The Martha's Vineyard Museum's Rose Styron Garden 

To be a part of something, share knowledge, work hard and have it turn out beautifully.  This was the plan that the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club’s ‘planting and planning’ team had when they accepted the offer made by the Museum to help design, choose plants and plant the Rose Styron Garden on the Martha's Vineyard Museum’s property in 2021. The two smaller images below show Martha's Vineyard Garden Club members at work planting the garden once the stone work was complete.      

The Rose Styron Garden is located in the central courtyard on the Museum premises, and celebrates Rose's unbiased approach to life that she has always exemplified so graciously, both in life and through her poetry.  This most inspiring garden was created piece by piece by world-renowned Island stone mason and artist Lew French. It invites visitors to the Museum to take time to pause and appreciate the loveliness of the world around them while enjoying some peaceful contemplation.

Small plaques of inspiration are interspersed throughout the Garden and remind the visitor of not only the dedication to Rose, but also the belief in the creation of all that is good in our world.  The Garden acts as a backdrop for some of the Museum's engaging performances, poetry readings and comfortable conversation for visitors.  The combination of granite and fieldstone that Lew so thoughtfully placed plays beautifully against the softness of the roses, yarrow, nepeta and grasses.  It is inspirational in that it demonstrates that two such opposite things can come together peacefully and have the ability to enhance each other, although quite different in makeup. 

This story may be a little late in coming, but we want to thank the Martha's Vineyard Museum for recognizing the Martha's Vineyard Garden Club's participation in the project by a mention on the stone plaque erected inside the Museum Garden.  We thank the Museum sincerely for reaching out and allowing us to be an ongoing part of this very special project for all Islanders and visitors to enjoy.  The service continues for the MV Garden Club through the recent assistance of designing and planting several of the Museum’s outside urns.  What better way to give back to the community but through civic assistance and sharing in the Club’s passion for beautification?