The memorial bench is in memory of Margaret Tate. The bricks it lies on have names on them
in honor or memory of someone.
In May 2004, Diane Tibbetts planted a garden behind the memorial bench in front of the church.
She purchased, planted, weeded, fertilized, and watched the fruits of her labor flourish into a charming
attraction, luring to all who notice its beauty. Many of those plants were perennials and her goal
was for those plants to re-seed and spread, supplemented with annuals.
Improvement introduced the following year enabled the plants to produce a cultivated appearance
for Easter. Wet weather has slowed the application of "the green thumb" in fostering the growth and health
of the plants in 2006 but Diane continued her masterful talent of vegetating the plants. Kathy Barker
planted the petunias on both sides of the front steps of the church. The petunias are heat tolerant and spread nicely.
The perennials that Diane added in 2006 included veronica, coreopsis, sometimes know as tickseed, false sunflowers,
or cornflowers, shasta daisy, dianthus, brown eyed Susans, or redbeckia, "Angelface", deep purple / blue blossoms
with leaves that emit an aroma similar to grapes when the leaf is crushed, an evening promrose, and sedum. Interestingly
of religious significance, the veronica is believed to be derived from the representation or image of the face of Jesus, which
according to legend, was impressed upon the handkerchief offered to him by Saint Veronica on the road to Calvary.
Diane also planted annuals for brilliance of color in 2006 that included petunias, white alyssum, red, blue, and pink
verbena, impatiens and New Guinea impatiens, portulaca, snapdragons, and marigolds.