CANTON — A giant new garden has taken flight in front of the E.J. Noble Building, 80 E. Main St.

Crews from St. Lawrence County’s summer Youth Conservation Corps spent several hours recently hauling soil, mulch and rocks under the hot sun to create a butterfly-shaped flower garden.

Colorful blooms, shrubbery and a stone walkway now decorate the building’s front lawn.

Materials for the project were funded by the Canton E.J. Noble Guild, a volunteer organization. The group raises money for Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam, which operates the E.J. Noble Building. The village provided mulch and compost.

“It was amazing how much was accomplished in three days,” said Cynthia J. Quackenbush, the guild member who spearheaded the project. “We started from the bare ground and turned this into something the community will enjoy.”

She said she hopes the garden will bring joy to people who may feel stress when they have medical visits.

“It could make them feel a little bit of happiness if they received some bad news,” Mrs. Quackenbush said. “Every penny for this project came from the guild. This is their gift to the community.”

The garden has about 60 different varieties of perennials purchased from Francis E. and Jeannie L. Colby, owners of Patriot Gardens, Morristown.

Bruce Bonesteel, owner of Bonesteel’s Gardening Center, North Bangor, helped Mrs. Quackenbush build the structure based on her design plan.

“This is going to be beautiful and spectacular,” Mrs. Quackenbush said. “This garden really has a wow factor.”

Two work crews from Massena and one from Potsdam participated in the project.

Mrs. Quackenbush lauded two Canton youths in particular, Jonathan T. Pinckney, 17, and brother James M., 13, for their volunteer hours.

Jennifer Gray, supervisor of the Potsdam crew, said the project gave teens the chance to learn landscaping skills that may lead to employment opportunities as adults.

David J. Boyle, 18, Potsdam, said he liked being outdoors.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said while spreading gravel for the stone walkway. “This place is looking a lot nicer.”

Mrs. Quackenbush has been focused on informing people about the importance of planting flowers in order to preserve the presence of Monarch butterflies in the north country.

Last year, she worked with Canton Central School students to create two gardens, one at Banford Elementary and one at McKenney Middle School.

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