Making an urban meadow from the field of weeds and invasive plants is the transformational project that the Westbrook Garden Club is starting to mark its 60th year.

“We have a variety of plans to honor our 60th anniversary. Our main project is to create a sustainable meadow in a part of Westbrook Salt Island Overlook, an open space area overseen by the town’s Conservation Commission,” said Deborah Rie of the Garden Club. “We are now working on phase one which is closest to Route 1.”

The Westbrook Garden Club’s 60th Anniversary Committee, composed of Kathy Cietanno, Cathy Curt, Nancy Cyr, Carolyn Fish, Rachel McNellis, Rie, and Heidi Taubert, chose this project as the centerpiece to mark its 60th anniversary. Other garden club members, a boy scout and his family, and Conservation Commission summer interns have been helping with the meadow project.

The meadow-making, begun in the summer of 2018, is a multi-year project. The goal is to use native plants that will provide color, attract pollinators, and shelter birds. The new meadow will complement the meadow plantings at the new town parking lot at the intersection of Knothe and Boston Post roads.

The planting plans for the new Town Center parking lot and for the new meadow entrance to Salt Island Overlook both were developed by Kathy Connolly of Speaking of Landscapes of Old Saybrook. The target site for the new Salt Island meadow is a plot of about 7,200 square feet.

“In order to create a clean slate for planting, we have mowed the area and topped [it] with a cardboard cover and six inches of wood chips. This will kill the existing vegetation without using herbicides. This winter we will expand to phase two and clean out the border brambles and invasive[s],” said Rie. “Next spring we will begin planting.

“We hope this project will be a lasting tribute to our 60 years as a garden club and all the present and past members who have worked so hard on beautification projects for Westbrook,” Rie continued.

Rie said that even after the new plants are in place, it will still take several years before the meadow is fully established.

In addition to the meadow-making project, the garden club has mounted a special exhibit at Westbrook Public Library this summer to spotlight the club and its works over the past 60 years. A reception is planned for the fall of 2018 to honor all of the club’s present and past and the projects they undertook to beautify the Town of Westbrook.