Members of the Rockport Parks and Beautification Committee took to Memorial Park in mid-May to spread three yards of mulch throughout the garden beds. 

The group consisted of of Doug and Pat Cole, Sally Cook, Jan Baldwin, Paula Coyne, Denise Munger and Haunani Wallace, all who spent the better part of two hours completing the task. 

Meanwhile, Lea Anne Dunton was studying the remaining area to be landscaped at the Rockport Public Library, laying out the design for the plants the town is purchasing.  Those, too, will need to be planted by volunteers.  

The Park was redesigned by the committee after it was used as a staging area for the construction of the new library.  The Select Board tasked the committee members with restoring it back to its original state, or an improved state. 

“The committee worked long and hard over the course of the last two years to both design, and implement the new park which is greatly improved with benches, and paths through it,” said Haunani Wallace  “They moved some of the memorials so that they are a greater focus of Memorial Park.  Beginning last fall, the committee planted a large kidney shaped garden with shrubs and perennials, and last week they did some heavy landscaping planting 12 rather large rhododendrons.”

The landscaping of the library and the park are both only possible thanks to generous donations from local residents, said Wallace.

The next task is to spread another couple of yards of mulch around the newly planted rhododendrons.  The committee members are also taking turns watering the newly planted trees, rhododendrons, and shrubs.  Phi Builders and Architects donated the sod to cover most of the grassed areas in the park.  

The committee welcomes volunteers on “volunteer days” to help with the gardening; contact Wallace; haunaniw@mac.com