Members of the Tryon Garden Club are excited to now have working lights in the Depot Garden as well as improvements to its drainage and irrigation systems.

Thanks to a grant from the Special Projects Fund of the Kirby Endowment Fund of the Polk County Community Foundation, the area along the walkway from the parking area to the main staircase is now properly and safely lit.

Denise Barthold, head of the Depot Garden Beautification Committee for the Tryon Garden Club, is delighted to have phase one of this project complete, she said.

This work included reworking the irrigation system so it covers 99 percent of the garden area. It included creating channels covered by large river rock to remove excess water but retain mulch during heavy rains as well.

The phase also included installing pathway light fixtures and a new transformer.

“Tryon Garden Club is so appreciative for the Kirby grant and the Polk County Community Foundation for enabling this project to happen,” Barthold said.

Barthold is pleased to announce the Depot Garden has just received a grant from the Polk County Appearance Committee that will be used along with the Special Projects Fund of the Kirby Grant at Polk County Community Foundation to implement phase two, which will add three post lights in the interior garden space to the new lighting plan.

In addition to beautifying downtown Tryon, The Tryon Garden Club has used the Pearson’s Falls Trail Maintenance Fund of the Kirby Endowment Grant to perform more than 200 hours of needed trail and fence maintenance and storm cleanup at Pearson’s Falls since July. This grant, through the Polk County Community Foundation, greatly enhances local visitors’ experience at the falls, garden club representatives said.

Those interested in learning more about Pearson’s Falls can visit the garden club’s website, pearsonsfalls.org. Pearson’s Falls is closed in January.

– Submitted by Lucy Brannon