The other gardeners were so sweet. Everyone seemed so interested in hearing about my garden. They seemed like such a lovely group, and very knowledgeable about all things gardening. I plan on returning - again and again!
During the meeting, there was a presentation on spring bulbs. And I returned home with inspiration:
There was a photo of muscari bulbs planted in a rock wall. It was beautiful. The long greenery of the muscari hung down, while the blue bulbs reached up toward the sky. I immediately knew - I want to do this in my garden.They will look perfect planted in the cracks between the blocks in this area:
I've heard some garden clubs are not as nice. But I thoroughly enjoyed this one. And I got an idea for my garden! It was hard not to squeal with delight. But, I played it cool. I simply said, "How lovely."
When autumn comes, I'll be playing it cool again. I mean, I'll be playing in the cool weather - planting muscari bulbs in little cracks! All the while, inside, I'll be laughing merrily!
Do you go to garden club meetings?
Oh how cool! There's a garden club in my neighborhood and they have some cool field trips. Still thinking about it though.
ReplyDeleteShirley, I know they would love to have you - and you can just visit once and see if you like it or not. I never expected to like this garden club as much as I did!
DeleteI too have been invited to join a couple of different garden clubs. I have resisted so far. Afraid of getting into the politics of a "club". Hmmm after reading your experience I might give it some thought.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much into politics, either. I just want to talk with other gardeners! I actually visited a couple of other garden-type meetings before, but were not impressed enough to want to join. This club seemed to fit me just perfectly. I hope you find a similar club that you enjoy immensely.
DeleteI belong to the Master Gardeners Association and we meet once a month, but that's not really a garden club. I am planning on joining a club here in town. Some of my good friends belong to it and it should be fun. I also enjoy getting together with my five Garden Lunch Buddies. We get together once a month for lunch and talk gardening (and other things). We enjoy visiting each others gardens and will also be visiting other gardens after our lunches in spring and summer. It's so wonderful to have gardening friends!!!
ReplyDeleteChristy - your gardening friends and the outings sound wonderful! How nice to have Garden Buddies! I love garden bloggers, but I think I was looking for "real life" people to talk gardening with, too.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it. It's nice to have others local you can converse with.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
I think it will be nice. I don't know many gardeners, so it will be fun for me to get to know the other members, and have another outlet to talk plant!
DeleteI attempted to participate in our local garden club and it didn't really go well. They were having a garden sale to raise money for the community and I had three or four hostas to donate but one was really big and I let them know I could use some help dividing it. Well no one came to help me but I still thought I should commit to my word but maybe I missed a non verbal 'thanks but no thanks' message. So I brought my hostas to the lady hosting the sale and she snapped at me that I didn't divide the really big one that I already had told her I needed help with. It was so odd. So I really don't join in the garden club here. You have to have great personalities for a fun garden club. Experienced gardeners should really take the time to help the younger generation. If younger people don't learn to love gardening then I think there will be a lot less beauty in this world.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about your experience! One thing I know is that each garden club is different. There is one garden club around here (not the one I attended) that is just social - no planting or digging in dirt for them! They had gardeners for that! ha!
DeleteI agree with you about experienced gardeners helping the younger ones, too. Gardening should be a hobby that is all-inclusive, ever-learning and ever-sharing. I think you just found a bad bunch. I hope you'll be able to find a garden club that you love.
I haven't been in a garden club but the book club I was in was completely taken over by two of the participants and soon after broke up. However I think I have to join something connected to gardening as I have little idea of what works in my new locale. I'm counting on the generous nature of most gardener's I've met.
ReplyDeleteIt only takes one rotten apple to spoil the bunch! I am not competitive, and those types of personalities can sometimes prevent anyone from having a good time. You are right that most gardeners are very generous. I hope you find a wonderful garden club!
DeleteI am sad to read Stacy's comment. I am a member of two garden clubs, a photography club, a birders club and the Master Gardeners. Not one of them would not help a newbie. They may not drive to your house and dig in your garden, but making friends with individuals in the club might do just that. I know many I could call if I was the one in need of help, the same as they could call me. As with all clubs, it takes time to get to know the people. Most have decades of experience and they are in the clubs to share. They share plants, and tips. We dispense advice through lectures. It is nothing if not fun and beneficial. I am with Christy, we have fun and we also do a lot of community work. Our one club runs a GardenFest and talk about work and giving to the community! It takes many members working as a team to pull it off.
ReplyDeleteYou really are busy! I can't imagine belonging to all those different clubs, but it must be fun! And as you say - beneficial. Not only to the other members, but to the entire community. I applaud you, Donna!
