You Can Plant Flowers, Baby Trees In Crocheron Park This Saturday

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Saturday is your last chance this spring to plant flowers and baby trees in Bayside’s Crocheron Park.

The event, organized by Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park (FCJGP), marks the group’s fourth and final planting this year aimed at reducing the number of invasive species in the park.

Planting native species helps preserve the park's ecosystem, according to Dana Gumb, Bayside resident of 30 years and the Vice President and Chair of Conservation Committee for FCJGP, which is why the group will plant black-eyed Susans, little bluestems and dogwood trees — which are all native to the area.

Like past events, the wildflower planting will happen in an area between the new ballfields, in order to “create a scenic view while you’re walking by, instead of just weeds,” FCJGP founder and President and Chair of History Committee, Jessica Burke, told Patch.

She said that planting the baby trees is part of the group’s attempt to “replace some of the trees that have fallen during past hurricanes and because of disease,” noting that Crocheron Park is particularly vulnerable to hurricane season because of its bay-side location.

And while this is the last planting event for the season, it’s not the last overall.

In the future, Burke said that FCJGP aims to have other tree planting opportunities, including chances to plant larger, heartier trees, which cost more money and require additional approval from the forestry department.

Anyone who is interested in attending this weekend's event, which will kick off at 10 a.m. near the park's tennis house and run until 1 p.m., can register online here.

Face masks are required, work pants are recommended, and the group asks that people who have old milk jugs to spare bring them for watering.