The lush rain gardens on the Mathews Court Green not only beautify the historic site, but they also help soak up the rain when there’s a heavy downpour. But the plants are eroding, and Stan Grice, president of the Mathews Gardening Group, wants to figure out what to do about the problem.

Planted in 2020 by Dr. H. Alexander “Sandy” Wilson and his wife, Dr. Anne Leddy Wilson, and maintained by them ever since, the gardens have been a labor of love. But recently the Wilsons decided they were ready to transition responsibility for the gardens to someone else, and the Mathews Gardening Group, established last year, has taken on the task.

Grice, a Mathews newcomer, helped his neighbor, Mary Rudisill, start the Mathews Gardening Group under the guidance of Mathews Extension Agent Rachael Morris. When Rudisill fell ill, Grice took the Master Gardener course and fell in love with living shorelines and rain gardens. He said the court green project is a good fit for him and the group.

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