Since late fall 2023 Shipwreck Corner has undergone an exciting resurrection, focusing on adopting a more planned approach to managing the  Corner.  Long maintained by the group with several yearly work parties, hard work and good intentions, it had become clear that a more organized approach was warranted, including the need to tackle the surrounding trees after 30 years of quasi neglect.

Thanks in large part to Cedar Bouta’s efforts and expertise, a professional arborist was hired in 2024 to prune these trees. This work was continued in 2025 by Luken’s Tree Preservation. Greg finished the trimming and limbing of the northernmost part of Shipwreck Corner, and he also took down a large dead maple tree.  The limbing and cleaning out of some of the large branches of several of these trees has provided the shrubs with a better chance to flourish and “show off”

In early 2025 Michaele Dazelle met with Mary Gentry, Pam Trautman,  Lasha Steinweg and Nancy Brown to assess the corner  and develop a more organized plan for upgrading and maintaining the beds. Michaele’s recommendations focused on hardiness, year-round color, and ease of maintenance.  She also suggested a possible timeline for making these changes and additions to the planting spaces at the corner, as well as recommended amendments to the soil.  

Recommendations, many of which were implemented in 2025, included:

Continued to remove the ever present blackberry and spreading roses plants  

Continued to remove invasive plants, edged the chip path, tackled the ubiquitous weeding, and spread a huge mound of bark mulch and new soil.

Planted more shrubs in the half circle: hellebores, Japanese forest grass, viburnum tinus, and a Daphne that David Hayes propagated.

Planted sword ferns and day lilies in the vine maple circle 

And of course, planted another 100 daffodil bulbs

Recognizing the Saturday work parties were difficult for many Sewer Sisters, Nina Goodwich, Nancy Brown, and Lasha Steinweg met with Michaele in the fall of 2025 at the corner and divided the area into 14 smaller, more manageable zones. Michaele developed a zone map and associated task list which were displayed at the annual holiday party. By the end of the party, all zones had been adopted. The plan is for the adoptees to work on their own schedule to maintain these small zones.  A kick off meeting has been set for February 7th 2026 to get things going. It is not necessary, just helpful, to attend this meeting.  Expectations are high that this process will be more effective way to maintain the corner.