invites the public to celebrate the newly planted garden and its first harvest season on Saturday, Oct. 1. The inaugural tour will begin at 2 p.m. and will last for an hour. Led by Mead and Periard, the free event is open to the public with pre-registration available at drgreenway.org or info@drgreenway.org.
“We’ll share how the landscape and garden were modeled on historic photos and maps and what you can expect to see when our Discovery Center at Point Breeze opens in the former Bonaparte gardener’s house this fall,” Mead said.
To learn more about the Point Breeze Historic Garden and ways you can volunteer, contact Periard at lperiard@drgreenway.org.
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