Downtown garden gets facelift

The east entrance to Sisters will soon be cleaned up and ready to bloom next summer. The Sisters Garden Club raised $4,000 to get what members call the Point Garden bordering Highway 20 in shape beginning this month.

"You can see it needs a lot of weed abatement," said Sisters Garden Club president Kathy Plank. "Things just grew beyond our boundaries."

The Garden Club and Sisters Kiwanis upgraded the garden across Hood Avenue last summer. Called the Log Cabin Garden, it is now landscaped and welcomes visitors with a wood sign. Plank said the work made the neighboring Point Garden look even worse.

Plank said the plan is to remove crowded trees, get rid of the weeds, then plant a lower maintenance garden next spring.

Weather permitting, Sisters Landscaping will begin work this month. Owner Mike Burke said he plans to remove four truck loads of weeds and debris. Four trees will be removed which are blocking the sprinklers and other trees.

"We're really thrilled we could get a local contractor," added Plank.

Plank said while club members like being hands-on to tend downtown gardens, Point Garden was too out-of-control. Members used funds raised during the club's annual Quilter's Affair garden tour to hire a contractor for the heavy work.

"We will never give up hands-on gardening - that's who we are, and that's what we do," said Plank.

Plank said the old garden looked beautiful in summer when wildflowers, daisies and poppies bloomed. But the blooms were short-lived. The new plans call for a pre-emergent to combat weeds and then to plant new flowers.

"We would rather be deadheading flowers than pulling weeds," said Plank.

Another goal is to plant deer resistant blooms at the Point Garden.

"Not only are they ruining our flowers, but it's dangerous," said Plank.

Plank encourages people to join the existing 70 members to care for the Point and other downtown gardens.

"We welcome new members," said Plank.

Sisters Garden Club has a long history of maintaining downtown gardens, including Point Garden, Log Cabin Garden, the gazebo at Village Green Park and the planter boxes at Sisters Library.