At the September meeting of Great Bend Garden Club, a discussion on the members’ experiences in gardening as children was introduced and led by Pam Sweeney. The sharing time expanded to include current experiences and a variety of photos, hints and suggestions on a wide variety of members’ current and past gardening questions and suggestions. The topics ranged from unusual varieties of sunflowers, to actually using citronella foliage on the skin to avoid mosquitoes, to the planting of  marigolds and zinnias in vegetable gardens as pest prevention, to successful growing of succulents with the addition of nutrients, to plants normally considered intrusive that can have a pleasing appearance in a flower  bed, and to how the weather has affected gardening this year.

Dues for the next year were collected by treasurer Pam Sweeney and the Garden Club yearbooks were distributed by Theresa Bachand. Refreshments were served by Carol Woodmansee.

The next meeting of Garden Club will be on October 17 at 10 a.m. in the Barton County Cottonwood Extension Office. Alice Young will be hostess and will also have the program.

The Garden Club is looking for new members and invites any who might be interesting in joining to come visit as members begin a new year.