The Mount flower garden after the torrential storm
by Seth Rogovoy
(LENOX, Mass., July 2, 2014) – The devastation that the gardens and grounds at The Mount suffered at the hands of a severe thunderstorm on Wednesday, June 25, 2014, has to a large extent been addressed, at least superficially, and enough so that the historic home of Edith Wharton can open to the public during the busy summer tourist season, according to officials at the Edith Wharton Restoration.
Quick action by the grounds crew, led by facilities director Ross Jolly, rescued some of the gardens and soil, and roads and pathways were repaired fast enough to make the pathway to the garden and the road to the use usable.
“The good news is the damage from the storm was severe but luckily it was quickly contained,” says Rebecka B. McDougall, the Mount’s communications director. “A team of maintenance workers, gardeners, as well as Mount staff have been working since last Thursday to repair much of the aesthetic damage to the garden and path so that we can go into our busiest months with confidence.”
The Mount gardens before the storm
Many of the perennials were able to be saved and the beds have been cleared of much of the debris and, at this time, the soil pH is holding.
“It looks like most of the visible damage will be righted by early next week,” says McDougall. “Of course this depends on weather and what another storm might bring.”
Once the initial stage of repairs is concluded, the Mount staff will continue to work on the paths and roads and to repair the culverts to avoid another wash-out. The lesser but also significant erosion done to other areas of the grounds will also need to be addressed.
“The response from the community to this act of nature has been overwhelming,” says Edith Wharton Restoration director Susan Wissler. “$25,000 has already been raised towards repairs, including a $10,000 gift we received today from the Berkshire Bank Foundation. We estimate that the total costs of the damage will range between $60,000 and $80,000. We have launched an Emergency Fund campaign to raise these funds.”
More information about how to contribute to the storm repair emergency fund is available by clicking on this link, which will take you to a page on the The Mount’s website.