There is a fascinating connection between the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University and the former Park Avenue Methodist Church that once stood in Philadelphia.

Decades ago, an important part of the architectural salvage from that church was stored at the Ambler Campus, a stone with a vital one-word message — Peace. Today, thanks to the dedication and hands-on work of the Ambler-Keystone Chapter of the Woman's National Farm & Garden Association (WNF&GA), the Ambler Arboretum will soon dedicate a new Peace Garden with that stone providing the centerpiece.

“I learned about this architectural artifact when I started working here eight years ago. It was in a meadow and brought to my attention by Anne Brennan (Plant Records Curator for the Ambler Arboretum) and Larry Argile, a local resident and historian who was very interested in the architectural pieces and their preservation,” said Kathy Salisbury, Director of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. “Eventually we were able to move them out of the meadow and to our materials storage area, where they were waiting to be placed into some of the gardens around campus. Then the tornado hit before we moved them. We had to reevaluate all of the spaces and some just no longer made sense.”

When the Woman’s National Farm & Garden Association approached the Arboretum about a Peace Garden, Salisbury said, “I knew if we created one here, this ‘rock’ would have to be the centerpiece of it all.”

“It turned out perfectly. Our facilities crew were able to place it exactly where we needed it,” she said. “We are excited it finally has a permanent home, and we can share its story.” 

The brief dedication ceremony will take place in the new Peace Garden on Monday, September 15, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. across from the Hilda Justice Building. The program is open to alumni, friends of the Ambler Arboretum and the University Community.

“The development of the Peace Garden is actually part of a national imitative. An anonymous donor provided funding with the directive that each branch would receive funds toward creating a peace garden,” said Tessie McNeely, President of the Ambler-Keystone Chapter of the Woman's National Farm & Garden Association. “Our chapter matched the funding that we received, and we began to collaborate with the Arboretum staff to help us locate a place on campus. They’ve been very generous with this whole process, helping us to design the garden, develop the plant palette and ready the location.”

According to Salisbury WNF&GA members have been hands-on with the creation of the garden, “assisting Arboretum horticultural staff and our regular volunteer crews on various volunteer days to create the beds, install mulch, edging and the plants. They continue to assist in caring for the garden throughout the season.”

Being integrally involved in the creation of the Peace Garden “has been a very nice experience for our membership,” said McNeely.

“The Peace Garden is so close to where the Woman’s National Farm & Garden was founded on campus more than a century ago,” said McNeely. “We wanted it to be a peaceful, contemplative space, a place where you can be surrounded by nature and forget about the worries of the world for a little while.”

With plants of silver, blue and white intermingled with “some deep purples, the garden is designed to evoke a calm space so people can find peace in this area,” Salisbury said.

“We also hope it can be a place where people can have conversations around peace, what that looks like and feels like, what needs to be done to foster and maintain it, whether that is your own internal peace or on a much larger scale,” she said. 

According to MJ Kirkpatrick, a member of the Temple Ambler Board of Visitors, a long-time member of the Ambler-Keystone Chapter of the WNF&GA and a Temple alumnus, a peace garden “inherently appeals to those who garden for the environment as it represents a world view of harmony, reciprocity, cooperation and community — healing the earth.”

“Both on a personal level — inner peace — and a community level — peace between people and peace among peoples — gardening perpetuates these values. The Ambler-Keystone Chapter of the (WNF&GA) has contributed to the Arboretum’s care and its mission and educational focus on sustainability and ecology,” she said. “We are fortunate to meet in the Visitors Center, the historic head house of the original greenhouse, which was restored with the help of the Association. At a time when we must all consider the value of peace in our society, we look forward to welcoming everyone for a gathering to dedicate this new Peace Garden and recognize the partnership and shared mission of the Ambler Campus and the Ambler-Keystone chapter.”