North Triangle Garden

This busy traffic island features drought-tolerant shrubs and perennials. The centerpiece is a monument in memory of notable Amherst citizen Bertha Rogers.

About the Garden

The garden is situated right off Route 101 and marks the northernmost entrance to Amherst Village. The most notable feature is the monument in tribute to Bertha Rogers. Bertha Rogers was a civic-minded Amherst citizen who was active in many town organizations, including the Historical Society. Upon her death, she left her home and part of her estate to the town.

History of the Garden

The garden club turned this traffic island into a garden more than three decades ago. To enrich the soil, loads of biosolids compost were trucked in from the Merrimack Wastewater Treatment Plant. Club members then planted donated daylilies, and the North Triangle garden was born.

The only water this garden gets is from Mother Nature, so plants that do well without regular watering were selected. Later in the garden’s history, Claudia Everest redesigned the garden using ‘xeriscaping’ principles, which are ways of minimizing the need for supplemental water. Large boulders and a thick layer of bark mulch help keep the ground cool and moist.

About Bertha Rogers

Bertha Rogers (1889-1989) lived in Amherst for 47 years in the house known as the John Washer homestead on Green Road. She bought the farm in 1941 as a summer home and made it her year-round residence in 1956. She enjoyed a magnificent view of the mountains from her porch and was able to see Mount Wachusett on a clear day.

As a citizen of Amherst, Bertha Rogers was a generous donor and active in many organizations, including the Historical Society, of which she was a charter member.

She died at home, just shy of her 100th birthday, and in her will left her home and land to the town along with a bequest of $10,000 to the Historical Society. The land is now managed by the Amherst Conservation Commission for the enjoyment of all. The house was sold by the town with the proceeds being used to set up the Bertha Rogers Trust Fund, which provides grants for worthy Amherst projects.

Fun Facts

  • The pea gravel garden path was built by Souhegan high school students earning community service credits.
  • For a few years the garden included a parade of pink and yellow tulips until the deer arrived and made it a “buffet of tulips.” Since our gardening philosophy is to work with nature not against it, we added more daffodils instead.