Perennial Planters is a proud member of the
Garden Club of America and the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs
Garden Club of America and the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs
The Perennial Planters Garden Club fosters a community of horticulturists dedicated to the love of gardening and to the improvement and benefit of the urban landscape through action in education, conservation and preservation. In addition to membership in the Garden Club of America and ongoing collaboration with other GCA Clubs, Perennial Planters is actively involved with the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs, sharing the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences and correspondence, not only in our Community but in our State, Nationally and Internationally.
Resource Recovery Tour
April 21, 2022
Can a trip to the dump be fun? Absolutely!
by Emily McDermott
When I was a little girl, before my dad could afford to have the ‘garbage man’ come to our house and empty our trash barrels once a week, Saturday afternoon was our time to load those green barrels into the trunk of the car and drive our trash over the railroad tracks to the town dump. For me this was great fun spending time alone with my dad in this mysterious land filled with things like old bikes, Clorox bottles, food wrappers, worn out mattresses and not a sign of recycling because it wasn’t really a ‘thing’ back then. If only my dad could have come with me and my fellow Perennial Planters last month on our ‘field trip’ to Rhode Island’s ultimate dump, The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. He would have been amazed!
I have to admit, I was immediately impressed by the size of this place! From my car, above a smattering of low lying cement buildings, I saw a vast landscape of rolling grass and dirt covered hills, crisscrossed with unpaved roads that were dotted with slow moving trucks that looked like toys in the distance. As I passed thru the entrance and parked my car, I was hoping today’s tour would take us up into those hills!
There were six of us ‘Planters’ joining the 11:30 tour on a comfortable white school bus with a cheerful young guide named Jenny standing up in the front. As we lumbered along the dirt roads she pointed out disposal sites for tires, appliances, metal and various ‘toxic’ liquids like antifreeze.
Our route continued past long rows of compost in an area the size of a football field before heading up ‘into the hills’. Our guide Jenny pointed out that these hills of thrash from around the state were about 250 feet high and they included the annual 100,000 tons of food scraps that make their way into this nearly 400 acre facility.
Driving thru these hills we noticed hundreds of black pipes with bright orange tubes coming out of the ground. We learned they were installed to prevent methane (a greenhouse gas produced by tons of garbage) from getting into the atmosphere. Good idea! Landfills are one of the biggest sources of methane emissions.
The scenic highlight of our bus journey was our stop at the top of our hill where we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Providence skyline, the Bay and beyond. Who knew such a lovely view could be had from a landfill! (Did I just use ‘lovely’ and ‘landfill’ in the same sentence?).
Returning to the bottom, we left the bus and followed Jenny into the recycling center where we saw a seemingly well oiled system of multi-level conveyor belts, chutes, and sorting systems (including humans) dealing with tons of recyclable trash on a daily basis. Yes, Jenny said tons. She also offered up some recycling ‘takeaways’ for those of us sorting our own trash at home:
*Soda/beer cans: the cans are recyclable but both the boxes they come in as well as the plastic rings that hold a 6-pack together are not.
*About those boxes: most that have any plans to be refrigerated cannot be recycled because they are treated or coated with something that can’t be processed at the plant. Items like your waffle and sausage boxes are in this category.
BUT, your refrigerated chicken broth box can be recycled because it’s put together in layers and there is actually another company that separates those layers and then recycles them. Who knew?!
*Finally, cardboard boxes: Tape or no tape, that is the question for many box thrower outers. The answer is yes, you can leave the tape on it will all be recycled.
So, would I recommend a trip to that giant landfill in Johnston? Absolutely! The view from the top and the availability of compost for your garden at the bottom is certainly worth an hour and a half if your time.
by Emily McDermott
When I was a little girl, before my dad could afford to have the ‘garbage man’ come to our house and empty our trash barrels once a week, Saturday afternoon was our time to load those green barrels into the trunk of the car and drive our trash over the railroad tracks to the town dump. For me this was great fun spending time alone with my dad in this mysterious land filled with things like old bikes, Clorox bottles, food wrappers, worn out mattresses and not a sign of recycling because it wasn’t really a ‘thing’ back then. If only my dad could have come with me and my fellow Perennial Planters last month on our ‘field trip’ to Rhode Island’s ultimate dump, The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. He would have been amazed!
