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This testimony of how Junior Garden
Club can make a difference in
your life is from Angie Beisner
who was a
Junior Garden Club Member for many years and is
now assistant athletic sport trainer at Ohio State University
I have always loved being outdoors. I was constantly
outside as a child trying to “use my imagination” as my
mom put it. As a single parent, my mother took great pride
in her home. She often asked for my help with the
landscaping around our home providing me a great way to be
creative outside. In high school, as I became busier with
school activities, my mom found a way for us to spend time
together by encouraging me to join the Butterflies Junior
Garden Club. She became a group leader and I became a member
providing a way for us to spend time with each other.
I learned so many things from my Garden club days but the
most important is the need to take care of our environment.
I was surprised how much a flower garden could improve the
bleakest area. It never ceased to amaze me that no matter
the state of the area, a couple of people, a little time,
and a few plants could do wonders . Just picking up the
trash made a difference while planting flowers could
transform everything. I enjoyed all of the civic projects we
performed as a group because it gave me an immediate sense
of gratification. I still lend my creative services to
friends and enjoy their excitement when they see the
improvement flowers can make.
Our club also competed in the Darke County Fair in
addition to our civic projects. I learned a great deal about
proper planning in order to have the “perfect” flower or
arrangement in time for the fair. My mother, brother and I
would spend countless hours planting flowers and preparing
for the shows. I now realize it was the perfect opportunity
for us to share and learn things about each other. We talked
about our favorite flowers (mine was a rose, mom’s was a
daisy) and possible “new garden ideas.” It also gave us
time to talk without a television about what was happening
at school and in my life.
Being a member of the Butterflies Junior Garden Club
allowed me to learn the importance of giving back to my
community while instill a lifelong passion for creating
beauty around me. It also gave me some of the most treasured
moments with my mother. In the toughest times since my
mother’s death our love of flowers has brought me comfort.
It only takes seeing a daisy to remember those times we
shared together and to feel her always with me. My days in a
junior garden club taught me about protecting and improving
my environment while providing me some lifelong memories
Sept. 28,
2002
By: Stacey Baker
- My
love
of
flowers
and
gardening
was
developed
at
a
young
age
by
two
of
my
grandmothers,
both of whom were
active members in
their local garden
clubs.
At the age of 12
my
other
grandmother
and
I
were
enjoying
the
Fair
Flower
Show at the
Darke
County
Fair
when
we
came
across
a
paper
advertising
a
new garden club
that
was
just
forming,
the
Butterflies
Junior
Garden
Club.
She encouraged
me
to
sign
up,
and
a
lifelong
passion
was
born.
As
a
charter
member and
officer
of
the
Butterflies
Junior
Garden
Club,
I
was
there
throughout the
development
and
growth
of
the
club
by
its
founder,
Charlene
Thornhill.
Throughout
the
years
the
Butterflies
were
given
much
encouragement
and
support
by
the
members
of
the
Ladybug
Garden
Club,
our
sponsors, and by
the
adults
who
were
our
leaders
like
Jeanette
Davis,
Cindy Beisner
and
Collette
Eikenberry.
The
garden
club
helped
foster
my
love
of
flowers through
teaching
me
how
to
care
for
them
and
my
environment.
It
also taught me
how
to
give
back
to
the
community
by
planting
trees
for
Arbor Day and
making
bird
feeders
to
hang
in
the
Greenville
park,
as
well
as
other civic
projects.
Through
abiding
by
our
slogan,
"Making
the
world
better
by helping to
make
it
more
beautiful,"
we
encouraged
public
beautification
in
the community.
Programs
ranged
from
learning
how
to
mix
potpourri,
to
learning how to
plant
a
cancer
fighting
garden,
to
making
posters
on
conservation. We
were
encouraged
to
be
active
participants
in
our
Darke
County Fair
Flower
Show
and
with
the
Ohio
Association
of
Garden
Clubs,
even attending
several
of
the
State
Conventions.
A
couple
of
our
members,
including
myself,
have
been
awarded
the
OAGC’s
Typical
Junior
Gardener
Award and on
August
2,
1990,
Myrna
Cordray
presented
to
me
the
OAGC’s
Junior
Master Gardener
Award
for
my
5
year
project
in
landscaping.
Even though I
moved
out
of
the
area
in
1990
to
attend
college,
the
Butterflies made
me
an
honorary
member
for
life
and
on
summer
breaks
I
would come home
to
help
my
mom
plan
our
garden
and
landscaping.
Since
graduation I
have
once
again
become
an
active
participant
at
the
Darke
County
Fair
Flower Show in
the
adult
division
each
year
and
in
beautifying
my
community.
For the past
couple
of
years
I
have
been
the
founder
and
chairperson
of
my church’s
annual
flower
bulb
fundraiser.
Members
of
my
church
sell
flower
bulbs to raise
money
for
the
Alberque
school
for
disadvantaged
and
orphaned
children
in
Mexico.
The
extra
flower
bulbs
are
then
planted
around
our
church. This
year
Charlene
Thornhill
approached
me
with
the
idea
of
developing an
accessible
garden
in
Greenville’s
North
Park
for
those
who,
like myself, are
physically
challenged.
We
met
with
the
Greenville
City
Parks and
Recreation
Board
who
have
approved
our
proposal
for
this
project.
Because of the
knowledge
I
gained
through
the
junior
garden
club,
I
was
able to design
an
accessible
garden
using
plants
best
suited
to
this
area
in
beds raised to a
height
easily
accessible
by
those
who
are
in
a
seated
position
or are standing
without
bending
over.
The
design
also
includes
wheelchair
accessible
picnic
tables
and
planter
tables,
benches
with
armrests
for
those who are
only
able
to
walk
short
distances,
and
plant
name
tags
written
in
Braille for
those
who
are
visually
impaired.
As
we
continue
to
develop
and implement
this
project,
I
am
grateful
for
the
leadership
experiences
and
civic projects
that
I
was
involved
with
as
a
junior
gardener
and
the
mentoring of the
adults
who
gave
their
time
and
effort
to
foster
youthful
interest in
gardening.
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