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Garden Club News from Sheri Murphy, President
It is FINALLY warming up – yay to spring and yay to packing those puff coats back into winter storage!
Membership dues and donations continue to come in, and I thank each and every one of you who are willing to help this club in our efforts to beautify and maintain the gardens here on the island. It is never too late to become a member, and you can do so by mailing your $20 (individual membership) to PIBGC, P.O. Box 815, PIB, OH 43456. And as always, our website, www.PutinBayGardenClub.com, is a convenient way to find out what activities we have coming up throughout the season – please check us out!
Our first official “meeting” of the season will be our flower basket planting on the morning of Wednesday, May 20th, in DeRivera Park. As I mentioned in last month’s article, we are experimenting with a new process here and will not need the extra volunteers we have had in years past. As with any new venture, fingers are crossed that we have hit upon a process that works for all (plants and people!) involved.
Explore 2026 At Put-in-Bay
- Check out our event calendar
- Find a place to stay
- See Put-in-Bay webcams
What hasn’t changed though is our “Welcome to the new Season” get together later that same afternoon (Wednesday, May 20th), beginning at 4 p.m. at my (Sheri Murphy’s) home. Please feel free to stop by, bring a small appetizer and catch up with fellow islanders and cottagers after a VERY long winter. There are always many chuckles and stories to be told, so I hope you will be able to join us! You may even be able to dispel various rumors that began last month in the Gazette of my interview for another writing position with the paper, given the Gazette’s current world-famous island columnist being dragged away by new investment opportunities. Alas, my less than Shakespearian abilities led this gentleman to reconsider stepping down and agreed to us both continuing in our present roles, where we will both write about what we know best. But who knows, I just may tap the shoulders of those up-and-coming writers in Fox’s Den for future subject matter. …Or plant an oak tree from LEIC, although it may be several years before it provides any shade or inspiration. … Or acquire a green chair–which seems to aid in this gentleman’s creativity. …Or maybe I should just find my own inspirational spots-this place surely has enough to choose from!
Our Favorite Rentals and Hotels
- Island Club Rentals (islandclub.com) – 216-898-9951
- Commodore Resort (commodoreresort.com) – 419-285-3101
- Bird’s Nest Resort (birdsnestresort.com) – 419-285-6119
- Put-in-Bay Condos (putinbaycondos.com) 216-898-1105
- Victory Station Hotel (putinbayvictorystation.com) 419-285-0120
Back to business and at the risk of repeating myself too often, keeping the flower baskets and the park gardens beautiful throughout the season takes a good amount of effort, but can be fun when working with a friend! If you haven’t already, grab a buddy and help Kathy Schrader out with the watering schedule – she has a few spots left and a sign-up sheet with all necessary details. Give her a call at (440) 773-5413. Another volunteer option involves weeding the various gardens around DeRivera Park. Not anyone’s favorite job but think of it as a useful reason to be outside, soak up some Vitamin D, greet some of the inquisitive visitors that admire these gardens and have the personal satisfaction of knowing you are a valued asset in maintaining the beauty of this magical island! Each of the park gardens requires 3-4 volunteers to keep it weed-free. Again, meet a new friend, or grab that buddy of yours and contact Barb Hunter at (216)789-9003 for details. She would love to hear from you!
As I mentioned above, please make use of our website to stay current on the events and opportunities we have planned for the season. As a teaser, some of the meetings we have on our 2026 schedule include the potluck this month; a raised bed gardening demonstration in June; an off-island excursion to Shoepfle Gardens in July; Flower arranging demonstration/workshop in August; techniques for growing plants from cuttings and dividing perennials in September; and an end-of-season potluck in October. I hope to see many of you at many of these!!
I hope all this information is getting you excited about what PIBGC has to offer. We SO hope you can join us for what promises to be many fun and new adventures in 2026!
