By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK — Nestled amidst a landscape of grave markers lies a newly expanded butterfly garden and bird sanctuary.
“Our cemetery was designed by a local architect in the 1860s. It was designed to create a ‘natural sanctuary’ — a place where one can commune with nature and find solace in the calming tranquility of a garden. For 140 years, we have been committed to maintaining this vision,” said Eleanor Molloy of the Elmwood Cemetery Association.
The association will conduct tours of its butterfly garden from 10-11 a.m. on July 28 and from 1-3 p.m. on July 31 at Elmwood Cemetery, 425 Georges Rd., North Brunswick. There will also be a tour in Spanish from 10 a.m. to noon on July 30.
The garden tours will be directed by Rutgers University students, who will provide information about the garden and helpful tips to start a private butterfly garden. There will be participatory activities for children.
“Many find that the timelessness of a garden, the majesty of seeing a garden in all seasons, and the indescribable beauty and wonder of seeing something as simple as a common butterfly or hearing a bird song can be very restorative and healing. To come to Elmwood Cemetery and take moment to stop, appreciate the woods, forest trees, flowering shrubs and sweeping lawns can be quite comforting,” Molloy said.
Elmwood Cemetery is a Victorian Garden Cemetery founded in 1868. The founders designed a cemetery where a beautiful landscaped park would create a respite from expanding cities, according to Molloy. Because of their vision, Elmwood is a preserve of 50 acres of native trees and shrubs, a home to many birds and wildlife.
The cemetery’s garden has been certified as a Monarch Waystation and a North American butterfly garden and was created to provide milkweeds and nectar sources for butterflies native to New Jersey, particularly the monarch butterfly, Molloy said.
A butterfly release is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Aug. 27 to raise awareness about the plight of the monarch.
“Our butterfly garden is our way of doing our part to help the diminishing butterfly and bird populations in our area. We would like to share our garden with the community and let others know how they can do small things to create a larger positive impact on our environment,” she said.
In addition, Elmwood will open its grounds to the public for a luminaria in November, lighting more than 3,000 candles on site.
“There are no words to describe how beautiful it was,” Molloy said of last year’s candle lighting event.
To register for the free garden tours, visit www.TheElmwoodCemetery.com/events.
For more information on any of the events at Elmwood, call 732-545-1445 or email info@theelmwoodcemetery.com.
