Desiree DeCoste
Beaver Staff
Facing a website with older technology that was no longer supported, the Bath Garden Club (BGC) decided it was time to for an update.
Their goal was to appeal to a wider audience and have a site that is easier to navigate. They have included an online registration form along with accepting e-transfers to make joining the club easier.
Despite COVID-19 lockdowns and protocols put in place by the township, the club has been able to maintain their goal of beautifying the Village of Bath while following all the rules. The barrels, planters and gardens along Main Street were planted in late May supervised by Dawn Ford and Pat Chown. The winter decorating was also able to go ahead under the supervision of Anne Douglas. Unfortunately, the club was not able to hold their annual plant sale, which is one of their major fundraisers. The Bath Sunday Market, which the club organizes, was only able to open for a short period due to COVID regulations. Christmas Carols in the park also had to be cancelled.
The club presently has a membership of about 75 and is looking to grow so it has enough active members to participate in all the projects they take on. It has been an aging club due to the demographics of Bath, however, of late there have been younger people joining. Gardening has taken on a new life with COVID over the past year.
In normal times the club meets on a monthly basis at St. John’s Hall and invite guest speakers to talk on a variety of garden topics. With COVID, they continue to meet via Zoom, which gives the ability to record speakers for members to hear later if they cannot attend. It also gives us the option to hear speakers from further afield. While members usually meet on the third Monday of the month in the afternoon, they do organize some evening meetings for those working during the day.
The Bath Gardening Club has continued to flourish for more than 30 years as a volunteer organization. For more information visit the BGC’s new website https://bathgardeningclub.ca