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Cranbrook Garden Club celebrates 25 blooming years

What started as a group meeting in a kitchen to discuss love of gardening has since blossomed into a group of over 200 people.
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All of the funds for the Garden Club’s beautification projects are raised through Open Garden Day

Aleesha Koersen

What started as a group of friends meeting in someone's kitchen to discuss their shared love for gardening has since blossomed into a group of over 200 people. This month, the Cranbrook Garden Club will be celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The club started in the early 1990s as a way for community members to share their love and knowledge of gardening with each other. Since then, the club has reached over 300 members and currently sits at around 250.

The club is not exclusive to seasoned gardeners. Members come from all different backgrounds and levels of expertise.

"Some people know the Latin names for the flowers, and some don't. But we all know it's a pretty flower, and that's what we're there for," says Barb Keitch, a Garden Club member of over 15 years.

At their monthly meetings, which are held at the Christ Church Anglican Hall, members discuss projects, plan outings and workshops, and indulge in conversation centred on their shared passion — gardening.

Throughout the year, the Garden Club focuses their time and energy on beautification projects. These local projects help in making Cranbrook more inviting and appealing to all.

This year, the club has taken on 11 beautification projects. These projects span from planting the cement planters at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital to mentoring resident gardeners at Haven Gardens. The club has also partnered with the Cranbrook Public Library to create a seed bank, which allows people to plant, harvest, and share seeds with other community members.

In past years, the Garden Club has been involved with Communities in Bloom, the Legion Cemetery, the Trees for Life program, just to name a few.

All of the funds for the beautification projects are raised through Open Garden Day. Open Garden Day is an annual event held in July and showcases a selection of gardens in and around Cranbrook. All of the gardens vary in landscape and are meant to inspire and spark creativity.

The Garden Club is a community within a community, striving to make Cranbrook a better place for everyone who lives here or passes through. They hope to educate each other and the people of Cranbrook on the sustainability and joys of growing your own garden.

"It's a group of people who share ideas, learn from each other, and showcase their creativity," says Keitch of the club.

The club is also marking its silver anniversary Tuesday, August 23, at 6:30 p.m., at Albert and Janice Pelletier's garden at 3519 Stropky Road. If you were a member or founding member from 1991, you are invited to come celebrate.

For anyone who is interested in learning more about the Garden Club or any of their programs, contact April Lund at 778-517-1222 or aprillund@shaw.ca.