Gardens provide continuity and hope every year, and the Brattleboro Floral Arts & Garden Club shines as a happy reminder that natural beauty continues in our community.
New president (and local mystery writer) Lynne Kennedy is the club’s new president. As the annual April meeting was cancelled this year, and in response to social distancing requirements, outgoing Co-Presidents Lynn Kuralt and Melissa Kuralt passed the keys “on a ten-foot pole”. Other new officers include Vice President Shelia Kinnare, Recording Secretary Frankie Knibb, Corresponding Secretary Judith Wagenbach, Treasurer Libby Lafland and Librarian Carlene McCarty.
The club is quite active in the community, and works tirelessly on several local beautification projects throughout the year. In Brattleboro, the club maintains the gardens at the Creamery Bridge and the WWII Park. As a thank you to the Green Mountain Chapel, where the club holds its meetings, club members maintain the gardens. In Dummerston, the club also maintains gardens at the Landmark Trust entrance.
“We also encourage our members to do community beautification projects. A great example of this is at Vernon Green Nursing Home in Vernon, where a club member has created a small memorial garden,” says Kennedy.
The Brattleboro Floral Arts & Garden Club has adjusted to the shelter-at-home orders, and in-person meetings are postponed until the orders are lifted.
“We are utilizing our members-only Facebook page at facebook.com/brattleborogardenclub,” explains Kennedy. “We can share tips, just like we normally would. And now we can also see each others’ gardens more, too–which is kind of an added bonus.”
Kennedy also notes that many members have told her that they have utilized this extra time at home in their gardens. “The timing was really great–plus an earlier spring with little snow fall. People have raked and pruned a lot more than in other years, that’s for sure!”
The Club is open to anyone, and includes members from surrounding towns. There are usually ten meetings a year, and include programs on a variety of gardening topics. A highlight of the year, members say, are the hands-on meetings, where they create projects like wreaths or centerpieces, or learn how to prune bushes correctly. The club also typically organizes two plant sales annually.
“It’s a great time to become a member, too,” comments Kennedy. “We’ve waived our $30 membership fee for the year, since we are not sure how many programs we’ll be able to actually do. If you are interested in gardening, the Facebook group is a great way to see what it is all about. People could check out the club for a while at no cost, just by going out to the Facebook site and requesting to become a member of that group.”
