Greenwood Gardens
GARDENING DOYENNE
Lezette Proud moved to Short Hills from Cleveland , Ohio , in 1955 , with her husband George and raised their two children , Polly and David , here . Afounding member of the Township Beautification League ( TBL ) and former presidentof the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now ( CLEAN ), Lezette now works at Greenwood Gardens as a tour guide and trustee . We sat down with Lezette to discuss the TBL , her 62 years in town , and atomato plant in a shoebox .
HOWHAVEYOU SEEN MILLBURN AND SHORTHILLS CHANGE DURING THE YEARS YOUHAVEBEEN HERE ?
When we moved to town , themailman came twiceaday . Wehad an egg man and a man who came to the door to sharpen knives . There was no rule about dogs being on leashes . We had aSpringer Spaniel who lovedtogo down to what is now Charlie Brown ’ s and come home with aloaf of bread ! Back then everybody was outdoors playing . They had no sports for girls , but the boys had Little League and soccertofocus on ; even back then the Millburn football team couldn ’ t do it ! I had a bell , and at 8o ’ clock Iwould ring it andthe kids would come home . It was a different wayoflife .
THE TOWN BEAUTIFICATION LEAGUE WASFOUNDED IN THE SUMMER OF 1984 . WHATLED TO ITSINCEPTION ?
It began as a Short Hills Garden Club project started by Nancy Goat and Betty Eddy Cornwall ( town volunteers ), who planted daffodils in all of the Millburn Avenue traffic islands . This was sowell received that the TBL was born . Of the eight residents who founded the League , Ellen Morris and I survive .
HOWDID THE TBL GROW FROM THERE ?
We had a notice in The Item , with pictures of the daffodils . We planted flats of marigolds when the daffodils finished . We weeded all the traffic islands across from what is now Trader Joe ’ s . Then we decided the downtown needed sprucing up . We got whiskey barrels and the township had the mulch . We planted geraniums , on the important intersections in Millburn . We watered them all summer ! Everybody had their watering assignment for their corner .
HOWWAS THE TBL FUNDED ?
We had amassmailing thatweput in the tax return thatwent out in 1984 . We satat the town hall and stuffed envelopes . The funds came in , so we were able to get moregeraniums , and moretubs .
For more information on the Town Beautification League ,
please contact TBL President Linda Landy at 973-715-7823
WHATWAS YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN ON CHURCH STREET ?
Thirty-five years ago , there was a little boy , Joe , who lived in an apartment with his mother next to the Junior League building . He had a sprouted tomato seed in a shoebox and he wanted to plant it . The manager of the Junior League told him to call me forhelp , and I found a placefor Joe to plant his tomato plant , in a landlocked area on Church Street where the Shade Tree Committee heeled in trees for planting later . The Neighborhood House nursery school president said they would help . Theydug up 20 plots of 10 by 20 feet , and Joe got a garden . There are now 80 plots and there ’ s a long waiting list to have one . Some people who garden theredon ’ t speak English , but you can always hold up a plant and youcan all admireitand smile at one another . It is more than gardening .
WHATHAPPENEDTOJOE ?
Joe went to St . Rose . Hecame to my house as an adulttovisit me ; he rang my doorbell and therehewas in asuit and tie !
MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE MAY 2017
61