Our Mission
To encourage interest in home gardening, promote civic pride, and improve the overall appearance of our community.
Garden Club members have started preparing for the 2024 May Market. This includes potting over 2,700 plants.
In case you didn’t know, previously we shared from our own gardens by dividing plants and preparing them for a new home. Unfortunately, thanks to an overly rambunctious worm (jumping worm), this is no longer possible.
For the past several years, all plants that we present at the May Market are grown from seed in fresh, clean and healthy soil. As the plants get larger, we transfer them to individual clean pots.
Please join us at this year’s May Market and see the wonderful selection that we have waiting for your garden.
If you take a walk around town, you will find signs of spring everywhere! Daffodils, hyacinths, Lenten Roses, flowering trees, and others are abundant in yards. This means that members of the garden club will soon be busy in their and the community gardens.
We have restarted our monthly meetings and have had some very interesting programs already with more programs and activities planned for the coming months. In about a month, we will start the potting of our plants for the May Market held on the first Saturday in May. We are planning to have a wide variety again of tomatoes, peppers, annual flowers, and houseplants. We always look forward to having these “adopted” through donation to persons to plant and make their homes and community beautiful. Be sure to stop by and see what we have or just talk with one of the members.
We always welcome visitors or people who would like to become members. You don’t need to have large gardens or be a “master” gardener. Most members just enjoy doing some planting and finding ways to be out in nature. We know that there are healthy benefits from being out in nature.
So, enjoy the beginning of Spring and hope to see you soon!
This year’s education schedule is coming together.
Already in February we heard about “Succulents” (of which I had no idea) and in March the topic was “Bee Keeping”. Here again, great information was presented.
A week later than usual, our April meeting will be on the 15th with our own Sandy Perkins bringing us up to date on Cicadas. It appears that there will be more than enough this year as both the 13-year and 17-year brood emerg in the same year. Come and find out more.
In May, we will be attending to business at the yearly “May Market”, so there will NOT be a meeting. Instead, we will be working several days in preparing for, attending, and then putting away all that is necessary for this fun event.
More is being planned all throughout the summer and fall, so stay tuned.
If you are looking for when to plant what, The Illinois Extension offers information as to when to do just that. Good information, and we have duplicated it on our Facebook page (see link above).
Our next gathering will be in Horner Park Hall, April 15, 2024. 6:30 gathering with meeting at 7:00.
All are always welcome.
Some more great advice. Check out our Facebook page for even more!
If you enjoy the wonder that is a Hummingbird, then it is time to clean up those feeders and prepare. Sightings are already being made on the tip of Illinois!!!
For an interactive map, may we suggest the folks at Hummingbird Central.
Also, the Audubon Society have some great information on their page.
From “Non-Gardener” and “Rank Amateur” to “Master Gardener” or “Master Naturalist”, the amount of knowledge within the members of the Garden Club of Lebanon is amazing. We learn from each other, help each other, and in the process help the community around us!
“Membership” is another word for “Friendship”. You will love how we all become friends! Working together on our projects we become a team. Membership dues help with the costs behind the scenes. Your membership card provides for discounts at local garden supply vendors. See the membership page for further details.
* Peg Gerdes – President
* Jonathan Svoboda – Past President
* Patty Taylor & Susie Stevenson – Co-treasurers
* Brenda Pehle – Recorder
* Sandy Perkins & Jonathan Svoboda – Programs
* De Laird & Janet Hadley – Membership
* Terry & Marsha Ernst & Cody Feldt – Communications
* Al Gerdes – Webmaster – (Non-voting. Just likes to see his name amongst the real workers.)
May Market Information – May 4 Opening at 9AM!
Almost all of the 2,700 plants have been re-potted, with a few waiting for some growth before they get moved over. THIS IS FANTASIC!
The activity now is taking care of them while they grow.
They are growing and we are looking forward to them being ready for May Market on May 4th.
Due to our work in preparation for the May Market, our normal monthly meeting will not be held in May.
Also, watch this space for information about our June and July get-togethers as we will be going on field trips for both months.
Our April 15th meeting was all about CICADAS!
Sandy Perkins presented a very indepth and interesting talk that kept everyone’s attention. Thank you Sandy.
With 13 year and 17 year “broods” as well as the annual brood coming out this year, we can prepare for some very noisy nights.
Thanks Sandy!
Click here to access the 2024 Scholarships from the Garden Club of Lebanon.
Check out this year’s scholarship amount and who is eligible for it. This is an online Google Doc form.
The University of Illinois Extension is offering an “Illinois Invasive Species Symposium” on May 22 from 9:30AM till 3:30PM at the Champaign County Extension Office. For details, click here.
Our neighbor, Marty Malone – the Beekeeper, has some words of wisdom for all of us (Repeated from FaceBook):
Many thanks to our Lebanon Public Library for once again allowing us to present our “Seed Library” within their building.
Seeds are provided free of charge. All have been labeled. The first label identifies the seed. The second is a QR code that will take you to the Seed Library page on our website.
Our librarians are really great, but don’t expect them to have the answers to information about the seeds. (Use the weblink!)
The Heartland Conservancy has several activities on their calendar. Check out their website.
Their “Spring 2024 Native Plant Sale” is worth noting as well.
Though not directly a “gardener” page, this page has several fun things for the kids (and adults) to do concerning digging in outdoors. Check it out for yourself!
Did you grab some pics of the gardens on the tour? We would love it if you share?
If you would, please send them via email to webmaster@gardencluboflebanon.org. Make sure we have your information (so we can properly credit the image), and if you know which garden that would be helpful as well.
Thank you in advance!
To encourage interest in home gardening, promote civic pride, and improve the overall appearance of our community.