Nine Bow Garden Club members came to plant the Garden of Hope located at Memorial Field in Concord on Sept. 30, despite the disheartening forecast of heavy rains and wind. The skies cleared, however, and the garden was quickly rid of its many dandelion plants and ever-present witch grass. Eighty beautiful pink chrysanthemums (“Stavinksy Pink”), donated and delivered by Pleasant View Garden/Proven Winners in Loudon were then lovingly tucked into the garden to form the all-too-familiar cancer ribbon shape the garden is known for.
Tasker Landscaping of Loudon again donated bark mulch to enhance the garden area and the City of Concord Parks & Rec Department will be spreading it and will also be maintaining the garden throughout the season.
The Garden of Hope is located adjacent to the lower athletic fields at Memorial Field on South Fruit Street in Concord. It was designed and built-in 2004 by “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” volunteers with the support of the Greater Concord Community. The garden measures approximately 15 feet by 7 feet and is defined by pieces of granite that take the form of a cancer ribbon. The original donations of materials were from Swenson Granite Works, Brochu Nursery & Landscaping, Pleasant View Gardens and Outdoor World. The Garden of Hope continues to be a place of solace, remembrance, beauty and eternal hope.
This year, instead of a walk starting at Memorial Field, the Making Strides Against Cancer will hold a socially-distanced drive-in event at Fieldhouse Sports in Bow on Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at makingstrideswalk.org/concordnh on in the Oct. 15 issue of the Insider.