They say April showers bring May flowers and we have lots of flowers here today as well as lovely ladies.

I'm enjoying my time with you already, but these lovely ladies are in the all year.

The River Valley Garden Club.

That's correct.

Okay, now I hear this goes way back to 1967 67.

Wow.

With less than ten members and now we boast over 100 members with our River Valley Garden Club and so do you meet all year round, all year round.

And we are the third Tuesday of the month at the Harbert Community Church.

We've grown to such a level it used to be in and gardeners homes who then be able to show gardeners.

Now we're so large and the group is so big that we meet at a community church once a month.

So how did you all get started?

Well, I had just retired and we have a house up here, and my husband was driving down Red arrow and there was a sign that said Plant sale.

So we stopped the car and got out and came over and it said Garden Club Plant Sale.

And I thought, oh, I'd never join a garden club.

It's a bunch of old ladies.

So then I came down and I met the president and all these members, and they were great and fun and interesting.

And the next thing I knew, I was filling out the form to become a member.

I was going to add that, they do meet once a month, but you're not required to go to every meeting.

Okay.

And some of the meetings are field trips and some of them are workshops, and some of them are events like this.

We have an auction with plants in the fall.

So there's a variety.

They're not all just a lecture, but some of them are lecture.

We just had a terrific woman that came and talked about birds.

Oh yes.

Oh nice.

And that idea gives you just the further impetus for the club that you can come as often as you choose, if you choose to do the once a month or not as often, in case you have a question about your plant, or if you're someone who wants to gain a little more expertise in some other areas as well too.

Kelly.

So.

Well, if you ladies are any indication of members of the club, I'm sure you all have a lot of fun as well.

We do too, I knew it, I could feel that.

But you also have an event coming up on May 18th and this is open to the public.

It's going to be is it from 10 to 12, 10 to 12.

And there'll be a crowd and then the plants are all gone.

So you could be selling lots of plants and garden tools and everything.

And we have some examples we do.

Now I have to say that I do not have a green thumb, I do not I know, I know, I'm so sorry.

I don't know a lot about plants, so I'm excited to find out about what we have here.

Well, the plants always get organized by sun and shade because our house is really in the woods, and so I'm more of an expert in the shade garden.

Other people have full sunshine, and so we separate the plants out so people know what they're getting.

And important, isn't it?

Yes it is.

And then end the killing plants.

Right, like me.

Well, we go to the plant store and you see all these beautiful flowers and they say full sun.

You say, oh, well, I'll grow them anyway.

But it doesn't.

No, it doesn't work.

So we also label things.

So this is a Persicaria.

And you can sort of see this has a, a chevron on in the leaf.

And this gets very tall.

And then it has pink spikes with little tiny flowers.

And the hummingbirds like it.

Oh.

So it must be sweet.

So this is an example.

This grows either in sun or shade.

In fact it grows anywhere.

Oh that's it I want that one right.

Okay.

This is called Cheyenne Privet.

And this is a great, bush.

It's actually a Woody Bush that you can put in and use almost as a screen.

It'll separate, it fills up.

And all of these pieces came from my Cheyenne privets.

I just, clip the taps and start new plants.

So that's these.

So you mentioned bushes.

So are these both?

Yes.

Bushes.

Trees.

We have trees.

People bring baby trees.

Plants, all kinds of perennials.

It's a variety.

Herbs.

Okay.

And perennials means they come up okay.

Educate me.

So it's like you plant it once because you have the joy of being out having your morning tea in the beginning of April and saying, look, it's coming up again.

It's just a wonderful thing.

It brings joy.

In the beginning of April.

It's starting to move to beginning of May around here in Michiana.

But that's really nice.

So those are kind of easy because you don't have to replant them anymore.

It's nice all of these you don't have to worry.

Oh good.

This is I didn't bring the sign.

But this is a bridal veil.

Or it might be bridal wreath.

I never know the name, but it has beautiful tiny white flowers, in spring.

And you can kind of see the very beginnings of them.

But it's early and it's May 1st today.

Now, you ladies taught me, is that a sun or a shade?

This is a sun.

Okay.

And what is so wonderful if you're attending the plant sale, is that there are people just like Susan.

I'm taking the money.

Oh, yeah, but there are people just like Susan who are giving you talent, telling you where do you think you'd like to put that?

Do you want to have an ornamental plant?

Do you want to have something that you say is blooming?

Do you love your neighbor and want to share with them?

Do you want to have a little privacy from your neighbor?

What what that would be?

All of those things are true.

And there are people that are here master gardeners, gardening consultants, folks who say, I've grown it.

You know, you mentioned the big box store, Susan and you can go into that big box store and see things that are very generic.

These are things you are looking to, Kelly, that you get to see that's not in someone else's yard.

No, it's a master gardener who planted it.

And that's what we need a lot of times, because for people that don't know a lot about plants, such as myself, you come here, you love it.

It's so pretty.

And then you take it home.

You don't know what to do with it.

So it's so wonderful that you have all this expertise that is indeed.

Well, another thing is that these were all grown locally in our gardens, and sometimes if you go to a store that has acres of flowers and plants to buy, they were imported from maybe the south.

So they might not do as well here in in our area and harbor country as they did if they were in Arkansas.

But the plants in our plants, they were all started locally.

That's great.

So it's something you can thank the gardenia, Susan, that all of us said, oh, we looked at it and said, we need to have that plant.

Well, you know, we don't live in we're not in Jacksonville, you know, is it to be able to have it?

These are things you can purchase and the prices are great.

Not to mention the fact that you get that additional piece and you're supporting local.

Yes.

Not to mention every pollinator, every piece.

We all know what's happening in our world.

And to be able to say the bee, the hummingbird, the butterfly, those are things so important is very important.

And again, this is taking place on May 18th right here at Harbert Community Park.

Yes.

Is it going to be rain or shine?

Yes.

We have a roof.

Yes, there's a roof here.

I was going to mention, Katherine mentioned that the prices are very good.

I jokingly call this a "fun" raiser rather than a fund raiser, that because we always have a really good time and the prices are really very reasonable.

That's great.

Now I know the community is going to come out.

It is an event that draws lots of people.

Yeah.

And you've been doing it for how many years?

I'd say at least 20, at least 20 at least.

And every year word grows a little bit about what that is for.

Gardens.

But what also makes it so great is that then sometimes people come by and say, I've seen that in your garden.

And I purchased the same thing two years ago, or I know this gardener, those kinds of things, Susan, that have been so helpful for us.

That's wonderful.

Now that we talked about that event, how did they get into this club?

Because I know you see these ladies and you love to have you come on to be a part of this.

We'd love to have you because we are Michiana.

So you can think we have members that come all the way from the porch when we're thinking about this spot here, or Michigan City up to Saint Joe for our members, because I know River Valley is giving them that quality.

Our website is wonderful that I would suggest you look to River Valley Garden Club.

That's really a great choice.

We'd love to have you.

Well, you know, I figured since I didn't know anything about plants, that's why I wore my flowered shirt.

I was just trying to bribe my way into the club.

And, am I accepted?

You are indeed accepted Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Our press release has said it's open to anyone with an interest in gardening.

Oh, yes.

Well that's wonderful ladies.

I so enjoyed my time with you.

I have to come back here and just sit and look at plants with you.

I love you guys.

We loved having you.

And may I tell you that great Ernie Banks, who was saying it's a beautiful day.

To paraphrase him, it's a beautiful day to garden.

Let's plant two.

Let's plant four.

Let's get involved in that community and that gardening community.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much, ladies again May 18th from 10 to 12.

Don't miss it.