Celebrate National Garden Week through June 8

Garden clubs across America are celebrating National Garden Week from June 2 through June 8. This is more than just a celebration of plants and flowers; it is an ode to nature’s resiliency, beauty and the way it enriches lives.

“We delight in the joy of gardening and the crucial role it plays in our ecosystems” said Doris Van Mullen, president of the Federated Garden Clubs of Vermont. “This is a wonderful time to remember why we love gardening in the breathtaking beautiful landscapes of nature and our Vermont canvas. It is a shared passion connecting communities.”

The 16 garden clubs of the Federated Garden Clubs of Vermont — including Green Mountain Gardeners and Springfield Garden Club — take this opportunity to raise awareness of gardening and horticulture and encourage people to participate in healthy and productive outdoor activity to preserve the environment and nourish nature.

Diverse garden club activities include maintaining gardens in towns; organizing garden tours; planning and implementing plant sales; providing scholarships for students studying horticulture; donating books to libraries; arranging fresh flowers for Meals on Wheels; sponsoring community educational programs, such as Gardening in New England with nationally recognized garden writer and radio and TV host Charlie Nardozzi; promoting the cultivation of seeds; helping others in the community with landscape restoration after the summer floods of 2023 and raising and donating vegetables to local residents who are experiencing food shortages.

Some gardens in this region are maintained by local garden club members:

• Green Mountain Gardeners – Planting of daffodils and narcissus in Weston’s Cold Spring Park
• Springfield Garden Club – Downtown fountain, Town Office Building, Plaza traffic island, Iron Bridge Memorial Walkway and Plant it Pink Garden
• Weathersfield Garden Club – Planting and maintenance at the 1879 Schoolhouse in Perkinsville