Londonderry Historical Society property, home to the Morrison House on Pillsbury Road, looks a little brighter these days, thanks to flowers planted this month by Junior Girl Scout 11177.
“The girls are going for their Bronze Award, which is an optional award,” Girl Scout co-leader Jennifer Rankin said.
Rankin said the Bronze Award is given when scouts complete 20 hours of community service work.
Rankin said the scouts learned about the Bronze Award from older Girl Scouts at a meeting in May, and decided they wanted to go for it.
“The girls were at another meeting in June and they decided that they wanted to plant flowers, and because some of the girls had gone to the Morrison House on a fourth grade field trip at North School, they decided that (the Morrison House) was where they wanted to plant the flowers,” Rankin said. “They had been working with (Londonderry Times publisher) Deb Paul and the Historical Society on their idea.” Paul is vice president of the Londonderry Historical Society.
“As Vice President of the Historical Society, we want to make the Morrison House more of a destination, like the Robert Frost Children’s Garden,” Paul said. “It’s going to be an ongoing thing every year, and someday it will be a garden where people can come and have a picnic and enjoy the museum and the property. The flowers we use are old-fashioned types.”
Paul said projects are planned throughout the year, including a Harvest Festival in October with a costume contest and pumpkin carving. She explained that the Historical Society is trying to reach out to other groups to raise money for the reconstruction of the Reverend Morrison House, “otherwise known as the house in the box.
“Hopefully the Carriage House will be done by Old Home Day, which would allow it to be opened for rental use for weddings, movies and other activities,” Paul said. The girls have until September to complete their 20 hours.
“The deadline for getting the work done is September, but the girls have a goal of having it done by Old Home Day (in August) because that is when it will be open and people can see the flowers,” Rankin said.
The girls have a unique way of getting the flowers that they plant.
“They came up with the idea that they didn’t want to spend much money, so each girl came up with a flier asking for a donation of flowers from the gardens and yards of their family, friends and neighbors,” Rankin said. “This time of year gardens can be overflowing with flowers. The plan is for the girls to go over to the donor’s garden and dig up the donated flowers and transplant them at the Morrison House.”
In addition, a purple lilac bush – the state flower of New Hampshire – was planted behind the barn, and the remainder of the flowers will be planted along the barn sides and front, in front of the Morrison House and around the hand pump in the front yard.
The girls will be working on the project on Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons until they’re done.
Those participating are: leaders Theresa Dodge, Leeanne Casarano and Jennifer Rankin, and scouts Grace Casarano, Mackenzie Dodge, Madison Rankin, Jessica Link, Emily Rollins, Hannah Whitley, Rebecca Franklin and Shyrea Sharma.