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Keeping Bordentown– and beyond–green Local landscaperINSIDE: designs outdoor retreats
Merwick Care and Arthritis, Rheumatic & a Back Bordennice plants. Mellor, Rehabilitation Center Disease Associates town resident, plays down his talent for juggling all these different skills. “WeWWW. create little COM rooms,” MelDOWNTOWN TRENTON PATRIOTSWEEK. lor said. “We sort of teamed up By KeLLie c. MUrPhy this year, my brother and me. Terms like “curb appeal,” He has his own company and I “outdoor living room” and have my company. But on these “backyard retreat” are catchy installations, like hardscaping phrases that those with HGTV jobs, we do them together and subscriptions probably know split everything right down the well—and they’re phrases that middle.” Raised in Ewing, where his landscaping professionals hear often, too. Landscaping pro- dad owns a mechanic busifessionals do everything from ness, Mellor played tennis and winter snow removal to spring showed a real talent for art. The mulching and summer mow- love for outdoor spaces came ing. Yet the full conceptualiza- later. Terra Verde Design began tion of modern outdoor spaces in the early aughts as his family needs a trained and qualified entrepreneurism came together landscaping and hardscaping with his artistic nature and lack of fear of hard work. professional. “It’s such a fabulous garden Bordentown-based Terra Verde Design, helmed by Tim back here. It’s a retreat,” said Mellor, offers all these outdoor Alexi Assmus, the Princeton skills amid the issues of new homeowner. “In this kind of entrepreneurism, our fluctuat- weather we’re out here in the morning, in the evening. With ing economy and family life. “I’m not an architect,” Mel- the stone work it completely lor said. “I knew I wasn’t gonna transformed. Tim is an artist. He has a vision. He works pass all the calculus.” Mellor, 47, and his younger really hard. I asked him to put brother Michael, 43, are in a lot of plants because I’m working on finishing a project not into all the mulching. I that began earlier this year. In think we have the best garden a quaint and ver y green back- in Princeton.” Assmus has an outdoor dinyard in Princeton, he’s installing a wooden fence enclosing ing table, a wicker sitting area some lush trees and shrubs around a coffee table, and along the far side of the other smaller, more quirky elements in her yard. She rechouse. The project began with a new ommended Mellor to a neighlandscaped driveway along the bor before the project on her other side of the home, which own yard was finished. She’s a showcased a magical porthole very satisfied client. One of the fence, a green garden path and frustrations in the landscapstepping stones into a back- ing business is how difficult it yard gathering space ideal for is for potential clients to really cities or for the suburbs. Proj- understand the vision for a ects like this require process project. Mellor usually draws. and planning, not just garden- Many companies use computer ing skills and a good eye for See MELLOR, Page 6 A safe, nurturing environment for loved ones. Page 4
New Jersey’s largest rheumatology practice. Page 9
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Gabriel Planas-Borgstrom (left) is currently undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His father, Francisco (right), was diagnosed with and recovered from the same illness 14 years ago.
Town ready to ‘Go Bald for Gabe’ Community rallies around family after second cancer diagnosis; fundraiser set for Dec. 7 By sAMAnthA sciArrottA Any Bordentown resident would be hard-pressed to spot a part of town that hasn’t been touched by the Planas-Borgstrom family. The kids go to school in the district and are involved with athletics and theater. Mom Tara grew up in town
and moved back after going to college in Connecticut, and she’s also taught in the district for about 20 years—“I’m really, really Bordentown,” she said. Dad Francisco was a teacher at the high school. So when Francisco, Sr. was diagnosed Hodgkin’s lymphoma 14 years ago—while Tara was seven months pregnant with Gabriel, their middle child—the community was quick to come together and raise money for the family through a benefit concert. And then it happened again. At the beginning of September, Gabriel was also diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And
once again, the community stepped in to support the family. Holy Cross Lutheran Church will host an open mic fundrasier for Planas-Borgstrom Dec. 7 from 7 to 10 p.m. The Bordentown Township Police Department also set aside its clean-shaven policy for No Shave November, growing beards to raise money for the family. For a donation, participating officers could grow a beard, mustache, or goatee, or pain their fingernails any color. They also sought donations from community members throughout the month. The fundraiser was set to culSee GABE, Page 8
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