Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
If you have lived in our Shore Local area long enough, you (or your grandma) may remember the famed Hydrangea Trail and Hydrangea Festival that began in the 1940s. This weeklong celebration included a hydrangea ball and the crowning of the Hydrangea Queen. By the 1960s, gardeners in 20 communities from Brigantine to Cape May competed for various awards for their prized hydrangeas in the festival along the Hydrangea Trail. Young women represented local garden clubs from Atlantic and Cape May County to compete for the coveted title of Hydrangea Queen. These annual festivities lasted until about the 1970s.
Fast forward to today, we introduce: “Hydrangea Trail 2.0”. With goals of reestablishing the Hydrangea Trail throughout Atlantic City and beautifying neighborhoods along the way, a volunteer group called the Inlet Hydrangea Trail Volunteers (IHTV) formed in May of 2022. The talented and motivated group, now in year two of its three-year plan, has been hard at work revitalizing the city, starting at the Inlet. With over 25 volunteers and growing, the group is led by a diverse and prestigious board, including: Ralph E. Hunter, Sr., founder of the African American Heritage Museum of South Jersey; Jean Muchanic, Executive Director of the Absecon Lighthouse; as well as retired professors, floral designers, and business owners in Atlantic City.
After gathering like-minded people, the Hydrangea Trail 2.0 project began in spring of 2022, with a restoration of the containers at Gardner’s Basin. The enormous pots were cleaned, painted, and planted. Over 100 new hydrangeas were planted around the Atlantic City Aquarium and Amphitheater. 2023 started out with a bang as the non-profit group held their first fundraiser in January. This spring, the Absecon Lighthouse hosted the first annual Mother’s Day Hydrangea Sale as a fundraiser for Hydrangea Trail 2.0. Upcoming events in June include participation in the 48 Blocks closing party, coordination of garden tours, and garden field trips. Looking ahead to July and August, the group proposes to hold Leadership in Training (LIT) sessions, that will bring young people and gardening experts together.
Ultimately, Hydrangea Trail 2.0 plans to establish a city-wide restoration of the trail. In its mission statement, the group “endeavors to restore the connection between horticultural appreciation and sustained agricultural tourism for Atlantic City residents and visitors. Promoting the Hydrangea Trail 2.0 encourages knowledge of history and horticulture, conservation of native and introduced plants, and the ways flowers reduce stress, create beauty, fuel community pride, and attract visitors as well as residents.”
As part of the restoration of the trail, members of the group would like to honor the history of the original trail. They ask for the public’s help in finding stories and memorabilia of the original Hydrangea Trail. Did you own award-winning hydrangeas? Have you attended the Hydrangea Ball or parade? Karen Rosnick, President of the Inlet Hydrangea Trail Volunteers, would love to hear from you. She can be reached at gardensofac@gmail.com.
The group always welcomes new volunteers. Help is needed to keep up with the watering of the new hydrangeas, as well as planting around the city and making community connections. Volunteers conduct meetings and work sessions at the renovated Carriage House in Gardner’s Basin. With some luck, you may even meet the new honorary Hydrangea Queen, Ortensia, complete with her tulle skirt and hydrangea hair. You can find more information about Hydrangea Trail 2.0 on their Facebook page: Inlet Hydrangea Trail Volunteers, or their Instagram page: Hydrangeatrail.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
