Tamanend’s Garden of Hope

Among the zinnia, daisies, petunias and daffodils, in a place nestled behind the farmhouse in Tamanend Park, Marlene Dyer finds hope.

"Butterflies are a symbol of hope," she said. "Children love butterflies.”

After Dyer’s son Jesse passed away in 1993, his friends went to Upper Southampton Township and asked for permission to put a memorial in Tamanend park.

Jesse was an Eagle Scout who loved nature and helped with Eagle Scout projects in the park, Dyer said.

“It was so nice what my son’s friends did,” she said. “I wanted to do something for all children.”

In 1995, Dyer, along with the Friends of Tamanend, put the garden up.

Many Friends of Tamanend pitched in to help the garden blossom into something the community would get great joy from.

Iris Sokol also lost a son who was a great lover of nature. The trail that leads up to the butterfly garden is named after her son, Glenn.

In 1997, she dedicated a poem inscribed to a plaque to the garden.

“One of my greatest joys in life is seeing things grow,” she said. “That goes along with children.”

In the last few months, the garden was redone. The paths were widened, gravel was laid down on the paths and recycled cobblestones from Philadelphia’s old streets were laid down along the paths.

The garden is equipped with types of flowers that attract butterflies.

“They like flat flowers,” Dyer said.

Children often enjoy the garden, she said.

“It’s a learning experience for the Girl Scouts,” she said. “They clean it up and help plant flowers."

Dyer also said that on Tamanend Day her and other Friends release and tag Monarch Butterflies to track their migration to Mexico.

Dyer said the first butterfly release, somewhere near 200 people showed up. Butterfly releases on Tamanend Day are now done to avoid groups in numbers too large.

Dyer said the best part about the garden is that the children get to enjoy it.