GARDEN

The Grace Episcopal Church community began worshiping in the Village of East Concord in1883 on land located on the Merrimack River floodplain. Founding members were unable to attend St. Paul’s Church in Concord due to the lack of ferry service across the river on Sundays. The “little brown church in the vale” was constructed and opened in 1914 in response to this barrier after more than two decades of fundraising by the community.

In much the same tradition as the early founding members of our Church, we embarked on a mission to establish a Family Tribute Garden. In 2020 as a response to the Covid crisis, we began our work of establishing an outside worship space utilizing the rich fertile soil of the flood plain. Through the support of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, we were able to secure an Earth Care Commission Grant that enabled us to begin the fundraising process in earnest. Generous community members embraced our project with donations of financial support, perennials, trees, shrubs, and garden tools. Creation of the garden, situated directly behind the Church, encompasses circular paths filled with a variety of pollinator and wildlife friendly plantings.

Since the establishment of the Tribute Garden in 2020, the parish community has continued to expand perennial beds, memorial plots as well as an enlarged footprint of the original garden through the generous support of the Ruth Ann Fox fund and the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. We secured funding to initiate a forestry mulching project to rid the west side of the lot from a profusion of aggressive invasive plants. This land clearing has allowed us to focus on establishing a children's nature area which will include wildflower and bulb plots, walking paths, sitting areas and learning opportunities to engage the youngest among us. In addition, we have introduced our first “STORYWALK®” activity in October 2025 utilizing the storybook “I'm Thankful Each Day” by P.K. Hallinan. We hope to continue this venture in 2026 on a seasonal basis.

Our congregation has reaped the benefits of this meditative and tranquil space as well as shared in the wonders of nature and the communal responsibilities of good stewardship in the maintaining of these blessed surroundings.

If you are interested in volunteering your time or talents to the garden, please contact Geri or Steve Holdsworth or any member of the Garden Ministry team. Gifts to the Garden can be forwarded directly to Grace Episcopal Church with a note to designate your gift to the Family Tribute Garden. Sunday services in the garden will be held during the summer months weather permitting. Dates for the outside services will be posted online, and in the newsletter, “Gleanings” at the beginning of the summer.

Initiatives we embrace:

Leave the Leaves

No Mow May

Soft Landings

Save the Stem

Certifications we have received:

University of NH/University of Maine Pollinator Friendly Garden

Certification Home Grown National Parks Recognition