The Fanwood Environmental Commission put out a call for volunteer gardeners during the pandemic to help with the gardens around town.

Sandy Redder, Carol Chimento and Denise Rowbotham, pictured from left to right, of the Environmental Commission, put in a lot of work to make these pretty gardens in the center of the Borough Hall front lawn as well as along the front walkway. The gardens are a demonstration of a native plant perennial garden.

 “We had a nice response that first year, people wanting to get outside to be able to do something. From that, an informal group of volunteer gardeners started as an unofficial garden club. The FEC only guides them. They take care of the Pillinator garden in front of Borough Hall, the Monarch Waystation (flagpole garden) and one volunteer takes care of the front of Carriage Park,” Sandy Redder of the Commission said.

She said most of these gardens had been started by Scouts as project, but had fallen into disrepair over the years.

Redder, Carol Chimento and Denise Rowbotham have been working on the gardens in front of Borough Hall and along the pathway to beautify the municipal complex. The gardens are a demonstration of a native plant perennial garden.

Chimento said this year commission members put in many hours removing invasive plants in the different sections of the borough’s gardens.

“The gardens had gotten over gown. We were also able to thin out some of the native plants and reuse them in the Nature Center, mostly Brown Eyed Susans and Golden Ragwort,” Chimento said.

In addition to the gardens, the Environmental Commission are also the caretakers for the Fanwood Nature Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.