News From Clark Botanic Garden

Historical Poster Gallery

Celebrates Fanny Dwight Clark

Fanny Dwight Clark, the renowned horticulturist of whom Clark Botanic Garden is named for, is the subject of a new historical poster exhibit, “The Pictorial History of Clark Gardens, and its founder, Fanny Clark.”

The gallery, located inside of the Clark House, features six posters that tell the complete history of how Fanny Dwight Clark, the wife of Grenville Clark, the land’s proprietor, shaped Clark Botanic Garden. The history, as one of the posters claim, began in the early 1920s when Clark started to import “boxcars of topsoil and laid out the lawns and plantations of trees and shrubs, white pines and flowering cherries.” The exhibit was created courtesy of Marie Ramos and Jeanette DelPonte of the Clark Garden Auxiliary.

Today, the garden is supported and maintained by The Fanny Dwight Clark Memorial Garden, Inc. That company develops and presents educational programs for both adults and children, to better appreciate the natural world. All funds raised and donated to the foundation are used for these purposes. The 12 acres in Albertson were bequeathed by Grenville Clark in memory of his wife Fanny to remain a sanctuary for birds, plants and visitors. Louisa Clark Spencer, daughter of Grenville and Fanny, is an active member of the board.

Rain Garden Programs

The Town of North Hempstead will once again be offering the composting cooperative, Recycle the Rain, plus rain garden programs at Clark Botanic Garden from May to September.

The cooperative program is a 30-minute instructional class and, upon completion, residents can purchase a composter at the reduced rate of $50. By using a composter, residents can create organic material for their soil by reusing kitchen waste that would ordinarily end up in landfills.

The Recycle the Rain water conservation program teaches residents the benefits of rain barrels and, after taking the 30-minute class, residents can purchase 50-gallon rain barrels at a discounted rate of $50. The rain barrels can recycle as much as 1,800 gallons of storm water during in a single summer season.

The rain garden program, which began last year, instructs residents the environmental benefits of rain gardens and how to create one. Rain gardens are gardens that are positioned near a water run-off source, like a downspout, driveway or sump pump to capture rainwater, keeping the fresh rainwater out of the sewer system and in the ground. By re-routing run-off, the rain garden helps to reduce pollution by filtering out contaminants as the water slowly seeps into the ground. This program costs $25 and participants will receive several plants that will flourish in a rain garden.

Rain garden classes are held at Clark Botanic Garden, 193 I. U. Willets Rd., Albertson, and are rain or shine. Residents must register in advance. Upcoming classes will be held:

• Thursday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, May 14 at 11 a.m.

• Wednesday, June 8 at 11 a.m.

• Thursday, July 21 at 10 a.m.

• Saturday, July 30 at 11 a.m.

• Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m.

• Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m.

• Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming composting cooperative classes will be held:

• Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m.

• Saturday, May 14 at 11:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, June 8 at 11:30 a.m.