It's hard to believe that we're nearing the end of this year's Garden Club season, but we've saved the best for last. Garden Tour 2022 -- LET'S GROW TOGETHER -- is almost upon us. We're excited about the wonderful gardens on the tour, the raffle prizes, the special activities, and we're especially grateful for all the generous volunteers who have stepped up to help make this tour a success. You don't want to miss this one!!!

There are so many to thank for making this tour possible, but I'd like to mention a few special folks: First, the garden owners and caretakers. They have been hard at work getting their gardens ready for your visit. Second, the tour organizers: Sally Hodson and Laura Walker have been working diligently for months planning this year's tour. Let's make sure they know how much we appreciate their hard work. Third, all the volunteers who are helping at the 6 gardens to assist owners and visitors alike. Fourth, we have Paul Huber to thank for once again designing the lovely Garden Tour tickets. And lastly, all the folks providing special attractions are also volunteering their time and talents, so our thanks to them as well.

Following the Garden Tour, we will take our usual summer break during July and August so all of us can devote time to our gardens and our families, and can enjoy the bounty of the season. But . . . we will be back in September eager to begin another season of Garden Club goodness.

If at all possible, our September meeting will be a hybrid event giving you the option of meeting in person or participating remotely through Zoom. We'll be tracking the county health and safety advisories and the Board will make a decision about that closer to the September meeting.

We'll see you in the gardens! Happy Solstice and have a lovely summer.

Nita Couchman

OIGC President

JUNE RAFFLE WINNERS

AND THE

WINNER IS . . .

GINGER

MOORE

Penstemon

Red Rocks

from

Lorna's Driftwood Nursery

AND THE

WINNER IS . . .

MICHAEL BRENNAN

Hanging Basket

& Annuals

from

Tony Suruda &

Lorna's Driftwood Nursery

UPDATE FROM THE BOARD

Nita Couchman

Huge thanks to the fabulous club members who have been on the Garden Club Board this past year, working behind the scenes to bring you these newsletters and the monthly speakers, to keep our club growing and vibrant.  

Board members are: 

Lene Symes  ~ Programs

Karen Hiller & Perri Gibbons ~ Membership

Sally Hodson & Laura Walker ~ Garden Tour

Helen Huber ~ Communications

Margaret Payne ~ Secretary

Tony Suruda ~ Treasurer

Nita Couchman ~ President 

We offer a gigantic THANK YOU to Perri Gibbons who will not be returning to the Board next year. She has enthusiastically served the Garden Club in a variety of capacities for a number of years, and is stepping down now to give another lucky club member the opportunity to join the board. If you're interesting in being part of our team, please get in touch with me -- [email protected].

Another change in the board for next year: Laura Walker has agreed to serve as President-Elect next year, so she'll work closely with me throughout the year, in anticipation of moving into the President's chair for the 2023/24 season. Thank you, Laura!

We are always looking for more help on the Board. If you would like to know more about what being on the Board involves, if you have an area that you're especially interested in, or have skills or experience that fit in with serving on the Board, please be in touch -- [email protected].

LET'S GROW TOGETHER

GARDEN TOUR 2022 

June 25 (Saturday) and June 26 (Sunday)

The tour theme this year highlights our community spirit of sharing plants and gardening knowledge with all ages.  

We’re excited to announce that garden tour tickets are now available on our website online as well as available for purchase at both Lorna's Driftwood Nursery and Darvill’s Bookstore! Tickets will also be available for purchase at each garden on the tour.  Price for a tickets is $20.  Supervised children age 12 and younger are free.

This year we're featuring a variety of six island gardens. Owners of three of the gardens have agreed to allow us all to tour through their personal gardens, inspiring us with their creative use of plants, space, and design. A fourth garden offers a look at a successful permaculture approach, sure to inspire home gardeners with their innovative practices. The last two gardens are attached to two of our local schools, where children are learning the values and skills of growing plants for food and beauty, benefitting birds, bees, and butterflies, as well as people.

We look forward to seeing you on the tour as we all celebrate the joys of

gardening.

Read more about the gardens on our website.

Volunteers Still Needed!

Since this year’s garden tour offers six gardens that are open both Saturday and Sunday, we need more volunteers than last year. Volunteers work with garden owners to welcome guests, share information about plants and help guests enjoy their visit.  

Volunteers sign up for one 3-hour shift on either Saturday or Sunday at one garden. Not only do volunteers receive a free tour ticket so they can enjoy visiting the other gardens, it also provides a chance to make connections with other Garden Club members, especially nice for newer-to-Orcas members! 

