At the January meeting of Great Bend Garden Club, Darlene Boley introduced her guest speaker, Joyce Esfeld, who gave a delightful program on Holland’s Keukenhof, The World’s Largest Flower Garden. The Keukenhof, translated “Kitchen Garden,” is located near Amsterdam on the original hunting grounds of a large castle. For many years it has been the showcase for Holland’s bulb growers. The seventy-nine acres are blooming with over seven million bulbs and is open to the public from March 20 to May 20 each year. Nine miles of paved paths meander through beautifully landscaped Historic, Native, Japanese, and Innovative gardens which are interspersed with lawns, trees, shrubs, artistic sculptures, and water features. On the grounds there are also five pavilions where new and unusual varieties of bulbs are displayed. Ms. Esfeld shared a power-point slide presentation accompanied by delightful background music showing the stunning photos that she has taken during three different visits to the garden. She prefaced her program with background information on the development and use of the Keukenhof and tips on growing flowering bulbs. A digital copy of her slide presentation is available for borrowing from the Garden Club. Mary Kummer was presented with a lovely planter of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and tiny iris as a door prize.
Following the program a business meeting with the seventeen members present was conducted by President, Nancy Swafford. Business included arrangements for the placement of a decorative bench in the Great Bend Cemetery Rose Garden as a memorial to long-time Garden Club member Terri Maneth. Also the names of two past members, Dorothy O’Connell and Nina Steuri, will be placed on the Memorial Plaques hanging in the Rose Garden.
Refreshments were served by Iva Behrens.
The next meeting of Great Bend Garden Club will be on Feb. 21 with Alice Young giving the program and Kay Hallenbeck serving as hostess.