Cemetery Looks Great After Hard Work on Saturday

The following was submitted by Robert Gregg, President of Vine Lake Preservation Trust. 

Did you see all the activity at Vine Lake Cemetery on Saturday? Were you concerned the people you saw might slip off the sloped lawn or get too close to traffic?

On Saturday, Oct. 19, 16 volunteers showed up to dig holes, spread fertilizer, and install the plants, mulch and water. The work was completed in less than three hours.

The hillside garden along Main Street, Vine Lake Cemetery certainly looks different today. Its monotony of uninspiring and troublesome sod has been replaced with a stunning arrangement of shrubs and perennials, offering a tapestry of seasonal colors. This project was initiated by Vine Lake Preservation as one of ongoing projects to enhance the 362-year-old cemetery, one of the last remnants of Medfield’s beginnings.

Overall Leadership for this project was given Paul McKenchnie, Jr., a town resident who directs his own design/build business titled McKechnie Associates. He selected over 200 plants from two varieties, Little Princess Spirea and Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass, to convert the hillside from labor-intensive grass mowing to one that now is designed for visual impact with low maintenance.

A sincere thank you is expressed by the Trust to these volunteers: Greg & Barb Andulonis, Jeff & Maria Baler, Maureen Doctoroff, George Gray, Rob Gregg, Susan Harlow & Rich Mastronardi, Larry Heaney, Rick Hooker, Randy Karg, Chris & Patricia Latimer, Paul McKechnie, Jr., Jim Papadoyiannis, Alice Wheeler.

The site was prepared beforehand by three employees from the Highway Department who carefully removed three truckloads of sod and graded the bank which made the volunteers’ efforts much easier. 

Twenty yards of bark mulch was contributed by that department. The Trust continues to appreciate their cooperation when heavy equipment is needed for enhancement and preservation projects at the cemetery.

You are invited to either drive by or walk the sidewalk to now appreciate a significant improvement to the cemetery’s gravescape, one that is designed to enhance its natural beauty.