“How did you become interested in gardening and flowers?” This question was asked by Nancy Swafford to kick start a rush of memories by the 14 members of Great Bend Garden Club during their November meeting. From requirements to weed the family garden patch before being allowed to go swimming as a child, to making hollyhock ladies, to watching a mother grow whole new plants from just a leaf from an existing African violet or a branch from an existing bushy plant, to resurrecting geraniums which had hung and dried over the winter in a garage, to having a father or grandfather who could grow anything, to living in a home that was filled with beautiful potted flowers, to participation in a Brownie Scout project of planting a flower in a pot and watching it grow, to resenting gardening as a child because of having to pick strawberries, or peaches. For members today, gardening of both flowers and vegetables is a pleasant, relaxing pastime.
The Great Bend Garden Club is hopeful that others in the Great Bend community might have happy childhood or adult experiences with gardens or flowers and be interested in visiting a meeting and joining the club. One member had been heard commenting that Garden Club is her favorite organization because everyone is always in good humor and the meetings are fun as well as the programs being interesting and informative.
• Garden Club meets in the Barton County Extension Office meeting room at 10 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month (excluding the summer months of June, July, and August). During the summer months members enjoy watering and workdays in the Memorial Rose Garden in the Great Bend Cemetery.
The Rose Garden and its accompanying Memorial Plaques are the exclusive project and responsibility of the Garden Club. Club dues are $20 a year.
During the club’s November business meeting conducted by President Nancy Williams, members decided to enlist help in creating a Facebook page for Garden Club so members can share club information and photography with the community.
Delicious cupcakes were served by hostess Iva Behrens. The next meeting will be on Dec. 21 with Nancy Swafford having the program.