Master gardeners breathe life into special sanctuary

MARLBORO - Individuals who pride themselves on the beauty of their gardens can become master gardeners through the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County program.

Maria Kramer did just that.

Kramer, a resident of the Morganville section of Marlboro, is a graduate of the class of 2002 from the master gardeners program.

Kramer said that after her family moved to the area eight years ago, she contacted a landscaper to finish her yard. After being told that the landscaper would not do the types of things she requested, Kramer took it upon herself to conduct some research at the library.

After reading books about landscaping and plant vegetation, Kramer planned the design she wanted.

An article published in the News Transcript introduced her to the master gardeners program offered through Rutgers University. The master gardeners are volunteers who are trained by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, according to their Internet Web page.

Residents may apply for the class and a select few are chosen based on a lottery system, according to Kramer, who is a member of Marlboro's beautification committee. Those who are chosen for the program attend classes twice a week. Classes for the master gardeners 2008 program will be held on Tuesday and Thursday (possibly some classes on Friday) from February through May. The classes run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Before graduation, students must volunteer 60 hours, some of which must be on the help line, a telephone number county residents call to ask questions about their lawns or gardens.

Program graduates must then complete another 40 hours of volunteer service, according to Kramer.

The Marlboro veterans memorial was a project that Kramer and 15 other master gardeners recently worked on. Kramer said the idea to move the monument from its spot just in front of Town Hall to an island near the municipal building had been discussed for some time.

In April, Kramer met with Marlboro Councilman Joseph Pernice and Public Works Director Bob Di- Marco. Kramer said she asked Pernice what type of garden he dreamed of having around the monument. She said Pernice's response was "one that wowed."

She set to work "walking the island" as it was, deciding what should stay and what should go. Ultimately a weeping cherry tree that was present remained.

The garden is described as containing four entrances with a mixed border. The design allows the garden to be viewed at every angle so that there is no "back" to the garden, according to Kramer. There are five inner gardens, all of which feature ornamental grasses.

While the area was being prepared, Kramer chose plants to fill the garden.

"I wanted plants that would attract butterflies and bumblebees," Kramer said, adding that she made certain not to plant anything that would attract wasps.

One thing Kramer wanted in the memorial was the incorporation of red, white and blue on the path to the monument. For red, Kramer used double knockout roses, which she described as being disease resistant. White roses supply the white, and lavender represents the blue.

The 15 master gardeners who helped on the project are not all Marlboro residents, Kramer noted. There were also four students from Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, working at the memorial.

The project became a family affair when Kramer's son, Abraham, 15, a freshman at Marlboro High School, and daughter, Jessica, 11, a seventh grader at the Marlboro Memorial Middle School, helped their mom. Even Kramer's husband, Scott, came to help out. Kramer said they would pack coolers with drinks and snacks, while the township provided the volunteers with ice.

"The township employees were fabulous, helping us with the heavier objects," Kramer said. "This project was a labor of love. It's wonderful to see the transformation."

The garden is expected to bloom from late spring until fall. Kramer said she and other master gardeners will maintain it.

"I'll call them all in when it comes time to prune," she laughed.

The new veterans memorial and garden was dedicated during a ceremony held Sept. 3.

- Rebecca Morton