August 2019
Barbara L (Bridge) Nilson (passed in August 2019). She joined the Wareham Garden Club in 1991 and contributed in three key areas: scholarship committee, publicity, and yearbook.
She was the beloved wife of the late Russell Nilson, mother of David E. Nilson and his wife Holly of Wareham, and Dana H. Nilson and his wife Susan of Marion, grandmother of six grandchildren (“Chip,” Kim, Brittany, Andrew, Natalie and Katie); and six great grandchildren (Matt, Molly, Cooper, Wyatt, Julian, and Rosalie).
Here are some fond memories from her daughter-in-law Holly:
“Barbara was a proud member of both the Wareham & Marion (Sippican)garden clubs. She grew up on a farm in Medfield. She & her husband & two boys summered in Marion from 1960 until the family moved to Marion full time. Barbara had a fond neglect for all her outside plantings and inside plants.
Her hydrangeas were always more blue & abundant than any others on Planting Island. When asked how she cared for them her answer was, “I don’t know. I’m not sure I do care for them.” I believe her favorite flower was the orchid. She could make orchids grow for months at a time. She had many varieties and colors. In the summer she literally threw her orchids outside onto the deck and left them alone. Maybe she watered them on the hottest days but mostly let the summer rains take care of them. The orchids would move inside when Barbara got around to it in the fall and flourish all over again. Barbara enjoyed the design challenges and many times won in her class. She would ask me to critique her arrangements- like I could ever! Often during my career she asked, suggested, and demanded that I join the garden clubs with her. I could not accommodate her timeframe yet I was proud she brought me onto the Wareham Garden Club when she did.”