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Glenmont

A New Flower Bed at Glenmont House

A group of students from the 2008-2009 Master Gardener class have devoted hours the rejuvenation of a flower bed at Glenmont, the former home of inventor Thomas Edison, in the Llewellyn Park section of West Orange. The sprawling 13.5-acre estate is part of the Edison National Historic Site and operated by the National Park Service. Glenmont, a 29-room Victorian mansion built in 1880, was purchased by Edison in 1886. Today it is a museum, visited by people from all over the country.Theaddress is Edison National Historic Site, Main Street and Lakesde Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052. 

The idea for the Glenmont Garden Restoration project came from a MG student, Mary Jo Patterson, who lives in West Orange. While visiting the park, she was struck by the beauty of the grounds but thought the flower beds looked neglected or even abandoned. A little research revealed why—deer had eaten many of the perennials. She approached the director of volunteers at the site, who said the Park Service (NPS) wanted to revive the perennial beds, but lacked the manpower. Amy Trimarco of West Orange, another member of the MGs class, agreed to help get a project off the ground, and Jan Zientek approved it as a volunteer opportunity. The NPS folks, meanwhile, identified a large bed bordering the house as an area in dire need of rehabilitation. They agreed to build a deer fence around the bed and provide plant material. They also loaned us an encyclopedia of heirloom ornamental plants, and made available historic documents showing what kind of plants Mrs. Edison ordered during the years she lived there.

 We tested the soil, and began preparing the bed, in March 2009. The first major task involved pruning back eight very mature shrubs. MG Suzi Butler to pruned an old rosebush. Planting took place in April. The flower bed will retain the giant canna bed traditionally grown in that spot, but will incorporate other, new elements. Joan Kram, MG and a class lecturer on container gardening ao advised us, helped us with the design and   offered tips on how to fill an old stone planter next to the bed.

 Among the students who provided plenty of hard labor were Jean Burgard, Fanny Fuentes, Pat Hewitt, Johanna Jacob, and Laura Marchese. 

We hope the Glenmont Project will live on as part of the Essex County Master Gardeners' permanent repertory. We would also love to involve some more seasoned Master Gardeners. We have rehabilitated one bed, but the site offers other possibilities.