The Quogue Library Gardens:
• The Historical Gardens at the Old Quogue Schoolhouse
• The Pollinator Garden
Quogue Garden of Remembrance
The Native Gardens, Quogue Lily Pond
“An English Garden by the Sea,” Westhampton Beach Village Green
The Westhampton Garden Club provides hands-on maintenance and financial support to public gardens in the community. From spring through autumn, WGC teams maintain two gardens at the Quogue Library as well as the Native Lily Pond Garden in Quogue, and the Garden of Remembrance at the Quogue Firehouse. The WGC also oversees and funds maintenance through Dragonfly Landscaping of “An English Garden by the Sea” at the Westhampton Beach Village Green.
With the opening of the beautifully renovated Quogue Library come two magnificent new gardens, one reflecting the sensibilities of the original Library Garden created in 1976, and the second embodying our current focus on conservation and protecting the environment.
The Historical Garden at the Old Quogue Schoolhouse, is now situated in front of the Schoolhouse, having formerly been located between the back of the Library and the original Schoolhouse location. It combines a reproduction of the original herb gardens planted in 2011, with the brick and parterre formation of four sections, and has been planted with a combination of traditional plants and others that have been cultivated to thrive in changing conditions.
The Pollinator Garden, born out of concern over the ongoing loss of bees, birds, butterflies and insects worldwide, was spearheaded by a number of Provisionals with the help of several other members, thereafter collectively known as the Pollinator Team. When Covid 19 forced the cancellation of the House and Garden Tour for two years, the Club needed a different means of generating revenue. The Provisionals immediately rose to the occasion and came up with the idea of selling plants. Over six months the Team organized and managed the sale of Amaryllis plants during the December 2020 Holidays, and Orchids in February 2021. Both sales were successful and generated sufficient funds to allow the creation of the Pollinator Garden. The Team designed and laid out the space, chose the plants and herbs, and planted and maintained the Garden. Everyone was thrilled to see the plants thrive, and many were blooming in time for the Grand Opening of the renovated Library in June 2021.
This miniature garden is the result of a 3+ - year initiative to plant a garden at the base of the Fire House’s 6-foot I-beam memorial to those lost on 9/11. That memorial was donated to Quogue following the police and firefighters’ support at Ground Zero. The garden is a collaborative effort between The Battery Conservancy in lower Manhattan and the Westhampton Garden Club. A partnership between the Garden Club and the Conservancy (led by Warrie Price), came about when Mary Kelberg arranged for the Club to assist in planting 5,000 crocuses at the Conservancy. Inger Mejean, after becoming President of the WGC in 2018, approached Ms. Price about getting plants from the NYC Garden of Remembrance (designed by renown Dutch landscape artist Piet Oudolf), for the Fire House to plant near the existing I-beam to create the Quogue Garden of Remembrance. Inger subsequently applied for and received $1,000 Plant America grant from the National Garden Clubs, which financed the necessary work to prepare for the new garden. In Spring 2021, following a one-year delay due to CoVid 19, 68 plants were transported from Battery Park to Quogue, where Dragonfly Landscaping donated their services in planting them.
Located on Jessup Avenue, the Lily Pond Garden was planted with native perennials selected for their beauty, bloom time, deer resistance, and support for pollinators. The garden provides an inviting and restful spot for visitors to sit with a cup of coffee or read the paper while enjoying the natural surroundings. In Fall of 2020, the Garden hosted a WGC Seed and Plant Exchange; members exchanged seeds and cuttings brought from their own gardens, and harvested milkweed seeds and pods, among other plants, from the Lily Pond Garden.
A typical English cottage garden with gazebo and benches and colorful summer perennials, this gathering spot near the post office is the setting for exhibitions, art shows, and concerts. The plantings provide splashes of color year-round and include Burning Bush, Ligularia, Hydrangea, Peony, Spirea and Fairy Rose; providing interest throughout all seasons. The WGC was instrumental in designing the Garden with Dragonfly’s support. With the financial support of the WGC, Dragonfly continues to maintain this garden.