Police Complex Gardens
Since 1997, the garden club has helped beautify the grounds of the Amherst police station. Native shrubs and beds of annuals and perennials decorate the road sign, building, and the pathway to the public entrance.
History of the Gardens
In the spring of 1997, the original garden in front of the Police station building was created by Anne Krantz as her Master Gardener certification project.
Claudia Everest of North Land Design assisted with the selection of native shrubs, which include lilacs (variety is ‘Walden Knight’), the New Hampshire state flower. Other native shrubs that were part of the original design include Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’ (common name, Winterberry), inkberry, and viburnum are still thriving to this day.
Through the years, additional gardens were added:
1. Entrance to the Police Emergency Complex
A long row of old-fashioned orange daylilies (Hemerocallis) grow along on the right side of the driveway to this civic garden.
2. Police Station Building Entrance
Among the plants in this garden, divided by the walkway to the front door, are colorful annuals and spring bulbs, such daffodil ‘Dutch Master,’ with fluted trumpet flowers in bright yellow.
his garden has a combination of shrubs — evergreen Cypress, Rose-of-Sharon, with its attractive white flowers, and blooming perennials, such as peach and raspberry daylilies, large yellow coreopsis, salvia, aster, with stunning late summer and fall color, and many showy hostas which add texture and form to the garden.
We added two large boulders on each side of the walkway to give the garden a natural look
3. Entrance Sign
Our gardens are constantly evolving. The garden around the sign was redesigned and the footprint expanded in 2015. A raised bed was built for the new plants. The goal was to create a perennial bed that would add color and height to the garden. Most of the plants in this garden are drought tolerant and low maintenance, so little deadheading is needed.
These sun loving plants are bulbs, a deciduous shrub, annuals, ornamental grasses, such as Miscanthus sinensis, that give a sense of movement to the garden, and perennials with long-lasting flowers. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds and beneficial insects are attracted to the flowers and visit often.
In spring, tall allium, tulips, and daffodils put on a show. In summer, the flowers are in full bloom, including Shasta Daisy, Russian Sage, Purple Cone flower, Coreopsis, and Salvia, to name a few.
Even during the winter months, there is the red bark of the Red Twig Dogwood to enjoy.
