Standing on the plot of land once owned by Joseph Bonaparte — former King of Naples and Spain and brother of Napoleon – garden steward Lara Periard shares her enthusiasm for developing the Point Breeze Historic Garden.

“This project is unique for several reasons,” Periard says. “Unlike a standard vegetable garden or farm, its purpose is to represent the history of the land, as well as to grow food for donation to the community. We are growing historic crops, primarily what would’ve been grown by Bonaparte’s gardener at the time.”

The first planting includes carrots, fennel, parsnips, beans, beets, squash, turnips, kale, radishes, and cabbage. Volunteers have also planted flowers, lavender, and blueberries by the house.

Connecting visitors and local residents to the land and to each other is another reason for Periard’s enthusiasm. D&R Greenway’s Garden and the adjacent gardener’s house are part of the 60 acres that were permanently preserved in December 2020 by the land trust in partnership with the State of New Jersey and City of Bordentown.

D&R Greenway’s president and CEO Linda Mead invites the public to join Periard to celebrate the newly planted garden and it’s first harvest season on Saturday, October 1.  The inaugural tour will begin at 2 p.m. and will last for an hour as participants learn about the vision and elements of the garden. Led by Mead and Periard, the free event is open to the public with pre-registration available at drgreenway.org or  info@drgreenway.org.

The event serves as the kick-off for Garden to Bistro Month in Bordentown. At the event, Bordentown restaurants participating as Founding Sponsors of the Historic Garden will be recognized. Throughout the month of October, sponsoring restaurants will receive a harvest bounty of historically significant produce to be featured on their menu, allowing patrons to enjoy a taste of history.

The intent of the garden is to restore an historic landscape that benefits today’s community. Just after Labor Day, the first harvest, a crate of summer squash and radishes, was donated to Christ Church in the City of Bordentown to distribute to people in need. Fr. Matt and his wife, Doan Huỳnh Tucker, say, “We’re grateful for the donation of local produce planted and harvested by D&R Greenway Land Trust at the historic vegetable garden at the newly-preserved Point Breeze in Bordentown. The produce will be shared with the community. Thank you!”

To learn more about the Point Breeze Historic Garden and ways to volunteer with this project, contact Periard at lperiard@drgreenway.org.