Calling all giddy gardeners and lovers of landscaping!

Are you interested in:
· Flower and/or vegetable gardening
· Landscape maintenance and planning
· Composting
· Yard plant identification
· Container gardening
· Water features
· Transplanting
· Plant and Tool Swaps
· Sharing garden expertise
· Help with special garden projects
· Sharing a tiller

We are starting a Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Garden Club and Co-op!

First meeting: Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 2 PM
USC Belser Arboretum Classroom Shelter


Bring your ideas and a plant or two to share. The Arboretum, which is in our neighborhood with gates on Wilmot and Bloomwood, will hold its monthly Open House on March 15th, so the gates will be open. Take the trail from either gate to the shelter. The meeting will be informal with refreshments, a plant exchange, and a chance to sign up and share ideas for future meetings or events. Would you like to have a Master Gardener speak on a particular topic (e.g. propagation, soils, fertilizers, compost)? Would you like a demonstration on how to build a compost bin/pile in our big Sherwood Forest backyards? Regular plant swaps, and some instruction on how to divide and pot plants for future swaps are will surely be on our agenda.

We have included "Co-op" in our proposed name because we like the idea of sharing things like big tools and helping each other with larger projects. We could also possibly use our club to get discounts -- or bulk prices on gardening supplies, services, tools, or plants.

We have a great neighborhood for gardening, and lovely yards that evidence a passion for plants on the part of many homeowners. We propose that the garden club be loosely organized for the purpose of bringing together those who love gardening and/or want to learn more about it so that we may further enjoy and beautify our yards and neighborhood – and get to know our neighbors better in the process! We do not envision dues or a lot of formal meetings, but sharing of knowledge, plants, ideas, energy, and good times.

For more information, please contact:
Valerie Marcil, 738-0682, vallg29205@gmail.com
Andrea Dudick, 708-3648, dudick123@hotmail.com

A good quote from Andrea: “With these balmy days I have visions of ornamental grasses for sandy soil, massive hostas and ostrich ferns dancing in my head!”