Last month, the Town of Andover celebrated the opening of the new Playstead Intergenerational Garden, located in the WWI Memorial Playstead behind the Robb Center. This beautiful new garden is the result of a collaborative effort involving the Town of Andover, Andover Pollinator Pathways, the Village Garden Club of Andover, Andover Public Schools, and numerous community volunteers and supporters.
A previous garden at the site was started in the 1980s by the Senior Center’s Adult Day Program and was maintained by the Village Garden Club of Andover throughout the years. The vision for the garden’s enhancement was brought to life through a collaborative effort among several community organizations and Town departments. Andover resident Sue Curtis played a pivotal role by submitting a proposal to the Town’s Participatory Capital Budgeting program to create a pollinator garden on town property. Jane Burns, Andover’s Director of Elder Services, was instrumental in merging these ideas, leading to the formation and design of the Playstead Intergenerational Garden.
The garden now features pollinator-friendly plants, ADA-compliant pathways, raised garden beds for produce, new irrigation systems, benches, and picnic tables. The project, managed by the Town of Andover’s Facilities Department was funded in part through the Town’s Participatory Capital Budgeting program. The garden will host programming for both Andover Youth Services and the Robb Center, with ongoing maintenance supported by volunteers from the Village Garden Club.
