For those familiar with The Old Testament of The Bible, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. For those who attended the 56th Street Senior Center’s garden opening ceremony, this is the season for planting, and some of them even did.
For 87-year old twin sisters, Margaret Kus and Anne Garatino, the garden opening was a chance to walk down a lane of memories to a time when both women had gardens of their own. Born and raised in Bayonne, the twins lived close to each other near 49th Street and Plank Road, both had gardens in their yards, and both recall the numerous vegetables they planted.
“A lot of people don’t like to touch soil,” Anne said. “But I’ve been gardening all my life and I don’t mind it. It is nice to watch things grow.”
“Yes,” agreed Margaret, “and there is nothing like home grown tomatoes. What we grew is much better than hot house tomatoes.”
Both women recall the plants each grew, and Margaret jokes about the yellow Italian Zucchini Anne grew and grew and grew.
This is the second year for the senior center’s garden, and both women were on hand last year this time to help plant as well, recalling the wide variety of vegetables they helped grow including cherry tomatoes, peppers, parsley, basis and other things.
“We enjoy being here,” Anne said, noting that they come to the center as often as possible.
“Why sit at home when we could be here,” Margaret agreed.
The senior center was opened two years ago, said Mayor Joseph Doria.
“It is an old pump house that lay dormant for years,” he said. “My mother-in-law lives about a block from here. She would pass it and would comment on what a wasted property it was.”
Weeds grew where the garden is now and the pump house simply sagged with neglect. Doria said the city expended about $750,000 to restore it, transforming it into one of jewels of the city, and providing a third senior center through the city to accommodate the uptown senior citizens.
In the official opening Doria told the guests that he had not taken to gardening yet, but that as an Italian he was told when he got older he is expected to raise tomatoes.
Council President Vincent Lo Re called the garden “a little bit of suburbia in the city,” but added that home gardens were common in Europe where people grew produce they would consume.
“They are called Kitchen Gardens in England,” he said, then recalled a trip to Belgium he had taken where he had seen many such gardens.
Bruce Bigg, director of the 56th Street Center, said students from Woodrow Wilson School helped in planting and that the garden is overseen by Bayonne’s Office on Aging.
“We have a great day for this,” he said, referring to the bright sun and mild temperatures that came to the area after a week of chill and rain.