Visitors entering the Oyster Bay Historical Society’s Angela Koenig Research and Collections Center via the parking lot behind it, will be pleased to see a new garden area. The Main Street Nursery and Florist of Huntington recently donated and planted day lilies that define the back entrance to the research center.
Fran Leone, a longtime Oyster Bay Historical Society board member has been focusing on its garden area this past year, as has Hal Johnson. “We both do the watering. Millicent Pittis also helps two days a week. In the summer we may have to water everyday, according to the weather.
“Hal has been great with trimming the shrubs and reseeding grass where needed. He really is great with gardening,” she said.
Fran added, “It is the North Country Garden Club that takes care of the 18th century Colonial garden.”
The fenced in Colonial Garden has long been a labor of love for the club. OBHS Executive Director Phil Blocklyn said, “The Oyster Bay Historical Society is very fortunate to have the North Country Garden Club take care of our 18th century Colonial Garden. Arnhilt Buelte and all the volunteers do a wonderful job maintaining the plantings.”
The lawn off the terrace entrance to the Koenig Center is the area on which Fran and Hal have been concentrating.
The project began at an Oyster Bay East Norwich Chamber of Commerce event where Hal met Christine Habermaas, the director of marketing at the Main Street Nursery and Florist. They chatted and then Fran and Hal contacted her with a proposal to do a planting at the OBHS grounds.
“Christine was wonderful and everything went smoothly,” said Fran.
Leone has another reason to appreciate what the Main Street Nursery has done. Fran’s nephew Mike Denaro was manager of Main Street Nursery for many years before becoming a teacher. Michael worked with Rich McKean the owner; Sean Hoffman, the project manager and Misael. Michael Denaro was an OBHS volunteer and was going to be the lead teacher of the newly formed School of the Arts at the time of his passing. “We thank Main Street for their generosity and for remembering Michael. The connection with Michael precipitated this donation. It was very heartwarming that Main Street did the planting and shared stories of when Michael worked at the nursery,” she added.
