Conservation Projects

The Bedford Garden Club performs continuing conservation for the community, including efforts on projects with the Job Lane Native Garden, Herb Garden and more.

Conserving Bedford’s Resources

Conservation is a careful preservation and protection of something. It is the planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect. There are three main reasons why we conserve: To repair some of the damage done by humans and maintain the environment for future generations. To maintain species diversity for our benefit and that of wildlife. To provide opportunities for education and the enjoyment of the environment.

We’re sure you’ve seen Herb Garden and Native Garden on the Job Lane Farm Museum property. This year, we even added a small blueberry patch at the property!

These gardens and plantings have been designed, tended and beautified by garden club members for many years and benefit the entire Bedford community by providing interesting, engaging and harmonious public landscapes and vistas.

Lillian Dutton Memorial Herb Garden

We also maintain the Lillian Dutton Memorial Herb Garden at the Job Lane house as part of the historical preservation plan. Read more on the history of the garden.

Native Plant Garden – Melinda Chamberlain Dietrich

Native Plant Garden

The topic of ‘conservation’ may seem overwhelming these days as we find native plants and trees often taking center stage. Years ago, scientists began to report that climate change was becoming a threat in part due to the reduction of forests globally. Linked to the use of fossil fuels through industrialization, worldwide, and population growth, this was causing an increase in atmospheric Co2 and rising oceans. The need to provide food for increasing numbers of people led to the development of GMO, ‘Roundup-ready’ crops which in turn paralleled a decline in pollinators. Especially noticeable was the threat of near extinction of the Monarch butterfly and the decline of pollinator bees. Botanists, horticulturists, etymologists and scientists began a concerted effort to educate the public with grave warnings about our plant’s hot future. more

On behalf of the Bedford Garden Club, Melinda Chamberlain Dietrich has entered the Job Lane Farm Museum Native Plant Garden into the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts’ Go Native Challenge. Melinda designed the garden, donated plants, and with the help of her son, Charlie Vinton, planted the garden this past spring, containing 74 plants and 27 species. Ellen Kift and her husband helped water it this summer.

Native Blueberry Bushes

Arbor Day

In 2023 the Bedford Garden Club donated native blueberry bushes to the Job Lane Farm Museum. We planted three high bush blueberries east of the property. Each year we will add several bushes until we have a nice patch for the wild birds to enjoy!