Something I had always personally noticed and admired was the landscaping surrounding the home at the corner of Bendigo Blvd and Park Street in North Bend – one of the old homes cleared this week to make way for the new Bartell Drugs opening later this year.
Built in 1916, the home’s landscape always appeared meticulously maintained, the plants trimmed neatly, and when things bloomed it was just beautiful. Yesterday, April 24, 2013, the City of North Bend announced that although the home (along with three others) was cleared, much of native plantings were carefully removed and preserved.
North Bend Economic Development Director, Gina Estep, said via email “that many of the large, gorgeous 10-30 year old rhododendrons and other mature, native vegetation were salvaged and temporarily relocated to The Nursery at Mt Si this past March.”
The city is offering those rhododendrons to any Snoqualmie Valley resident who would like to relocate them to their yards. Net proceeds from their sales will go to the North Bend Downtown Foundation. The Foundation will in turn use these funds to help support North Bend Downtown Vitality.
Estep went on to say that purchasing of the rhododendrons will also support North Bend’s local nursery, The Nursery at Mt. Si, the Downtown Foundation and ultimately the Downtown Core.
Cooperative, multiple partnerships helped make the historic plant salvaging happen. The plants and materials were donated by land owners, Jim and Betty Borgen, Nursery at Mt. Si owner, Nels Melgaard, the City of North Bend Economic Development Office, the North Bend Downtown Foundation and land developer, Tom Sroufe, who helped facilitate the partners.
All the historic rhododendrons can be purchased at Nursery at Mt Si.
Comments
I grew up in the Valley and was fortunate enough to live in Doc Borgens house in North Bend. Was this wine of the homes raised or just the corner one owned by Pike?