FH Gardening 101: Mulch for Everyone!

When a tree falls, a garden grows.

That's the silver lining story Fair Haven officials are telling about the abundance of mulch that has become available in the borough due to the myriad felled trees from Hurricane Sandy.

Now, with spring planting season on the horizon and plenty of leftover ground up trees from Sandy's aftermath, the borough's Department of Public Works employees have stored the resulting excess of mulch, rather than clearing it, and are in the process of moving it to a giant pile at Fair Haven Fields.

Residents and Rumson neighbors are welcome to come and get it for their gardens and landscaping starting the week of April 1. No fooling. Really.

"We just had so many trees down from the storm that we ended up with this enormous pile of mulch," Mayor Ben Lucarelli said. "And it's the best kind of mulch, because it's mostly ground trees."

Call it a silver lining storm story, the mayor said. Regardless, the trees are down and they're now going to contribute to a rebirth of sorts in spring gardening and landscaping, he said.

And the mulch isn't the only good gardening news going on in Fair Haven.

Borough Engineer Rich Gardella has come up with a plan for the much requested deer fencing for the community garden.

The fence, which Lucarelli said will encompass a "very large" swath of land, was okayed and will be installed in time for spring planting to keep the deer from taking a dive into the garden and depleting the growth.

It is expected to cost roughly $15,000 and will stand 10 feet high. The cost will be covered by fees for garden plots. Community gardeners came to council with the request after they found a giant stag in the munching on veggies in the middle of the garden last year.

"That'll keep the deer out," Lucarelli said.