Whitehall Garden Clubs News: April

The sun is shining, the temperature is Montana warm and the aroma of freshly made maple bars is wafting through the conference room. Of course, we follow our noses to the "social hour" table laden with the most scrumptious homemade and thickly on-the-spot-frosted maple bars! Mary Ann Carey and Maureen Dawson were the providers of the sweet fare, but Lori Carey from Boulder was the creator! Not to miss mentioning, there also was a beautiful fresh fruit salad, and a display of living flowers reminding us of the coming Spring and Summer fruits and flowers. And the room was packed with WGC members, upcoming members, and guests!

What a wonderful and very successful meeting with regular GC business, the continued planning for the upcoming Arbor Day celebration (mark your calendars, Friday, April 29 from noon to 4 PM), committee reports, and more all led by President John Carlson.

The WGC welcomed Commissioner Leonard Wortman representing the Western Legacy Center (WLC). Mr. Wortman gave a brief overview of the history and planning of the WLC and was happy to hear about the WGC's interest in developing a native plant section for travelers to enjoy. In addition to his informative talk, Mr. Wortman offered to help support the Arbor Day event from the Western Legacy Center. After the meeting, Mr. Wortman took volunteers on a "tour" of the up-and-coming WLC. The WGC thanks him for all the information, interest, ideas, and contribution! The WGC also welcomed candidate Jim Buterbaugh, who too, was enthusiastic about the accomplishments of the WGC and we thank him and appreciate his attending the WGC meeting and program.

Accomplished gardener and WG Club's 2022 Green Thumb Award Winner Dorie Westhoven gave the Fast Five Minute demonstration about the herb rosemary. She shared several examples of how to propagate cuttings, some successful, some not, how to keep rosemary flourishing even in cold and inhospitable climates (take it inside by a window to let the sunshine in, remember to water even though rosemary is quite forgiving if you forget, bring it outside after the last bit of frost is gone....is that August??). Dorie concluded her demonstration by describing the many uses of rosemary as a medicinal, culinary, and air freshening herb that has been used as a symbol of fidelity and remembrance.

The formal program, The Power of Trees was presented by WGC Master Gardener Barbara Lien starting with a magical video showing the miracle of leaves emerging, creating a beautiful canopy of a vast variety of green colors. Barbara discussed there are many reasons we plant trees. We can design the use of trees for windbreaks, screening or blocking undesirable views; the use of tress to divide or define paths, and for protection and seclusion. Carefully placed trees can provide shade and trees always provide habitats for birds, insects, and little critters. Gardeners and homeowners enjoy the planting of fruit trees for the obvious, fresh fruit, but also fruit trees are long-lived, adding character to your yard for many years. Some trees are better than others when it comes to fending off fires and Tri-County Fire Safety is a reliable and useful resource. A mature tree can become a focal point in your landscape. FYI: mature trees can increase a home's property value by 25%, so when planting, plan ahead!