Happy Labor Day
Well folks, it’s that bittersweet time of the year: some mornings there’s a real chill in the air – that first whisper of fall. But we still have a few more glorious weeks of summer, and a big Labor Day weekend in which to relish our lake. We hope you’re all planning some good fun for the weekend ahead.
Celebrating 20 years of the Garden Club
We asked our friends at the RBL Garden Club to give everyone an introduction to their fantastic neighborhood group:
Founded in September 2003, the club began as a group of friends who wanted to share with their neighbors their love of gardening and knowledge of what grows best in our community. Over the next twenty years, the club grew and expanded its presence in RBL. Monthly meetings are held in members’ homes from September to April and often feature a speaker on topics of interest to the group. We have a Spring Celebration, sometimes with a tour of gardens around the lake, and a Winter Celebration; both events provide great opportunities to get to know your neighbors. For the past few years, we have collaborated with Tompkins Corner Cultural Center on an annual presentation.
One of our first projects was planting the Corner Garden, at the intersection of Pudding Street and Lake Shore Road, to provide an attractive colorful entrance to our community. Sometimes we have workshops on weeding or plant division in the garden. We have also purchased and planted flowering buckets at the beaches and parks throughout our neighborhood. Over the years we have planted over a thousand daffodils in public areas and an evergreen tree in Two Bridges Park.
Each Spring the club holds a Plant Sale, so neighbors can purchase perennials grown right here in RBL plus flowering baskets and annuals. We provide some wonderful native plants that would do well in your RBL garden.
During the winter holidays, we create and sell decorative wreaths and winter greens. We also sell an annual calendar with gardening tips and photos taken by community members. We have a Tree Lighting ceremony with refreshments, carol-singing, and a visit from Santa on the firetruck to the delight of the neighborhood's children.
Our members range from newbies to Master Gardeners, and all are welcome. For more information, contact rblgarden@gmail.com.
Soon we will be holding our 20-year anniversary celebration; look for details on the RBL Facebook page and in this newsletter.
Upcoming Dates:
September 9 | Final District Budget Meeting at Town Hall
September 16 | Putnam Valley Town Day
September 23 | RBLPOA Community Meeting at Children’s Beach followed by a neighborhood BBQ
Top photo courtesy of Melissa Bell. Other photos courtesy of Alex Harris.
