Summit - Reeves Memorial Garden

The Reeves Memorial Garden is in the courtyard of the United Methodist Church, an urban facility that is open to the public. The church is a 19th century neogothic stone structure, built in 1889, with a gothic arch leading to the garden, and a 20th century education center attached to it by a breezeway. The Memorial Garden also has been redesigned and replanted several times, notably adding a section in the 1980's for the interment of ashes. The garden is named for the family that funded the garden in the 1960's and the interment wall in the 1980's. Landscape architect John Jennings consulted on the first garden design. The interment area has a stone wall that was quarried in Mount Airy, North Carolina, a raised flagstone terrace, and two triangular planters. After this building project the garden was replanted with dogwood, pear, holly and evergreen shrubs, azaleas, white daffodils and spring ephemerals, rhododendron, perennials and annuals. By 2020 the woody shrubs were either overgrown or leggy and sparse, and perennials had died and not been replaced. Trees and shrubs that could be saved were properly pruned with some relocated while others were removed. Drainage off the structures needed updating and the old sprinkler system needed repair. The mature American holly remains and provides shade and shelter for birds. There are two crabapples, a flowering cherry, euonymus bushes, mountains laurels, and a butterfly bush gifted by children from the Sunday school in the 1990's. The flowering perennials and bulbs are in shades of white, including shasta daisy, allium, Annabelle hydrangea, salvia, astilbe, daffodils and lily-of-the-valley. Hosta and Japanese sedge grass, fothergilla and oakleaf hydrangea fill borders and add fall color. The Memorial Garden is maintained by volunteers from the church, the Garden Club, master gardeners and other community groups. Since it is open to all including chipmunks and other wildlife, pets and litterers upkeep is a constant concern. Bluestone pavers were used for the walkways throughout the garden. Other hardscape features include stone benches and a birdbath. Persons associated with the garden's design: John J. Jennings, landscape architect (1960); Adolpho Corradi, gardener and landscaper (1960-circa 1983); A. Edison Drobish, gardener (1983-circa 2020 ); Christy Hodde, redesign project leader (2020- ); Katie Bliss, garden designer (2021- ).