As the old saying goes, you can’t have a rainbow without rain.

This is a concept Fernwood lovers know quite literally. They watch their gardens bloom after every storm, but recently leaders at the nature preserve have been given a more metaphorical view of the old adage.

When a freak accident burned down the popular Fernwood railway garden last fall, people were devastated. Fernwood employees were saddened to see the loss of one of the establishment’s most interactive assets. Children who visit Fernwood missed watching the trains chug down the tracks.

In response to the tragedy, countless people donated to a GoFundMe campaign, and others donated pieces for a new assembly. One child even donated his allowance.

With the storm behind us, Fernwood lovers can reap the benefits of the rainbow this weekend, when a newly constructed railway garden debuts to the public.

We had a chance to peek at the new garden, and were excited to see it is better than ever. And Fernwood leaders aren’t stopping there. A campaign to expand to a second railway garden is already in the works.

If the railway garden hadn’t caught fire, perhaps Fernwood would have never known how much the community truly appreciated it, and we may have never had an even bigger and better garden.

We’re pleased to see this positive reaction to a sad situation and encourage everyone to take advantage of the “rainbow” this weekend.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.