Iris Garden Club celebrates national garden week with plantings at Fire Museum
Contributed by
The Iris Garden Club

These are the Iris Garden Club members and the crew from Station #1. (l to r) Fran Dounian, Martha Simons, Fire fighter Jason Herbert, Battalion Chief Will Harrell, Barbara Ridgill, Captain Jason Krusen, Battalion Chief Mike Edmonds, Captain Steve Curry, Pat Setzer, Firefighter Todd Scott

Iris Garden Club members joined with firefighters at the Fire Museum on Laurel Street to plant Daylilies and Iris from members' and friends' gardens June 7 as a celebration of National Garden Week.

Many plants came from the garden of Margaret Glenn, president of the Garden Club Council of Greater Columbia, Inc. and member of Petal Pushers Garden Club, who invited the club for a garden tour and dig June 5.

The firefighters prepared the large bed by digging out nut sedge and turning the soil.

Members arrived with more than 100 plants, compost, and fertilizer. They chose daylilies and iris for the planting since these perennials are well- suited for the sunny location.

With minimum care they will provide a colorful reminder during the spring and summer of our appreciation for the outstanding service these brave men and women perform each day for our community.

The club also met on Wednesday, June 6, for lunch at Hennessey's followed by a visit to The Garden Club of South Carolina's Memorial Garden at 1919 Lincoln Street, which was the 63rd anniversary of D- Day.

The visit to the garden, which honors veterans of World War II, gave members an opportunity to give thanks for all American service men and women who have sacrificed their youth, limbs, and lives for liberty.

National Garden week is promoted by National Garden Clubs, Inc. each year during the first full week in June. This is a time to focus public attention on the role of garden clubs in our communities and to tell the story of gardening.

Clubs all over America present programs and participate in activities and projects to make their towns and cities better places to live.

Clubs may promote tours of local gardens, cleanup campaigns, contests, teas, lectures, flower shows, exhibits, and displays in public buildings and place floral designs and container grown plants in hospitals, nursing homes, and other public areas.

Anyone interested in joining a garden club or establishing a new club may contact Margaret Glenn at 786-4635 or Pat Setzer at 419-0624.