Lake J greenhouse renovated
Dale Stanton-Hoyle and his mother, Barbara Stanton, share a joyous embrace upon entering the newly renovated greenhouse. Bill Graham photo
Lake Junaluska’s greenhouse is heading into the winter fully renovated, thanks to a charitable gift Dale Stanton-Hoyle made in honor of his mother, Barbara Stanton.
Stanton has volunteered with gardening and landscaping initiatives at the lake for 20 years, tracing her love of gardening back to 1941, when she was 7 years old and the family planted a garden so they would have food to eat during World War II.
“After I was married and the kids were little, whenever we came back home, we would go see the garden, and eat tomatoes, turnips or whatever was growing,” said Stanton.
The greenhouse renovation included new plastic and a new water heater, an improved airflow system, strengthened support beams and other equipment updates. The renovations will improve energy efficiency and allow the more than 8,000 plants grown there annually to become better and healthier than they would otherwise, said landscape manager Melissa Tinsley. Lake Junaluska held celebrated the improvements during a ceremony in late August.
