DENTE PARK GETS A MAKEOVER: Granite Center Garden Club triples the size of the Park’s gardens and builds flood resilience.

GCGC volunteers give Dente Park a makeover by significantly expanding its gardens. Photo Credit: Granite Center Garden Club

[Barre, VT] – [July 22, 2026] – Dente Park, site of the Italian-American Stonecutter’s Statue, is receiving a much-needed makeover, courtesy of the Granite Center Garden Club. Over the past few weeks, members have been clearing sod, improving the soil, installing dozens of new plants, trimming back shrubs, and more. Overall, the club has more than tripled the size of the gardens. The park is a key welcoming feature at one of Barre’s most prominent gateways, situated at the intersection of Routes 62 and 302.

Dente Park, like the rest of downtown Barre, was hit hard by the floods of 2023 and 2024. The existing gardens and lawn areas were covered with silt and sediment. The club has worked diligently over the past few years to restore flooded garden beds. At Dente, members saw an opportunity to give this park extra attention with a full renovation. The enhancements will continue next Spring with the installation of a Blue Star Veterans Highway Marker on Memorial Day.

In May, the club hired Rachel Babin of Goldenrod Design in Waterbury to develop a comprehensive new design that features native plants, tolerates drought, and is resilient to future flooding. The City contributed funding for the purchase of new plants, compost, and mulch, all of which were installed this week by a dozen garden club volunteers.

"We are so proud of our Garden Club members. They worked enthusiastically to bring the plans for Dente Park to fruition," reflected Ed and Diane Blodgett, who provided the overall leadership for the project.

The Granite Center Garden Club is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to beautifying the City and offering educational gardening programs. It actively maintains many of the City’s gardens, including the Maple Avenue median, the Washington Street median and triangle, City Hall Park horse trough, the park-and-ride next to Reynolds House, and the Summer Street triangle. The club meets from 5-7 pm on the second Monday of the month at the Aldrich Public Library. The public is invited to attend meetings and new members are always welcome.