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The purpose of the Orcas Island Garden Club is to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening, to cooperate in the protection and conservation of nature, and to assist in the beautification of the community.
The Orcas Island Garden Club was founded in 1958. Currently our membership is around 150 members, mostly living on Orcas Island. Monthly meetings usually host about 70 people. We meet ten times each year - September through May. Nine of our meetings feature presentations by expert speakers on a variety of garden topics, followed by a social hour with coffee, tea, sweet and savory snacks. The June meeting is a picnic for members at 11:30AM. The annual Garden Tour occurs at the end of June. Monies from the tour help fund our programs and grants to island non-profits, including the "Farm to Cafeteria" garden at the public school, a seed library at the public library, rain gardens in Eastsound Village, and many other projects that enrich our community. |
Orcas Island has a population of approximately 5,000 people (which more than doubles in the summer!) and an area of 57 square miles. The island is shaped like a saddlebag, with a narrow isthmus at the top and the two distinct sections surrounding fjord-like East Sound. The island topography is quite varied, with farm valleys, bays and inlets, and several mountains: Mt. Constitution, the highest point in the county, is 2,409 ft.; Turtleback Mountain is almost 1500 feet; and Mt Woolard, is 1,180 feet.
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Due to the hilly topography and lengthy shoreline, Orcas Island boasts a variety of micro-climates that creates both gardening opportunities and challenges. Over the past two years, in a citizen-science project, club members have charted rainfall and temperatures around the island in order to map the micro-climates. Most of the rain falls in spring and winter. Summers are dry, and water is a precious commodity for many gardeners. While the low-lying valleys typically have good soil, the higher elevations and shoreline areas usually feature thin soil over bedrock or no soil at all. The most damaging garden predators are deer, with bunnies running a close second. (Our members are always interested in deer-resistant plants.) Other member interests include flowers, ornamental trees and shrubs, vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, and organic and sustainable practices.
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BOARDPresident: Linda Armstrong Click here for Linda's email. Program: Lene Symes Click here for Lene's email. Membership: Perri Gibbons Click here for Perri's email. Karen Hiller Click here for Karen's email. Garden Tour: Sally Hodson Click here for Sally's email. Linda Armstrong Click here for Linda's email. Recording Secretary: Janet Jacobson Click here for Janet's email. Treasurer: Tony Suruda Click here for Tony's email. Communications: Nita Couchman Click here for Nita's email. Past President: Vanessa Julian |
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COMMITTEESPrograms
Lene Symes, Linda Armstrong , & Evangeline O’Sullivan Finance Tony Suruda Hospitality Geri Turnoy Set-Up David Turnoy Membership & Directory Perri Gibbons & Karen Hiller Communications Nita Couchman Garden Tour Sally Hodson & Linda Armstrong Audiovisual Cyndi Hawkins-Rahilly & Mike Boero |
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DECEASED*
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Honorary Members Awarded Lifetime Memberships for Outstanding Service to the Garden Club
DECEASED*
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