Historic Greenvale celebrates Arbor Day with pecan tree planting
By Toni Miles
Debbie Cox the Long Beach Garden Club (left) and Long Beach Mayor Tim Pierce (right) hold a discussion at the Arbor Day tree planting at Greenvale. (Photo credit: Toni Miles)
In a meaningful tribute to both conservation and local heritage, community members, the Long Beach Garden Club, Long Beach Public Works employees and Long Beach Mayor Tim Pierce gathered at Greenvale (the historic Quarles family home) in Long Beach for a ceremonial planting of a pecan tree in honor of Arbor Day. Greenvale, with its deep roots and rich history, served as a fitting setting for the event, which was sponsored by the Long Beach Garden Club.
“The Long Beach Garden Club is really excited to participate in the Arbor Day ceremony this year, and we’re looking for much more involvement with Greenvale, because it’s such an important part of our city’s history and beautification,” said Long Beach Garden Club Vice President Michele Milliet.
The event, held on Thursday, February 19, drew residents, history enthusiasts, local officials and volunteers to the restored grounds of the nineteenth-century house — a reminder of both Long Beach’s roots and its commitment to a greener future.
A pecan tree was planted at Greenvale to celebrate Arbor Day on February 19. (Photo credit: Toni Miles)
“It’s just great that we had enough people who care about our city on Arbor Day to come out and plant a pecan tree that will be here long after we leave,” said Pierce. “They’re also doing some other projects around town. I’m very happy with them [the Long Beach Garden Club], and I’m glad they’re involved in our community.”
Greenvale, also known historically as the W.J. Quarles House, stands as one of the area’s most significant surviving landmarks. Built in the early 1890s by William James Quarles — one of Long Beach’s earliest settlers — the home now serves as a welcome center and a hub for community and historical activities. The structure anchors an important chapter in the city’s history: Quarles not only built the city’s first school and general store, but also engaged in farming and pecan cultivation, even exhibiting pecans from his orchard at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
Arbor Day, a day dedicated to planting and caring for trees, has long been celebrated across Mississippi with tree plantings and community events encouraging environmental stewardship. Last year, the Long Beach Garden Club hosted an Arbor Day planting of five camellia bushes at the historic site.
Pictured (l to r) at the Arbor Day event are Chirstopher Rowe, Garden Club Vice President Michele Milliet, Christopher Williams, and Kody Turner with Long Beach Public Works. (Photo credit: Toni Miles)
This year, Long Beach Public Works employees planted a pecan tree. Pecan trees are iconic across the state of Mississippi, valued not just for their nuts but also as symbols of growth, resilience and the long agricultural traditions of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Planting a pecan at Greenvale, a site with direct family and historical ties to pecan cultivation, underscores a desire to link the past with future generations.
Beautification efforts continue year-round at Greenvale. The planting of a garden in the southwest corner of the historic grounds has already begun.
Long Beach Mayor Tim Pierce motions to a site where a garden will soon be planted on the historic grounds of Greenvale. (Photo credit: Toni Miles)
“Back over here [southwest corner of Greenvale grounds], is going to be our future community garden,” said Pierce. “We’re going to start off kind of small, and we hope it will grow into something where different people around town can have their garden in a central place and grow different vegetables.”
The Long Beach tree planting was coordinated in tandem with Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’s designated tree planting week, February 13-19, recognizing the important role trees and forests play in strengthening communities across the state.
“Arbor Day is about more than planting trees. We are planting for the future of our communities,” said Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator for the Mississippi Forestry Commission Alex Ballard. “When we invest in urban trees, we’re investing in cleaner air, cooler neighborhoods and better quality of life for Mississippians.”