DeleteI am joining a garden club from the beginning : 21 years ago. I realize that this is rather unique, we started with 18 women, now after 21 years, we are with 20. In the meantime 2 have died, 2 are too old and we carefully invited some new members. We come together once a month, in winter we have lectures or visit an event or museum, in summer we visit other peoples gardens and show our own gardens, sometimes twice a month. We also make a 2 or 3 days trip in summer to gardens which are too far away to do in one day. Once in 5 years we go together to Belgium, France or England visiting gardens. Our garden club is great fun and over all these years all these different women have become friends.
ReplyDeleteWow - to have been with the same group of gardening friends for 21 years is a wonderful story! You are more like family than just friends now. How wonderful to be able to share such a long time and such wonderful experiences with a great group of friends that have a shared interest.
DeleteGarden clubs are cool, you get to meet and spend some time with like minded individuals. We regularly attend the local chapter of our hardy plant society. I suppose that's a garden club :)
ReplyDeleteI think so. As you say, it's always fun to find a group of like-minded individuals to share your interest. :)
DeleteSomeone in my book club is in a gardening club and has admired my garden but never invited me to join. I think around here it's by invitation only. Anyway, not sure I have time for another commitment. In two book clubs, edit a monthly newsletter, volunteer at a soup kitchen and have just been trained to be a volunteer naturalist at a local conservancy to lead school groups on hikes. Whew! When will I have time to garden let alone do my other hobbies?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the "by invitation only" type of clubs. I don't think that would be the type of club I would want to join. What's that joke?-"If they wanted someone like me, I don't want to be in it!" :) But, seems like they would miss a lot of good members from jealousy, and some other wonderful members just by not being able to know everyone. My husband did ask me when I planned to garden if I was adding on going to a garden club, too!
DeleteI have been to a few garden clubs, both to speak and just hang out...different types. As a generalist, I'm not as much into cactus or rock gardens, or other specifics---most friendly, some not so. Your club sounds perfect! (as all of them read your blog to see that you're playing it cool...)
ReplyDeleteI agree that some are not so friendly. I was not sure what to expect, and was thrilled to be pleasantly surprised! Too bad the unfriendly clubs keep many a gardener away from the friendly ones!
DeleteIt's lovely you had such a great first experience at your garden club. The muscari in the wall sounds like a really good idea. I joined a club a few years ago and only managed to get to one meeting, as other commitments kept me away. So I'm a bit embarrassed to try again, but I am thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI've decided I'm too old to be embarrassed, so if I were you, I'd try again! I'm sure they would understand about commitments keeping you away - it seems everyone is so busy these days. And they would really benefit from a member like you!
DeleteOur local garden club meets at 10:30 am on the third Thursday or something similar. It is impossible to belong if you work a full time job. I have benefited from their annual plant giveaways and met a number of them. They're all nice. Just not workable with my schedule. I hope you get lots of ideas and make lots of friends.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a lot of different organizations need to extend their hours in order to get full-time working people involved, too. I have had that conversation with many different organizations, and sometimes they are willing to change. Sometimes the members are reluctant to meet at night for some reason, though. Maybe you could get them to meet one night in order to see if there is sufficient interest for them to have a night meeting in addition to their regular meeting, if they are unwilling to move it completely.
DeleteGlad to hear you had such a good experience. I'm sure, like any group, it depends on who the members are. Nice people make for nice clubs :) and what a bonus that you learned a new exciting garden trick the first time out.
ReplyDeleteI agree - it depends on who the members are! I think I hit the jackpot, and I was really worried (one reason I had put it off so long). But, I guess one never knows until they try!
DeleteNo---I'm not a 'joiner' at this time in my life. I worked for the church for 25 years fulltime and had to JOIN everything coming and going.. NO MORE... Maybe someday I will join a group--but not now... Glad you enjoyed it though. I've heard that no all Garden Clubs are fun places to be... ha
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
I know how you feel. I have been on a hiatus from clubs and meetings and volunteering for quite a few years. It was just time for me to get back again - but this time, I will be sure to say No if I don't want to be involved!
DeleteWow! The muscaris look so lovely! I can't wait to see mine :)
ReplyDeleteThey look nice in this one area. Some in other areas of my garden haven't started blooming yet.
DeleteI have belonged to three different Garden Clubs at one time or another over the past 25 years. Still belong to one Garden Club and two plant societies. There is always something new to learn and always new people to help along with what you know. The women who enjoy clubs the most are not, "what can the club do for me?" kind of people but more, "how can I contribute to the group?" people. You only get out of a club what you are willing to put into it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are joining a group that will appreciate your wonderful enthusiasm! And one that doesnt take you away from your blog too much - your followers would miss you!
