Chevy Chase Garden Club Adds Beauty to the Village

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garden1 (Copy)A garden blooms at the intersection of Broad Branch and Brookville roads in the Village of Chevy Chase, adding a little beauty to the journeys of of hundreds who pass by it each day. And it’s not there by accident. It’s the work of the Garden Club of Chevy Chase, and more specifically, of its Civics Committee, which does voluntary maintenance work. That’s Chris Leahy above, co-chair of the Civics Committee, sitting on a stone which bears a plaque dedicating the ground to the memory of Betty West English.

garden3 (Copy) The garden, on a small plot of land owned by the Village, once was known as The Triangle, after the shape of the plot. It was an enclosed, grassy space containing several dogwoods and a black walnut tree.  As civic outreach, members of the Garden Club planted bulbs around the dogwoods and installed a hedge of William Penn barberry around the area’s perimeter.  In the mid-1980’s, in response to The Triangle’s deteriorating appearance, the Garden Club accepted the challenge of making it a more attractive space.  With a design by Tricia Saul (daughter of Betty English) and with plants selected by former landscape designer and Garden Club President Louise Roberts, The Triangle’s transformation began.  During the next several years of its development, longtime Chevy Chase Village resident and Garden Club member Betty English died.  When the garden was completed, the Garden Club asked the village if the new garden could be named in her honor.  In 1987, the garden was officially dedicated and renamed The Betty West English Garden.garden4 (Copy)

At its inception, noteworthy plants donated by former Garden Club presidents were incorporated into the garden.  This tradition, although discontinued as the existing plants matured, has created a memorial garden for many longtime Chevy Chase residents and Garden Club presidents. The Garden Club membership maintains this garden, continuing the tradition of community outreach and civic beautification.
The garden has many species, and they bloom at different times of year. But it’s particularly lovely in the spring, when the tulips and dogwoods blossom.

Two or three times a year, Ms. Leahy said, the committee members gather to weed and clean the garden. Three years ago, they held a “Treasure Sale” to raise funds for improvement. They used the money to upgrade the gravel path that leads to a bench in the center of the garden. It’s a fine place to read, to daydream, or just to admire the flowers.

Photos © Bob Cullen