New group aims for cleaner, more attractive Keyport
BY J.J. SULLIVAN III Correspondent
As Keyport officials put the finishing touches on a newly revamped waterfront promenade, a group of 25 volunteers joined the community's redevelopment efforts, with hopes of using their gardening skills to increase the borough's aesthetic appeal.
At the June 14 plant sale, members of the Keyport Garden Club (KGC) continued to raise awareness about the importance of reducing waste. The club's general goals reflect three themes, education, beautification and fertilization, which, although seemingly unrelated, have a connection that the club members were anxious to explain at the plant sale.
Beneath a canopy of dense foliage, the KGC set up tents, tables and floral displays on the lawn of Central School. The plant sale was the group's first official fundraiser since its establishment in January. According to event organizers, the turnout exceeded all expectations.
The resident authority of the horticultural benefit was KBC member and Monmouth County master gardener Clare Skeen. She spent the day giving demonstrations on mixing compost, explaining that the practice was a simple way to erase an individual's "carbon footprint" and other adverse effects on the environment.
"Education, beautification and fertilization - those are all things [the KBC] certainly stands for," she said.
For Skeen, the plant sale was a way to raise money while alerting the community to the benefits of waste reduction.
"It is important to educate the public about how refuse like grass clippings and table scraps can be made into something valuable," Skeen said. "Instead of buying a bag of compost for $15, why not use your garbage to create the same exact thing? I put out one less can of garbage each week because I utilize what would usually be regarded as waste."
According to Skeen, making good compost is akin to making lasagna.
"It's a matter of layering your carbon materials with your nitrogen materials," she explained. "The correct ratio is two parts carbon to one part nitrogen. The ideal temperature range is between 110 and 130 degrees. This can be done in a plastic bin made specifically for composting, or by simply sectioning off a corner of your backyard."
Skeen said if the correct recipe is followed, the result will be healthier soil with enhanced structure and increased cultivatability, or tilth, assuming the compost has received the proper amount of water and is allowed to aerate.
According to Skeen, "Good compost should be odorless and have the consistency of a damp sponge. Without costing a nickel, you could have the best fertilizermoney can buy."
To earn the respected title of master gardener, Skeen underwent 60 hours of intensive classroom instruction from Rutgers University professors, as well as from industry professionals.
After successfully completing the program in 2007, the Keyport resident next took a course in master composting.
"Our first class was spent at the Monmouth County landfill in Tinton Falls," said Skeen, describing the frustration she felt when observing firsthand the heaps of trash that could have been turned into topnotch soil. "It was really shocking to see the sheer amount of garbage that could have been put to efficient use."
The plants available for purchase last weekend were an impressive assortment, with herb boxes and nursery plants scattered among vivid red and yellow flora. The most popular items of the day were hanging perennials, garnering noticeable attention from the steady stream of foot traffic drawn into town for the municipal-wide garage sale.
According to Skeen, the centerpiece of the sale was the Ramapo tomato, a special tomato grown from seed developed at Rutgers. "This was the first year the seeds were available for master gardeners to purchase," she said. "[Ramapo tomatoes] are truly deserving of the title 'world famous.' "
Despite the stifling heat,more than 100 people came out, purchasing half of the stock.Although unsure of the total amount raised, KGC member Nuray Aykin said proceeds from the benefit would help establish more floral arrangements within the borough, thereby increasing the quality of Keyport's physical appearance, bringing the KBC one step closer to its goal of beautification.
"This is our first year, so we have a small budget, but that has not stopped us from making a tangible contribution," said Aykin, citing the flowerbeds surrounding both the library and the town's four welcome signs. "We have also grown community gardens, which produce vegetables that are given to a Keansburg homeless shelter."
According to a press release issued by Councilwoman Christine Bolte, "The club looks to encourage civic pride in the community and enhance the natural beauty of Keyport's neighborhoods, public spaces and highway corridors."
The sale was scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to noon, but the dedicated volunteers were still manning their posts at half past one. The sale continued into the afternoon as drivers continued to pull over, creating a constant trickle of bargain hunters.
Rather than complain about the extended hours, clubmembers were enthused by the success of their first benefit.
"The KGC offers citizens the chance to meet terrific people who are determined to make our town as visually attractive as possible," Skeen said. "It is amazing howmany dedicated gardeners live in Keyport."
At the end of the day, KGC members were tasked with making sure the leftover plants lived to see another sale.
"Members will take the remaining plants home and baby-sit them, making sure they get the proper treatment and stay healthy until our next scheduled sale," Aykin said. "It is not easy caring for the plants, but the end resultmakes the efforts worthwhile.We are planning to make Keyport a cleaner place; that is our ultimate goal, and I believe we are making a difference."
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