I have to admit, I was immediately impressed by the size of this place! From my car, above a smattering of low lying cement buildings, I saw a vast landscape of rolling grass and dirt covered hills, crisscrossed with unpaved roads that were dotted with slow moving trucks that looked like toys in the distance. As I passed thru the entrance and parked my car, I was hoping today’s tour would take us up into those hills!
There were six of us ‘Planters’ joining the 11:30 tour on a comfortable white school bus with a cheerful young guide named Jenny standing up in the front. As we lumbered along the dirt roads she pointed out disposal sites for tires, appliances, metal and various ‘toxic’ liquids like antifreeze.
Our route continued past long rows of compost in an area the size of a football field before heading up ‘into the hills’. Our guide Jenny pointed out that these hills of thrash from around the state were about 250 feet high and they included the annual 100,000 tons of food scraps that make their way into this nearly 400 acre facility.
Driving thru these hills we noticed hundreds of black pipes with bright orange tubes coming out of the ground. We learned they were installed to prevent methane (a greenhouse gas produced by tons of garbage) from getting into the atmosphere. Good idea! Landfills are one of the biggest sources of methane emissions.
The scenic highlight of our bus journey was our stop at the top of our hill where we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Providence skyline, the Bay and beyond. Who knew such a lovely view could be had from a landfill! (Did I just use ‘lovely’ and ‘landfill’ in the same sentence?).
Returning to the bottom, we left the bus and followed Jenny into the recycling center where we saw a seemingly well oiled system of multi-level conveyor belts, chutes, and sorting systems (including humans) dealing with tons of recyclable trash on a daily basis. Yes, Jenny said tons. She also offered up some recycling ‘takeaways’ for those of us sorting our own trash at home:
*Soda/beer cans: the cans are recyclable but both the boxes they come in as well as the plastic rings that hold a 6-pack together are not.
*About those boxes: most that have any plans to be refrigerated cannot be recycled because they are treated or coated with something that can’t be processed at the plant. Items like your waffle and sausage boxes are in this category.
BUT, your refrigerated chicken broth box can be recycled because it’s put together in layers and there is actually another company that separates those layers and then recycles them. Who knew?!
*Finally, cardboard boxes: Tape or no tape, that is the question for many box thrower outers. The answer is yes, you can leave the tape on it will all be recycled.
So, would I recommend a trip to that giant landfill in Johnston? Absolutely! The view from the top and the availability of compost for your garden at the bottom is certainly worth an hour and a half if your time.
The Power and Importance of Nature
2021 Four Club Luncheon
September 21, 2021
by Emily McDermott
The upcoming 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmstead created a theme for discussion about the power and importance of nature for this year’s Four Club Luncheon hosted by the Perennial Planters Garden Club at the Agawam Hunt Club in East Providence.
During the past year and half, most of us spent more time outdoors walking, biking and looking for an escape from the captivity and limitations caused by the pandemic. This relief, solace and freedom we found in nature is nothing new according to Daniel Nadenicek, Professor and Draper Chair of Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia and the speaker for this year’s gathering of 90 horticulture enthusiasts. Outdoors, under a sunny September sky, he shared the visions and works of Frederick Law Olmstead, Frederick Billings and Horace Cleveland who collectively designed, created and worked to set aside land that became some of our country’s most treasured outdoor public spaces. Among them are Central Park in New York City ( F.L. Olmstead), Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, VT
( F. Billings, whose land conservation efforts also led to what we know as Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks) and Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI ( H. Cleveland).
These three men along with literary ‘influencers’ of the 1800’s ( ie. Andrew Jackson Downing: “plant spacious parks in your cities” ) had a clear understanding of the power and importance of creating and preserving outdoor spaces accessible to all. They believed that spending time out in nature provided mental, spiritual and physical health benefits. 150 years later, we all know this to be true. Here in Rhode Island more than a million visitors a year enjoy Roger Williams Park, designed by Horace Cleveland in 1878. He further explained his belief in the benefits of spending time outdoors in his final publication before his death: “The Influence of Parks in the Character of Children.”
This annual luncheon was organized by Liz Mauran and Nancy Compton from the Perennial Planters of Providence. Other Rhode Island clubs in attendance were from Newport, Little Compton and the South County Garden Club which will host next year’s gathering.
