At the Annual Meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, held May 11 at The College Club of Boston, the membership voted to approve the following recommendations of the Executive Committee. Co-Presidents Jackie Blombach and Jolinda Taylor were pleased to announce that, in addition to $20,000 to be spent directly by our Club for Back Bay tree care (primarily pruning and inoculation), other not-for-profit organizations will benefit from our fund raising efforts throughout the year, primarily our Twilight Garden Party and Holiday Wreath Sale.
$5,000 to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee for its tree care program, Dutch elm disease monitoring, and soil improvement.
$5,000 to the Friends of the Public Garden for inoculation against Dutch elm disease for certain Belgium elm street trees not located on the Mall, planted beyond Massachusetts Avenue.
$4,000 to The Esplanade Association for its tree care program and planning, including updating inventory and data manipulation.
$3,000 to the Boston Nature Center of the Massachusetts Audubon Society to support scholarships for summer camp for children ages 5 – 14 from local neighborhoods of Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.
$3,000 to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy for the planting of perennials in the Fenway.
$2,000 to the Charles River Cleanup Boat for general operating expenses.
$2,000 to the Trustees of Reservations/Boston Natural Areas Network in support of the MBTA Indigo Line/Fairmount Indigo Line Project, which will convert City-owned vacant lots along the rail corridor into parks and gardens. This donation will help convert a vacant lot at Windermere Road in Uphams Corner.
$1,500 to the Friends of Copley Square for treating trees with fertilizer and fungicide for root stress.
$1,000 to the Blossom Fund of the Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America in recognition of its 25th Anniversary.
We thank all our contributors and patrons whose generosity allows us to make these grants. We hope to see many of you at this year’s Twilight Garden Party on June 4.
