Garden club funds park's beauty

Cathy Ehlers and Lorena Bliven of the Sisters Garden Club. photo by Tom Chace

With funds raised during their annual Sisters Home and Garden Tour, the Garden Club of Sisters made a contribution of $2,000 for the landscaping at the downtown Barclay Park.

Cathy Ehlers is the coordinator for the visitors who come here from "out of town, literally from all over the world for our Home and Garden Tour," she said. Ehlers said that proceeds from the annual event make it possible for the garden club to support projects such as the park.

"We sell out each year, as far as a year in advance," she said, "due in part to the wonderful cooperation of Jean Wells of The Stitchin' Post, who sends out an announcement of our tour with her Quilt Show literature. She gets all the reservations."

The Sisters Garden Club was founded in 1988 by former city administrator Barbara Warren, who became the club's first president.

"Because we are a non-profit 501(c) corporation, our charter says that we must designate our money for beautification of the City of Sisters and for education," said Lorena Bliven who was instrumental in the gardening educational program recently revived at Sisters Elementary School.

The successful Home and Garden Tour, sponsored by the garden club, was started in 1999 when Wells, director of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, wanted additional activities for those who came to Sisters for the week of instruction and sharing about quilts, ending with the Quilt Show on Saturday.

"We quickly arranged for five homes to be on a tour," Bliven said.

The first gardens open to the public were at the homes of Claudia Grooney, Eloise Mynatt, Bliven, Wells and Edie Aniker-Hines. The club made $4,000 that first year.

"What we want now," said Ehlers," are more homes and gardens to add to our tour list."

Last year they raised over $6,000 which was returned to the community in the way of gifts and grants such as the $2,000 given to Barclay Park; $2,500 to the Elementary School project and the maintenance of the four downtown "garden spots."

One of their beneficiaries this year was Sisters High School, which received another gift to build "new raised flower beds in the greenhouse," according to instructor Rima Givot.

The school has received a grant in each of the past three years. This continued support has "aided in creating a functional greenhouse facility," she said.

The club, which started with 13 members 15 years ago, has now grown to 81 members. All of the planting, landscaping and maintenance of the downtown gardens is provided by members of the club themselves.

For more information about the Sisters Garden Club, call Lorena Bliven at 389-9554.