Garden party brings children’s story characters to life at Presque Isle library

by Melissa Lizotte
6 years ago
Khole Farris (right) and Faith Camp, both 9, pose in the McGregor's Library Garden outside the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle during the annual Garden Party on Friday. (Staff Photo/Melissa Lizotte)

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — As part of their efforts to educate local children about beloved book characters and the wonders of gardening, administrators at the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library hosted an event on Friday, July 20, that they hope will serve as one of many annual gatherings at the literary garden.

The library hosted nearly 30 children and their families for the second annual Garden Party since the creation of the McGregor Library Garden, inspired by the characters created in Beatrix Potter’s “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and other stories.

Children created colorful flower crowns Friday before exploring the many vegetables and flowers that have been planted in the garden, which is located on the State Street side of the library.

“I like all the statues of the animals,” said Gabriel Delsignore, 8, of Presque Isle, referring to the characters of Peter Rabbit, Mr. Todd the Fox and Tom Kitten. He and his 5-year-old brother Jacob wandered around the garden, enjoying the sunshine on another warm summer day in Presque Isle.

“We come to the library a lot and this is one of the spots that we like to go to,” said their mother Rose Delsignore.

After receiving a $5,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, library staff opened the McGregor’s Library Garden in 2017, named for the elderly “Peter Rabbit” character Mr. McGregor, known for trying to keep the animals out of his garden. Since then they have used the outdoor space as a hands-on way to connect children with the agricultural themes they read about.

“Early on, we planted tomatoes and lettuce,” said Children’s Librarian Melissa St. Pierre. “I think seeing an actual garden like this can help children learn more about how food grows, which they can also read about in books.”

Maureen Connell of Presque Isle also brought her children Kyle, 8, and Abra, 6, to the garden party on Friday.

“We come to the library at least once a week and sometimes we’ll stop by the garden on our way,” she said. “They like seeing the statues of the animals and the vegetables.”