Seed for Thought

Submitted by Vickie Haskew

Seeds for Thought…

Here’s the dirt

·      Total membership on the roster of the Bartram Garden Club is 65.
·      Approximately 58 members have a Fernandina Beach address.
·      There are 2-3 members from Jacksonville and a couple from Yulee.
·      Membership of our Club is 100% Caucasian.
·      Plus, looking at over 125+ pictures in two recent “Florida Gardener” magazines, there was only one picture to be found of an African American lady. Pictures showed mostly mature white women with only a few mature white men.
·      Why bring this up? We can only grow from here, right? We can make a difference!

Let’s bring on the manure
·      Look at the wide-open spaces available to us – the opportunities – all around us.
·      Let’s till, prep and fertilize the soil, not only in Fernandina, but in Yulee, American Beach, our schools and more. Let’s make a home for the flowers, the butterflies, the birds, and the bees.

Planting seeds
·      Let’s aim for our club to be like a “Cottage Garden” with a wide variety of plants instead of just beautiful white roses – a blooming masterpiece.
·      Let’s plant “seeds of imagination” in all kinds of people to excite them about plants, floral arrangements, garden design, the environment, and all the cool stuff.
·      Let’s implant the love of gardening to a whole new generation!

A beautiful new garden
·      Our new meeting spot will be the perfect garden area for change – a new beginning.
·      We could possibly host more cultural events, workshops, guest speakers at Story and Song (free ads), PLUS do something at American Beach, a fun place in Yulee, the AMC Movie Theater, Council on Aging, the libraries…The sky is the limit!
·      Let’s foster a welcoming environment (with our mentors and members) with access to all – aged, young, tired, even those with disabilities – and those with or without “green thumbs.”
·      Let’s win those state and national awards for the most increase in membership by opening our doors and handing our newbies a pair of gloves and a spade, and showing them the “right plant for the right place.” 
·      Let’s enjoy a beautiful new season for Bartram Garden Club.