September 8 was our first meeting of the 2016/2017 garden season for the Weeders Garden Club. Our presenter was Kirti Mathura, a professional horticulturalist who spoke on composting; her topic was entitled, The Dirt on Composting. Ms. Mathura teaches “Plant Materials” for the Landscape Architecture Program at ASU’s School of Design. She has worked at the Desert Botanical Garden and has written or contributed to several landscaping and gardening publications including The Arizona Low Desert Flower Garden published by Gibbs Smith and Desert Landscaping for Beginners published by Arizona Master Gardener Press. Ms. Mathura was a very interesting speaker and was well received by our members.
Weeders will soon dedicate a Blue Star Memorial Marker at the Sun Lakes Country Club. The Blue Star Memorial Program honors all men and women that serve in the United States Armed Services. This program began with the planting of 8,000 Dogwood trees by the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs in 1944 as a living memorial to veterans of World War II. In 1945, the National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc. adopted this program and began a Blue Star Highway system that covers thousands of miles across the Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. A large metal Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker was placed at appropriate locations along the way. What we see today is a program that has expanded to include all men and women who had served, were serving or would serve in the armed services of the United States. Memorial markers and by-way markers were added to the highway markers in 1994, to be used at locations such as National cemeteries, parks, veterans’ facilities and gardens. The Blue Star became an icon in World War II and was seen on flags and banners in homes for sons and daughters away at war, and in churches and businesses. This program has been active all through the years to the present, a fitting tribute to our Armed Forces and especially now. The dedication will be held in February 2017 by the flagpole in front of the Clubhouse. The Weeders Garden Club Committee and VFW Post 8053 are working together on this dedication ceremony.
The Weeders Garden Club meets the second Thursday of each month, September through May, in the Navajo Room at Sun Lakes Country Club in Sun Lakes. Treats and coffee are served beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the business meeting is from 10:00 a.m.-noon. There is an interesting speaker and a horticulture presentation each meeting as well as a club money-making raffle, too!
Membership is open to everyone. Although field trips are reserved for members, anyone interested in attending a meeting is welcome. For more information about the club and to see pictures of the activities, please visit the website at http:www.weedersgc.org/home or call Membership Chairperson Pat Murrish at 480-802-0857 or President Debbie Dunham at 480-802-6813.