Members of the Durham Garden Club, with help and support from First Selectman George Eames and the public works crew, have started the restoration of the atrium garden in the new Community Center.

The site was first created as the George Cocores Garden in the Korn Elementary School, in 1964. It was replanted in 1983 and again in 2000, as a children’s garden, by the Durham Garden Club.

After the closing of Korn School in 2016, and several years of planning, the building is now the beautiful Korn Community Center.

The atrium garden had been badly neglected for years. Cleaning and removal of old shrubs and debris started in December 2022. Three Durham Garden Club members who are Master Gardeners are working on the plan for replanting the 22-foot-by-22-foot plot located inside the building.

The restoration project will follow The Pollinator Pathway guidelines for creating safe and healthy environments for pollinators. The Durham Garden Club will be planting all native shrubs and perennials and will use no pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

The club’s hope is to create a healthy environment that supports and protects our pollinators and provides a beautiful oasis for our community to visit, sit for awhile and enjoy being with nature.