Garden Club Is Woven into Our Community

The Rhododendron Garden Club (RGC) was formed over 50 years ago by a group of dedicated women whose goal was to preserve and promote the beauty of Mentone.

Both Mentone and the RGC have experienced the challenges of growth and changes in population and focus, but they’ve always maintained the love of community in a small town.

We treasure our connections. The MERF House (Mentone Educational Resources Foundation) had been the RGC’s meeting place for years. RGC maintained the plantings around the building and contributed to the senior lunch program. When that building was being remodeled, the Moon Lake Library graciously provided a home. The Seed Swap in February is a joint endeavor (be saving seeds during this year for next February). So many exciting happenings at the library, truly the heart of Mentone. A booth during the Follow Your Art festivities gives the club the opportunity to sell plants we’ve grown, offer helpful hints to the public, and share our culinary expertise. Yum! The Groundhog Day Celebration Crock-Pot Cook-Off, another community event, was so much fun last month. Another yum! Thanks to MERF and The Groundhog for the inspiration and inviting RGC to participate.

At the February meeting, MERF Executive Director Katie Hand and Victor Wood shared the Valley Head Pollinator Paradise Project, which includes an outdoor learning/gardening space between buildings.

“The Pollinator Paradise will support science and environmental lessons tied to Alabama’s ecosystems, while offering a peaceful, inclusive setting where all students, including those with disabilities, can connect with nature. It will promote hands-on learning, collaboration, and creativity through student-led projects in gardening, art, and storytelling. In a time of climate uncertainty, this small but powerful space will help students become thoughtful, resilient global citizens with a deep appreciation for the natural world.” (from Katie’s handout) When Moon Lake School was operational, the club sponsored an after-school Junior Garden Club. The Valley Head project will be another community effort and a new goal for the club to offer its support.

The Moon Lake Garden is a labor of love. Started in the 90s by founding club members, it was a butterfly garden. Years of invasive species growth had fostered lots of poison ivy, arum, privet, vines, and mature trees that blocked sunlight. Progress has been made, and the city has been amazing in their financial and verbal support. George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” We must be making progress, because we have certainly changed our minds about the direction of the garden! Hopefully, those who have passed on are watching our progress and are pleased with what we are doing.

It was sad when MAPA closed its doors and the Rhododendron Festival and Colorfest were no more, but thanks to MERF for picking up the publishing of The Groundhog. In a serendipitous moment, I picked up a copy of Volume 5, Number 1, which was published in April 1987. An article by Linda Brown included a paragraph about the RGC meeting at Homer and Bernice Crow’s home, Raven Haven, mentioning plans for the coming year and Bernice demonstrating basic rules of flower arranging. In the first paragraph of the article, Linda stated, “April has been designated as clean-up month in DeKalb County. Wouldn’t it be nice to have it said that Mentone was the cleanest town in DeKalb County? Dare we go for the cleanest in the state of Alabama? We could do it. Let’s all do our part and clean our yards and roadsides. Pick up litter wherever you see it.” Almost 40 years later, that commitment continues. Linda Brown kept the community updated on all things Mentone until shortly before her death and was a hard act to follow.

Also on the front page of that issue, “In Memoriam” was dedicated to my grandmother: “Edith Blalock Lyday, born Nov. 9, 1898. Born and reared in Mentone, she spent most of her life here. She touched many lives through her years as a teacher [at Moon Lake] and through the beautiful hand-made quilts she crafted. Mrs. Lyday was a very special person, and the world is a better place for her stay here. Like ripples in a pool, her influence, love, and concern will be felt for generations.”

Generations of community. It’s in our DNA. Waves of ripples ongoing, continuing.

At next month’s meeting, Martha Wood will present a program on Horticulture – Collections and Displays. Come join us on April 14 at 10 a.m. We should be back at the MERF House; otherwise the meeting will be in the library.