June-2015 Update

The summer season has officially begun, and the beautiful lamppost baskets in the park are here to prove it! Huge thanks to Valerie Chornyak for organizing this year's basket planting, which took place on May 19 and 20.  As always, it takes a village to accomplish this task, and we have so many generous people to thank for checking our irrigation lines, for providing the lifts, the drivers, the helpers, the refreshments, the coffee, the wheelbarrows, the ladders, and on and on.  Thanks also to the many Garden Club volunteers who overcame their acrophobia to work on the lifts, and to those who braved the elements and served as ground crew preparing the baskets, delivering the plants, and providing supplies and water for those who did the planting.  Participating in a project like this always reminds one of how lucky we are to live in a community with people who are so generous with their time and resources and so willing to help.  Thank you one and all.

Now that the baskets are planted, the task of watering and fertilizing them has begun.  Since the Garden club spends approximately $5,000 each year in plants and supplies for the baskets, we want to be sure they are properly cared for.  We seek the help of Garden Club volunteers for that.  Many hands make light work, so if you have an hour to spare and would like to help keep the baskets beautiful, please contact Peggy Leopold at (419) 285-0160 , or sign up on our website at putinbaygardenclub.com.

Speaking of watering, we want to give a big thank you to Chan Stevens, who has so graciously provided the Garden Club with the golf cart we use to water the baskets.  In addition to his generous contribution, Chan and his trusty sidekick, Steve Cooks, keep the cart tuned up and ready for us year after year.  We so appreciate all they do!

The first meeting of the Garden Club this year was held on May 9 at the Island Hardware Store.  Jason and Chris Cooper instructed the group in how to make a mini-greenhouse from recyclable materials.  Each participant then planted the greenhouses with seeds from four types of herbs.  A good time was had by all sixteen participants.

Please join us for the next meeting on Thursday, June 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the Yacht Club.  Master gardeners Rosie Daniels and Susan Hildebrandt will present a talk entitled Smart Solutions for Shade Gardening: Care, Color, Texture, and Design.  Refreshments will be available at 5:30 and the presentation will begin at 6:00. Hope to see you there!

Susan Hildebrandt, Co-President, Put-in-Bay Garden Club