A local green thumb showed her big heart this week by donating shrubs to replace plants stolen from the Collingwood Labyrinth gardens.
Rhonda Green, owner of Greentree Gardens and Emporium on Highway 26, heard about the vandalism and missing plants from the labyrinth site and decided she'd share some of her inventory to return what had been lost.
On the morning of May 17, members of the labyrinth committee arrived at the park to find several plants had been uprooted and were gone from the garden. Some were recovered in the woods nearby where they had been discarded. But four forsythia shrubs and some honeysuckle went missing entirely.
Committee member Jack Marley said the site was vandalized, and it happened once before after the group put in some dogwood shrubs in 2017 and 12 were stolen.
Green decided she would help make some good news happen when she offered to replace the missing forsythia and honeysuckle.
"A lot of volunteer time and effort goes into these things, it was a shame to see some of it destroyed for no reason," said Green. "I thought I could help."
She donated six shrubs, which she estimated would amount to about $200.
Marley praised Green's generosity and said the group was grateful.
"It was very nice of her," said Marley.
The replacement shrubs have been planted now.
Marley said the labyrinth is supported by an annual donor who covers the cost of some new plants and maintenance of the site. He's glad to see that donation go even further this year with Green's shrub contributions.
