One of Bolton Hills’ older parks has undergone a new freshening, thanks to neighborhood volunteers. At the southern end of the neighborhood sits Contee-Parago Park. This small but beautiful park provides a cool oasis in the summer and a quiet space for contemplation year-round. Its history also exemplifies the can-do attitude of Bolton Hill residents.
The Bolton Hill Garden Club this month approved a record $11,300 in greening grants to create or improve publicly accessible green spaces and beautify the Bolton Hill community. This year the club opened eligibility to the Madison Park and Marble Hill neighborhoods. Eleven projects—a record number— will be funded throughout the area, including one in Madison Park.
Tucked quietly into Bolton Hill at Mosher and Mason streets is a space that holds deep meaning for many—Ana Maria’s Memorial Garden. Originally developed under the leadership of longtime resident Marcia Ribeiro, the garden was created in memory of her mother, Ana Maria Couto, who passed away too soon in 2016 from cancer. Ana Maria was a frequent visitor to Bolton Hill and grew to love its charming streets, pocket parks and the warmth of its residents.
A rite of spring in Bolton Hill, the Bolton Hill Garden Club’s spring plant sale will take place on Saturday, April 19. It will be in Fitzgerald Park (corner of Bolton and Wilson Streets), from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. It will feature for purchase annuals, perennials, hanging baskets and herbs – also available for pre-order on the BHGC website in the lead-up weeks.
It was a diminutive plaque, scarcely noticeable above the grass in a corner of the upper Park Avenue median. The buried block of concrete to which it was affixed had been dinged and gouged by the wear of roughly 90 years, but the tarnished plaque itself was very much intact.
A few years ago, our then-mayor was addressing the community association about her accomplishments. She proudly announced that she had spent $700,000 on trees. In conclusion, she asked if there were questions.
If your walks, jogs or drives take you through the 1600 and 1700 blocks of Park Ave., you’ve probably noticed some changes in the medians over the last couple of years.
The Bolton Hill Garden Club and BHCA’s Greening Committee will host a neighborhood greening briefing on Saturday, March 16 at 2 pm at Unity Hall.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) awarded two separate grants to provide detailed plans to renovate green spaces in Bolton Hill. One is Mounds Park in the 1400 block of Eutaw Place and the other is the southeast vacant lot and bus stop at the corner of Park and North avenues.
The fall bird migration is underway and for attentive residents of Bolton Hill, that means an opportunity to spot a wide range of birds that are passing through, heading south for the winter months. If not in your yard, look for them in neighborhood and other nearby parks where each night they come down from the skies in search of insects or berries, water and a safe place to rest.
