Marine Hills Garden Club held their annual plant sale over the weekend, then planted a tree at the Hylebos Blueberry Farm Park on April 28 for Arbor Day.

The plant sale featured the opportunity to pre-order annual plants like flowers by the flat or half flat. The leftovers were then available for the public to browse along with an extensive array of perennials.

The perennials are cultivated by Marine Hills Garden Club members throughout the year to prepare for the sale and are offered at a much lower price than could be found in a retail setting.

Some examples include unique grasses, trees, berry plants and more.

Proceeds from the sale go to help fund community activities by the garden club, which has been active in the area for over 60 years.

Club activities range from donating plants, bouquets, books and gifts to various communities like senior residential homes and schools to planting and maintaining gardens around the city.

Their recent tree planting event is just one example of this, and the club has also been active with the Hylebos Blueberry Farm Park.

They maintain the Blue Star Markers at the National Cemetery and at Celebration Park and the flowerbed at the Historical Society. They will also be present at the upcoming Green Day at Camelot Elementary and maintain a little free library by the Panther Lake trail.

Some plants go to personal homes, but others will grace nearby organizations, businesses and landmarks like the Neely Mansion.

Carol Grimes of the Neely Mansion purchased flowers and herbs, some of which will support her careful recreation of historical gardens on the property.

One plant project she’s been working on includes the recreation of a photograph from July 19, 1939, that featured a Japanese Furoba. Although it is in black and white, she can tell the type of flowers (dahlias) and the relative shades if not the actual color.

She also has period daylilies and vintage daffodils on the property to make sure guests are immersed in an experience out of time.

Many Marine Hills Garden Club members are also Master Gardeners, including Grimes. They serve as sources of knowledge for the community and often table at events to share their expertise with the public.

Once while she was hosting an informational booth, she had someone ask her for recipes to cook rhubarb leaves – and she was able to warn them that while the stalks of the plant make a great pie, the leaves are actually poisonous to humans.

Another time she had a very unhappy recipient of her advice to use lime to help improve his lawn – only to realize that while she had meant dolomitic lime powder, the man had purchased the fruit and scattered those on his lawn instead.

“You have to be so careful,” Grimes said, emphasizing the importance of getting information from experts and that even the experts have to work hard to convey their knowledge accurately.

Marine Hills Garden Club member who joined because she was already driving her mother to the club meetings and now really enjoys it. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Marine Hills Garden Club members spent hours finding the right plants to fulfill orders for people who purchased half and whole flats of annual plants for their fundraiser sale on April 25 and 26. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Racks filled the driveway and garage of one Marine Hills Garden Club member’s house on April 25 and 26 for their annual plant sale fundraiser event. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror