CRANFORD, NJ — The Green Thumb Garden Club of Cranford recently made Downtown Cranford more colorful. In honor of Pride Month, the Green Thumb Garden Club of Cranford and volunteers donated their time and efforts, planting flowers in celebration of Pride Month.
Instead of the usual Pride rainbow, flowers were planted in rows, similar to a flag, illustrating all the colors that represent the LGBTQIA+ community. The flowers were planted on North Union Avenue, by the gazebo. Each flower has a sign noting what its color represents.
The planting was made possible, in part, by a 2024 HEART – History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands – grant from the Union County Board of Commissioners.
“We thought we were going to be rained out,” said Ellen McHenry, vice president of the Green Thumb Garden Club of Cranford. “The sun came out. It was bright. The flowers were colorful. It looks really pretty.”
Pride Planting began four years ago. The idea came from Caren Demyen, director of Downtown Cranford. “She comes up with ideas,” said McHenry.
Examples of the colorful flowers include marigolds to represent orange and yellow; red petunias; parsley for green; and white vinca.
The flowers are annuals, not perennials, so once autumn comes, they will die.
“The town cleans up and uses the fence to put holiday greenery in there,” said McHenry. “It’s a June through October planting. We will plant again next year. We really enjoy doing it. What’s always fun, it’s the main drag in town. While we’re planning, people are driving by and saying ‘Hi’ and thanking us and telling us the colors are great.”
The Green Thumb Garden Club was founded in 1951. It’s organized for the purpose of studying all aspects of the fine art of flower design, gardening and the conservation of trees, shrubs, flowers and birds.
The Green Thumb Garden Club of Cranford’s community service activities include fundraising projects throughout the year. The Wreath Sale and Holiday Boutique has been its major fundraiser since 1984. Since 1993, it has been involved in the Cranford Landmark Series, selling woodcut reproductions of Cranford landmark homes and buildings. The recently restored Trinity Church is the newest rendering. It also supports efforts to preserve Hanson Park and the Cranford Canoe Club. The club commissioned an oil painting of the renowned artist Lloyd Garrison, which was used to print holiday cards for fundraising.
To learn more about the Green Thumb Garden Club Cranford, visit: www.greenthumbgardenclub.org.
Photos Courtesy of Caren Demyen, director of Downtown Cranford