The circle of purple chrysanthemums that have adorned the front Genesee Street walk of the Skaneateles Library for the past five years now encircle a rock and plaque recently installed to honor the members of the Skaneateles Garden Club for the work they do “lovingly” tending the library gardens and flower boxes.
The plaque was formally dedicated Tuesday, Nov. 8, by Richard H. Bennett, president of the Skaneateles Library Association Board of Trustees, Library Director Kathy Mosher, and a large representation of members from the garden club.
“This is a visible way to thank you for your years of service to this library,” said Bennett. “It’s a little overdue, but we thank you from the bottom of our collective library hearts.”
The plaque was given by the library association and the rock on which the plaque is attached was donated by Jeff Murphy Landsculptors, of Auburn, who does landscaping work for the library.
The Skaneateles Garden Club, which has been active in Skaneateles since 1931, plants and maintains the flower boxes in front of the library, changing the contents to match the seasons, and also redesigned the landscaping along the front of the library building.
“It’s a great honor,” said Helen Nolan, civic chair of the Skaneateles garden Club. “The library is one of our most wonderful, cherished institutions, and it is very gratifying to work on it.”
The club, which has around 90 members, started taking care of the library’s porch flower boxes in 1982, said club member Dee Dee Washington.
Typically, the porch boxes contain pansies in spring, annuals in summer, pumpkins in fall and greenery in winter.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
