Eden Garden Club Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Peggy Berthol and Bonnie Remigio at Eden Garden Club
On February 28th members of the Eden Garden Club celebrated their 75th Anniversary at the Moose Lodge. Bonnie Remigio has been a member for 33 years and Past President four times. She stated “Eden Garden Club is the heart and soul of our community”. Eden Garden Club was incorporated in 1947 dedicated to furthering gardening, plants, birds and butterfly life, civic beautification, conservation of our natural resources and appreciation of California’s natural beauties. In the 1940s the motto was “I’d rather be digging than dusting”.
Since 2007 Eden Garden Club has generously donated $59,635 to support our community. The club worked with the Boy Scouts to plant poppy seeds along Crow Canyon and they collected stamps to save the Bald Eagle from extinction. The club supports reforestation of California State Parks through donations for PENNY PINES. Annual plant sales raise funds benefiting school grants for horticulture in Castro Valley and Hayward. Eden Garden Club has fostered partnerships with the Sulphur Creek Nature Center and Sorensdale Recreation Center.
Peggy Barthol, longtime member for 25 years, shared the history of Penny Pines. Margaret March Mount worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Wyoming and witnessed erosion from wind and rain. Her vision was to plant trees and nurture healthy forests by planting trees. She became the “Ambassador of Trees” and worked with Women’s Clubs and school children and Boy Scouts of America to encourage collecting “Pennies for Pines”. In the 1940s the USFS would plant 1,000 pine seedlings for every $4 received. Since 1940 over 6 million pine trees were planted in our National Park covering over 6,000 acres of forests. Currently, $68 buys 230 pine tree seedlings planted by the Forest Service in Penny Pines plantations in the national forests as part of reforestation service on burned-over areas. Eden Garden Club members have donated funds to buy 165,000 seedlings planted in the California State Forests. These plantations provide soil protection, watershed protection, soil stabilization, future harvestable timber, as well as beauty and shade for recreation. A $68 donation may be made in honor or in memory of ONE individual or organization.
Martha Maxwell, another long-time member, remembered the partnership between Eden Garden Club and Sulphur Creek Nature Center that features a Native Garden planted by its members. At the entrance of Sulphur Creek Nature Center, Eden Garden Club honors the “Volunteer of the Year Award” and a Memorial plague that pays tribute to deceased members. Martha Maxwell’s husband made birdhouses for fundraisers held at Sulphur Creek.
Kathy Flowers, past President, discussed the School Garden Grant program. Since 2009 Eden Garden Club has awarded $47,559 to fund school garden grants to 27 schools from the Hayward Unified School District and 14 schools from Castro Valley Unified School Districts. Students learn how to grow their own food and experience the joy of gardening. Every year Eden Garden Club organizes annual Plant Sales to raise funds for School Garden Grants. Plant Sales offer a variety of annuals, perennials, and California natives. The first plant sale is planned for April 9, 2022 from 9AM to 12 PM in Castro Valley.
Eden Garden Club normally meets the fourth Monday of the month from 9:30 AM to 12:00 pm at the Moose Lodge. The program features garden talks by gardening experts, plant exchange, pick a prize, and socialization. For more information about Eden Garden Club’s plant sales, PENNY PINES, and meetings, email edengardenclub@yahoo.com.
