Garden Club works year-round

Winter projects for the Bella Vista Garden Club are all about planning, President Judy Jeffery said. This time of year, committees are working hard preparing for the club’s big events coming up in March, May and June.

The June event is a big one for the club. On Saturday, June 6, the Bella Vista Garden Club will present a Garden Extravaganza.

The club used to host garden tours every other year, Jeffery said, but recently they’ve substituted the Garden Party. This year, they decided to return to the tour since it’s been several years.

“It’s going to be a big deal,” she promised.

There are nine gardens to tour and each one has a different theme. One is a meditation garden, one is an herb garden and one is “two front yards,” a typical Bella Vista lake house.

Tony LiCausi will host a stop to demonstrate gardening on a sloped lot.

Participants pick up a map and drive from home to home at their own pace. At each garden, they will find both a hostess and the owner who will be able to answer questions about the garden. Some of the stops will serve refreshments.

There will be workshops at some sites, she said, and at some, plants may be available to purchase.

The club is working with the city of Bella Vista, the POA, the Benton County Master Gardeners and the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists on this project.

On Saturday, May 2, the club will host its annual plant sale at the wastewater treatment plant. Many of the plants on sale come directly out of member’s home gardens.

The March event is the annual card party which raises funds for scholarships. This year the card party is on

Friday, March 20, from noon to 4 p.m. The event includes lunch and a raffle drawing. Coffee, tea and water are provided, but participants should bring their own game. Reservations open on Feb. 21.

Each month at the regular meeting, the garden club presents a speaker on a topic that is often related to conservation. There’s also a chance to get advice from master gardeners and other club members.

For more information about the club, speak to Jeffery at 515-371-0701.

Lynn Atkins/The Weekly Vista Above: Pansies hold on in the flower garden at the Veterand Wall of Honor on a cold January afternoon. The Bella Vista Garden Club helps maintain several public gardens during the warm weather months. Right: The Blue Star Memorial Garden at the Visitors Center on 71B was created by volunteers with the Bella Vista Garden Club to honor men and women who served in the armed forces.