2021 Four Club Luncheon
September 21, 2021
by Emily McDermott
The upcoming 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmstead created a theme for discussion about the power and importance of nature for this year’s Four Club Luncheon hosted by the Perennial Planters Garden Club at the Agawam Hunt Club in East Providence.
During the past year and half, most of us spent more time outdoors walking, biking and looking for an escape from the captivity and limitations caused by the pandemic. This relief, solace and freedom we found in nature is nothing new according to Daniel Nadenicek, Professor and Draper Chair of Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia and the speaker for this year’s gathering of 90 horticulture enthusiasts. Outdoors, under a sunny September sky, he shared the visions and works of Frederick Law Olmstead, Frederick Billings and Horace Cleveland who collectively designed, created and worked to set aside land that became some of our country’s most treasured outdoor public spaces. Among them are Central Park in New York City ( F.L. Olmstead), Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, VT
( F. Billings, whose land conservation efforts also led to what we know as Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks) and Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI ( H. Cleveland).
These three men along with literary ‘influencers’ of the 1800’s ( ie. Andrew Jackson Downing: “plant spacious parks in your cities” ) had a clear understanding of the power and importance of creating and preserving outdoor spaces accessible to all. They believed that spending time out in nature provided mental, spiritual and physical health benefits. 150 years later, we all know this to be true. Here in Rhode Island more than a million visitors a year enjoy Roger Williams Park, designed by Horace Cleveland in 1878. He further explained his belief in the benefits of spending time outdoors in his final publication before his death: “The Influence of Parks in the Character of Children.”
This annual luncheon was organized by Liz Mauran and Nancy Compton from the Perennial Planters of Providence. Other Rhode Island clubs in attendance were from Newport, Little Compton and the South County Garden Club which will host next year’s gathering.
A History of the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Park by Rebecca W. S. More
The City of Providence's Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Park was dedicated in 1989. Until the fall of 1988, the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Park was an eyesore, an overgrown, abandoned lot in the heart of historic Providence. Visitors to the remarkable architectural heritage of Providence and the PPS Festival of Historic Houses had to pass a tangle of underbrush and garbage behind a rusted chain link fence.1
The L-shaped Lot, which fronted Benefit St at 141 and extended behind 147 Benefit St, was part of the original 17th c. Benjamin Cushing Lot which ran from Town (N. Main) St to Hope St. A house was built on the Benefit to Wheaton (Pratt) St portion of the Lot in the 19th c., the outlines of which may be seen on the Park-side of 147 Benefit St. It was owned by "Dr." William Lincoln Bates who operated an electropathic sanatorium there until c. 1900. 2 It is possible that science-fiction author H. P. Lovecraft was inspired to write "The Shunned House," (1924) about the house adjacent at 135 Benefit St., because of its proximity to the controversial Bates Sanatorium. Read more |
GCA Founders Fund initiative, the CheerMobile
On May 28, 2021 Perennial Planters and (our seconding club) Newport Garden Club members came together for the Unveiling of the CheerMobile, a tour of the Farm and to arrange 10 vases of flowers for a Charity delivery that afternoon in the new van. Already, since February 16th, 2021, What Cheer Flower Farm had given away nearly 18,000 stems to deserving organizations across the state. The nan has now made it possible for the organization to expand it’s list of organizations it serves by creating the capacity to deliver flowers to those who need it the most… anywhere in Rhode Island. By late July of 2020 the Perennial Planters was able to deliver their check for 10K to WCFF. In early March, 2021 What Cheer Flower Farm’s new Executive Director, Destenie Vital, purchased the Cheer Mobile van (a 2019 Dodge ProMaster) from Car Max in Warwick, Rhode Island for approximately $25,400. and the Perennial Planters/GCA funds helped to raise these funds plus more than 15K more, that followed. Photographs from the 2020 Farm’s gardens were used to brand the Flower Design across the new van. The van has been used to travel the state of Rhode Island and the greater Providence area to spread cheer and pick up large amounts of donated flowers from local wholesale florists, flower farms, as well as, national retailers. The Farm now delivers to nearly 30 organizations from all over Rhode Island and the list is growing every week. In early July the Van’s interior custom shelving was installed. Now the custom signage for the Parking Space by the new Barn will be designed and installed and will include “2020 GCA Founders Fund Finalist Grant from Perennial Planters Garden Club”. Another Unveiling will be due to inspect the van, signage, and the amazing Farm developments! Click HERE to visit their website. |
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