When she started volunteering at the Elizabethtown Public Library a few years ago, Sandi Bush noticed something. The landscaping outside the back entrance and in the courtyard on the side of the building, located at 10 S. Market St., needed some attention.
"Everything was completely overgrown," Bush recalled. So, the avid gardener got to work. With a core group of about four or five people, Bush has been cleaning up the landscaping at the library. This year, three trees were removed. One was dead and the other two were oversized for the space. The group also worked with Warburton Nursery and Greenhouses to create a four-season design for one area of the courtyard.
"They gave us a map of what to plant where, and we planted everything," Bush said. "It's going to have color all year long." Paul Warburton was very helpful with the project, she noted, adding that he not only gave the group a significant discount, but also provided an easy-to-maintain design.
Along with the new plantings, a volunteer repaired sections of the book return shed as well as the wooden trash cans outside the library. Sherwin-Williams Paint Store donated paint for these projects, and Bush is now looking for people to help with painting. A wooden bench in the courtyard also needs to be painted. Additionally, she's looking for help with refreshing the metal railings that lead up to the library and enclose the courtyard, including scraping off peeling parts and repainting them.
Bush said the volunteers are striving to make the library an inviting place from the moment visitors pull into the parking lot.
"We want the outside to look nice," she said. "We hope people notice what we've been doing. It required a lot of work, but we're making the courtyard a place people want to be."
She also noted that the courtyard is used regularly by patrons who enjoy sitting outside and accessing the library's Wi-Fi as well as children's programs that are held outdoors.
Funding for the landscaping work has come from donations from volunteers, Bush said, and the group is always looking for more help. "We could use volunteers to help with weeding and pruning and litter pickup," she stated. "If you love gardening, we'd love to have your help. If you'd like to help but you can't come out to work, we are always looking for financial donations to help purchase plants, maintain trees and buy mulch."
The group plans a work day about once a month, Bush said. For more information or to volunteer, contact Bush at sandibush1234@gmail.com or 704-774-2994.
Leave a Review