Bloomingdale Garden Club to offer lecture, announces projects, awards

The Bloomingdale Garden Club will present a program on Victory Gardens on Tuesday evening, March 16.

Nina Koziol will share background information on gardening history and discuss what it was like for Americans during the world wars, a news release stated. When food shortages in 1917 caused rioting in New York City, President Woodrow Wilson called on Americans to grow their own food, and the first “war gardens” were born. Their names were changed to Victory Gardens during World War II.

Bloomingdale Garden Club meets the third Tuesday of each month from 6:15 to 8 p.m. at Cornerstone Faith Community Church, 118 First St. in Bloomingdale. Programs begin at 7 p.m. Masks are required, and visitors are always welcome. In light of changing health guidelines, visit the website to confirm details at www.bloomingdalegardenclub.org prior to attending. For more information, email bloomingdalegardenclub@gmail.com.

In collaboration with DuPage Care Center’s University of Illinois Extension DuPage Master Gardeners, Bloomingdale Garden Club was awarded a $1,000 “Plant America Community Grant” by the National Garden Clubs. The organization has a major focus on “Pollinator Gardens,” as well as “Healing Gardens” for hope and awareness. The grant will support the planning, design and supplies for a new pollinator/healing garden in “The Secret Garden.”

Through initiation and planning by Master Gardeners Linda Kunesh and Leslie Mabbott, Midwest Groundcovers in St. Charles donated more than $600 in perennials, shrubs, and other plants that will draw in pollinators for the new garden. This past fall, Bloomingdale Garden Club members and Master Gardeners planted more than 85 perennials and more than 300 spring bulbs throughout. The Secret Garden Volunteers will plant annuals in the spring to enhance the beauty of the existing palette of floral colors.

Because the pandemic saw the Bloomingdale Park District dealing with limited staff and funding, the club noted its members attended to the watering and weeding not only of the club’s Bloomingdale Memorial Garden project, but most of the gardens at Old Town Park. Jennifer Moore headed up a small group from the club that included Kelly Vitacco, Laurie Dring, and Susan and Kirt Shore.

The community garden (Plot-to-Plate), organized by Gail Sanders and tended by garden club members, produced 453 pounds of food which was all donated to the Bloomingdale Township Food Pantry, and the Family In Faith Food Pantry in Glendale Heights, which also serves Bloomingdale Township.

The club’s 2020 charitable donations totaled $8,400. Profits as well as plants were donated from the Spring Flower & Plant Sale (returning this year on May 14 and 15) that helped support the following organizations: Bloomingdale VFW Post; Midwest Shelter for Homeless Vets; DuPage PADS; Garden Works Project; Humanitarian Service Project; We Grow Dreams; Stepping Stones; WINGS; Cornerstone Faith Community Church and Fellowship Church.

Many club members also participated in purchasing personal care items for the residents of West Suburban Care Center in Bloomingdale at Christmas, where residents have been isolated during the pandemic. The club also created Christmas decorations for each of the residents’ doors. Other Christmas crafts were created to decorate nurses’ stations and for use as raffle prizes for residents.