Church Grounds & Memorial Gardens

Gardening Work Party
Church gardens need lots of weeding to happen now. Please reply if you can help. I am willing to arrange one evening a week after finding the evening most convenient for most people. There is much to be done. It is your church home.  Betty Howell, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Our Award Winning Trees
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Lands and Forests has recently updated the NYS Register of Big Trees which is used to track and measure trees of record size and to promote interest in their care and preservation.
We are the owners of three record-sized trees: a Mazzard Cherry (prunus avium)), a Wild Plum (prunus Americana) and a Downy Hawthorn (crataegus mollis). These trees were last measured in 2003 and must be re-measured within 10 years of that date to maintain status as a champion tree. Check out the Big Tree Register at www.dec.ny.gov

Changes to the Carriage House Gardens
We've tackled the west & east sides with more permanent plantings, featuring a mixture of deer-resitant and wherever possible, native plants. With composted manure worked into the soil, extensive mulching and lots of sweat, we anticipate beautiful results.

Thank you for everyone's patience as we redesign our green spaces. It is our hope to support our Green Sanctuary goals through more native plantings. We are also designing to reduce the amount of maintenance required for the gardens to remain healthy and more easily cared for ~ join us on Saturdays!

 
Living Memorial Gardens
The raised flower bed located in the center of our front lawn is our UUCA Memorial Garden. The garden was developed in l989, using funds raised from our members, to provide a quiet and peaceful area to scatter the ashes of our deceased church members and, if requested, their non-member relatives. Being a traditional perennial garden, different plants appear and bloom throughout the growing season, and there is always something flowering from early spring to late fall. Ashes are initially placed in a small, buried receptacle and later are dispersed among the different plants to nourish the soil and maintain the circle of life. The garden is currently maintained by a small committee of volunteers, and the fees paid by people who join the Memorial Garden are kept in a separate bank account and are used solely for its maintenance.

A very reasonable fee is charged for joining the Garden and this also includes the right to use a page in our Memorial Book (kept in the Ministers Office), to memorialize the deceased person, and a plaque on the Memorial Board (located in the Atrium) listing the persons name and year of birth and death. All fees are listed in the Living Memorial Garden leaflet available in the entrance hall or from Margot's office.

We invite you to stroll along the flagstone path that links the Church to the Garden, sit on the curved stone bench for a while, listen to the birds singing and enjoy the lovely view of our Church and grounds.

Pet Memorial Garden
A small area in the gardens near the Emerson Room has been made into our UUCA Pet Memorial Garden. With the help of Eagle Scouts a small walled area containing perennial plants has been prepared to receive the ashes of our beloved pets.The fee of $5 will help defray the cost of new plants as needed, and the garden will be maintained by Memorial Garden volunteers. Memorial Garden Committee:  Jerry Kent, Pam Twycross-Kent