1995 – Memorial Garden
The practice of memorial plantings at Woodland dates back to at least 1971, and quite possibly earlier. Dogwood trees were given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Holton Ball and Bea Patton. Well known to local arborists is the large Japanese Maple tree that sits at the northeast corner of the church; a wonderful example of the species. It’s origin is unknown…at least, to this historian.
The garden located on the Kentucky Avenue side of the church is, in fact, a memorial garden. It was originally created in 1995 to memorialize several members of the church family including Eunice and Stephen Diachun, Wilson Cox, Claude and Bertha Wilhoite, Mabel Perkins, Wilma Lee Pinkston, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Russell, and Anna Kingcade.
By 1996 Jackie Diachun had begun organizing volunteers to revitalize the garden; removing overgrown taxus and evergreens. They were replaced by native Kentucky serviceberries and fringe trees. Spring bulbs, and hostas were transplanted from Margaret Ryle’s garden, along with a ground cover of pachysandra.
When UK Plant Pathologist and church member Janine Baker learned that her freshman advisor at UK, Steve Diachun, was included in the memorial, she was moved to spend several years making improvements.
Lots of Woodland names came to be associated with the garden in one way or another: including Haldon Pinkston, Evelyn Ladd, Robert Ball, Tim Claggett, Russ Thompson, Don Witt, and Dana Maybourg, along with Tim and Ben Diachun.
The garden located on the Kentucky Avenue side of the church is, in fact, a memorial garden. It was originally created in 1995 to memorialize several members of the church family including Eunice and Stephen Diachun, Wilson Cox, Claude and Bertha Wilhoite, Mabel Perkins, Wilma Lee Pinkston, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Russell, and Anna Kingcade.
By 1996 Jackie Diachun had begun organizing volunteers to revitalize the garden; removing overgrown taxus and evergreens. They were replaced by native Kentucky serviceberries and fringe trees. Spring bulbs, and hostas were transplanted from Margaret Ryle’s garden, along with a ground cover of pachysandra.
When UK Plant Pathologist and church member Janine Baker learned that her freshman advisor at UK, Steve Diachun, was included in the memorial, she was moved to spend several years making improvements.
Lots of Woodland names came to be associated with the garden in one way or another: including Haldon Pinkston, Evelyn Ladd, Robert Ball, Tim Claggett, Russ Thompson, Don Witt, and Dana Maybourg, along with Tim and Ben Diachun.