The Garden Tour is a major source of funding for our club, allowing us to offer the activities that support our community all year long. So please, if at all possible, consider volunteering. With your help, we can make this year’s garden tour another successful event that serves our beloved Orcas community. 

BE PREPARED FOR YOUR GARDEN VISIT

Here are a few reminders to help you prepare for a successful visit to the tour gardens:

Bring your boots and rain gear —

the tour will take place rain or shine.

Children should be under adult supervision while in the gardens, especially around water features.

No dogs or strollers are allowed inside the gardens.

No smoking is allowed in or around the gardens.

Public restrooms are located in Eastsound

near the Village Green, at the Orcas Ferry Landing,

and at the Deer Harbor Marina.

WHY SCHOOL GARDENS ARE IMPORTANT

Perri Gibbons

The benefits of a school garden seem obvious, especially to gardeners.  Thinking back on school memories, the more “senior” of us can imagine with pleasure having access to one in our youth. But, it’s good to have data to back up what we know intuitively. Leading universities’ science- based research links the benefits in surprisingly holistic ways.

• Washington State University studies showed that “participating youth increased overall life skills, improved team-work skill and self-understanding.” 

• Michigan State University research reports improved academic achievement when school gardens are incorporated into the curriculum. “Third, fourth and fifth grade students who participated in school garden activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests compared to the same grade level students who did not.”

• Harvard Graduate School of Education reports “gardens provide an experiential, hands-on learning environment that supports health and wellness.“  

So, research around the country supports academic, social, emotional, and nutritional benefits. Other proven positive outcomes include increased physical activity and appreciation for nature.

Two school gardens will be featured on our June 25th/26th tour. We hope you can join us to learn more and experience for yourself the terrific programs available to Orcas kids.

If you have kids or know kids who have benefited from school gardening programs, we’d love to hear from you! Write to us at:  [email protected].

HOW THE GARDEN TOUR HELPS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY

The money raised from our annual Garden Tour helps fund all the great programs that bring gardening experts to our monthly meetings throughout the year. Each speaker shares expert knowledge that we can use to raise beautiful flowers and shrubs, healthy veggies and fruits, care for native plants and attract bees, birds and butterflies to our gardens, allowing the whole community to share in the enjoyment of the natural world.

Some of the funds are also used to award community grants to help other Orcas nonprofit organizations preserve and enhance the natural beauty of our Orcas environment.

Thank you all for your continuing support.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS AT EACH OF THE TOUR GARDENS

Laura Walker

We have many wonderful and unique activities in store at each of our gardens this year and we can’t wait to share them with you. Below are just a few highlights to look for.

LET'S ALL STAY SAFE

ITEMS FOR SALE ON THE GARDEN TOUR

If you haven't purchased your very own OIGC tote bag yet, you'll have another opportunity to do so at the gardens on the Tour. These are sturdy canvas totes sporting our lovely club logo. Help get the word out about our great club when you use your tote bag around town.

We'll also be offering window clings with our logo that you can apply to car windows or windows in your home.

And, of course, there will be some fabulous raffles prizes which are described in detail in the next article.

We just wanted to remind you once again that proceeds from all of these sales go toward programs and grants for the coming year.

PURCHASE AT THE GARDENS:

Raffle tickets -- $3.00 each

Window Cling w/logo -- $3.00 each

Tote bag w/ logo -- $20.00 each

GARDEN TOUR RAFFLE

Who will be this year's lucky winners?  It could be YOU !!! We hope so because we have five fabulously fun and fantastic raffle baskets this year and you might just take one home!

NEW THIS YEAR: All raffle baskets will be on display at one location -- Stefanie Susol's garden (Garden D). 

Each raffle item will have its own ticket jar so you can pick and choose which raffle items you want to try to win. Put all your tickets in one jar -- OR -- split them up among the jars for items you find appealing.

Basket information and tickets at only $3 each will be available at all gardens. Just bring your tickets to Garden D: Stefanie Susol's -- and place them in the jars corresponding to the raffle baskets you'd like to win.

Winners will be announced and notified the week following the tour. 

All proceeds support the Orcas Island Garden Club.  

Best of luck!

RAFFLE BASKETS

GARDEN SIGN & TOTE BAG

Stainless Steel Laser-cut Garden Sign by Salish Metalworks

Orcas Island Garden Club tote bag

It’s easy to join or renew! 

Click HERE to print a membership form. Fill in the form and mail it with your check to OIGC Membership, P. O. Box 452, Eastsound, WA 98245.

OR . . . you can go to our website and fill in the online form and pay your membership fees online as well.

MEMBERSHIP TOTAL FOR 2021 / 2022:  164