I like your point that there is always something new to learn. That is exactly how I feel, and I am excited to learn more. I hope they liked me as much as I liked them!
DeleteThe muscari idea is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThat's great that your first garden club experience was so wonderful...as some of your other commenters have pointed out, it really is all about the personalities who join and what everyone hopes to gain by participating. It's a perfect opportunity to share knowledge!
And I was impressed with their knowledge - and they seemed delighted by what I was growing, too. So, I think it's going to be a good fit for me. As you point out, everyone is different, and every club is different, too. I hope to get lots of ideas from them!
DeleteI hope to check out our GCA. I love my muscari that pops up all over. I have some in my wall garden but should plant some more...thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteYour GCA would greatly benefit by your participation. I hope you find one that you love! :)
DeleteI'm glad things went so well for you. I've heard of people really enjoying being involved with garden clubs but I've also heard of not such friendly clubs. It sort of put me off the idea for now, maybe one day I'll see what's in my area.
ReplyDeleteI was scared, too. I was all ready to hate it, so I was more surprised than anyone that I loved it! I hope you'll give one a try, if that's what you want. And if so, I hope you're also pleasantly surprised!
DeleteYou had a great introductory experience and already have gained from joining a club. I found that our local club had very nice people who were welcoming and friendly, but there was not a lot of gardening going on. I was looking for something more focused on growing and design and the challenges of gardening, maybe even education, but the group (with the exception of four specific people I've stayed close to) was more into looking at pretty things and what desserts would be offered at the meetings.
ReplyDeleteI guess everyone has their own reason for joining. I can eat dessert anywhere! I want to talk plant and get more ideas, information, and inspiration. They all seemed like dedicated gardeners, and were talking about what was growing in their gardens. That was what made me want to join. Of course, some were growing more than others.
DeleteI wonder just how many of your readers will be inspired to plant some muscari in a wall or crevice? All because of your first visit :)
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased to read that you enjoyed yourself. I would love to join a gardening club of sorts but due to the shifts I work, it would not be practical.
I have considered asking at my local nursery if they take on volunteer staff during the busier seasons - I have always chickened out.
I bet they would jump at the chance to have some volunteer staff! Maybe they would pay you in plants! :)
DeleteI love muscari and growing it on a wall is a great idea. I find it is the kind of plant that seeds itself into all kinds of crevices, like between pavers, on it's own.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had my muscari seed itself - but maybe it will eventually! I guess perhaps this idea came from it naturally doing that!
DeleteWe started a garden club for our neighborhood, and each month would visit each other's (and other neighbor's) gardens. Occasionally we would take field trips. Once a year we would have a plant swap. We petered out after a few years, but it was fun while it lasted.
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe you could get it started again. It sounds like it was fun. I know how other obligations creep into people's schedules, though. Either way, how wonderful to have so many gardeners in your neighborhood!
DeleteI joined a garden club last week too! To be honest, I tiptoed in a couple of months ago to see if it was my cup of tea. There was such an entertaining talk from one of Sissinghurst's former gardeners, the people were welcoming and friendly and we had such a giggle that I felt a little guilty about my initial reluctance to commit.
ReplyDeleteThe Muscari in the wall is a fab idea - I might nick that one if it's OK with you.
Of course! That's why I shared it! :) And I'm so glad you found a wonderful garden club, too! I, too, felt a bit bad that I had put off visiting this garden club for so long! Your club sounds fascinating!
DeleteThat is such a good idea! I love muscari, this is a good excuse to plant even more in my little rockery : )
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought - a great excuse to plant more! I love these little bulbs that spring up in early spring!
DeleteLoving the grape hyacinth, mine are finally coming up.......
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that mine came up before yours! But, these are in a raised bed, so I think that makes the difference. The ones planted in the ground are just now beginning to start blooming.
DeleteSounds like fun, hard not to get excited when you come away with a good idea for your garden.
ReplyDeleteSo true! I'm hoping to get a new idea every time we meet - which is monthly. :)
DeleteSounds really fun and I think it is great you had such an inspiration at the first meeting. Something simple too, not an elaborate project! The simple ones are by far the most fun. I'm not part of a garden club but would like to be. I can't seem to find that many people that are really in to it. Around here, people seems to like growing food gardens (which is great, I love growing food) but they don't go much beyond that or think about it beyond the main season. It is somewhat of an intense environment here making it difficult to have great results and I have always thought that is why people are not as into it as other places I 've lived. Anyway, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSo sad - but surely there are others like you! You just may have to try a git harder to find them. Good luck!
Delete