monthly words

As we enter our 28th year, the Southern Butler County Garden Club continues to impact our community with our work in the Graham Park Community Garden and the Mars Public Library Garden. 

The Graham Park Community Garden flourishes with native plants, birds and insects providing a dedicated space for our Horticultural Therapy Program. This garden not only provides a space for our CAREs young adults to interact with nature, it's also a relaxing environment for the community at large. We are always thinking of new projects to enhance the garden...stay turned to see what's next!

We're in our third year with regards to a special horticultural therapy program that has bloomed within our club! This program helps support young adults with intellectual and developmental challenges and/or autism within our community. Our VIPs (as we like to call the young men and women who participate) work along side our club members in the Graham Park Community Garden in Cranberry Twp. and the Mars Library Pollinator Garden, in downtown Mars. Each 'work' session in the garden ends with a fun garden themed activity or craft.

The year ahead will be filled with Friendship & Flowers. In addition to our monthly speakers, our members will be enjoying presentations at the Succop Nature Park and Jennings Prairie. We'll also learn how to maintain our flexibility with a yoga presentation just for gardeners... as we all need to maintain our flexibility in & out of the garden!

For nearly three years, our members  maintained a pollinator garden at the Mars Area Public Library. This little garden is situated on the corner of Grand Avenue and Clark Street in downtown Mars, Pennsylvania. Visited by many people and pollinators, this garden is an example of how to provide food and nectar sources as well as year round habitat for our many pollinators. 

Southern Butler County Garden Club created an Educational Outreach Committee in 2022. Over the last two years, this committee has planned and coordinated several educational events for our community. This year we have five scheduled programs offering various educational opportunities for all age groups. 

As 2024 unfolds, we look forward to trips to the ever changing Pittsburgh Botanic Garden and the Succop Nature Park, which is part of the Audubon Society of Western PA. Programs this year will include topics like 'Gardening for all Seasons', a presentation I'll be offering based on my experience as a Penn State Master Gardener and Garden Designer. 

Our members are excited to continue to garden with purpose in 2023! Southern Butler County Garden Club maintains three gardens as community service projects. Two of these gardens are open to the public as community gardens and located in Graham Park, Cranberry Township and at the Mars Public Library in Mars. The third garden is located at the VOICe (Victims Outreach and Intervention Center) in Butler County and is on private property. In each of these gardens, Club members volunteer their time to plant, mulch, weed and water throughout the growing season. 

Southern Butler County Garden Club has won the Governor's Trophy! This is the highest award and honor to receive from the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP). We competed with other medium size Clubs in Pennsylvania for 2021. This award is a true testament to our hard working members. From the Program Committee, to Hospitality, Membership, Fieldtrips and all of the countless hours of volunteer time for our Community Service Projects, our MEMBERS worked hard for this recognition.

As a non-profit organization, SBCGC raises money through our annual Garden Tour, raffle baskets and stepping stone sales. Every fall, we give back. For the year ending 2021, we donated $3000 to several community related gardening and environmental groups.

Our Time as Co-Presidents has come to an end. We can't thank our members enough for their wonderful support. Over the past four years, our collective experience of growing together as a Club and community has been amazing.