LENDONWOOD SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR FALL WORKDAY OCTOBER 29

Lendonwood Gardens needs volunteers of any age or ability to help “Put the Garden to Bed” on Saturday, October 29.  At the annual fall workday, community members come together to help get the botanical garden ready for the coming winter season.

Workday volunteers include members of the Grove Rotary Club, but others in the community also are needed, said Jim Reynolds, coordinator of the event.  “This has been a challenging year for the garden, as extreme drought and summer heat have stressed many of our plants.”

The fall workday often draws families with older children who lend a hand, Reynolds said.  Volunteers typically include several young people, such as local Boy Scouts and members of Interact, the student organization affiliated with Rotary.

“Our workday doesn’t require gardening expertise, just a willingness to pitch in,” he said.  “Not everyone can stay for the entire time, but we appreciate any amount of time.”  Reynolds said there are jobs for volunteers of any ages and abilities.

Volunteers should gather at 8:30 a.m. by the barn at the back of the garden for donuts and coffee, as workday teams are formed.  Jobs typically range from light tasks to heavy-equipment operation.

This year, workday tasks will include trimming branches, picking up downed limbs, planting bulbs, covering stream with leaf netting, repairing walkways, clearing pond of leaves, and mulching flower beds.  

Volunteers also will tackle such jobs as cleaning benches, installing gate, cleaning the Angel of Hope statue, picking up twigs and branches, tilling the Children’s Garden, pressure-washing fences, and landscaping, among other tasks.

Supplies for the various projects will be available, although volunteers should bring their gloves and wear comfortable work clothes.  The workday is usually completed by about 2 p.m.

Lunch will be provided by Lendonwood board members.

In case of bad weather, the fall workday will be held on Saturday, November 5.  For more information about the October 29 workday, contact Jim Reynolds at 918-645-8458.

Lendonwood is an eight-acre public botanical garden located at 1308 Har-Ber Road in Grove.  The garden is operated by a local Board of Directors, supported by volunteer labor, memberships and gate receipts.  Major collections include azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwoods, Japanese maple trees, hostas, daylilies and evergreen trees. The garden draws visitors from throughout the U.S. and around the world.