On-Air Interview with Lynn Lemaster and Sharron Swanson Highlights Cherokee Rose Garden Club Plant Sale and Community Projects
CENTRE— The Cherokee Rose Garden Club was featured on WEIS Radio’s “Merry Jerry Morning Show” with Jerry Baker on Wednesday, April 22, during an on-air interview with members Lynn Lemaster and Sharron Swanson. The discussion focused on the club’s upcoming plant sale, community involvement, and ongoing gardening education efforts.
You can hear the interview here:
The club’s annual plant sale is set for Saturday, April 25, at Cedar Bluff Park from 8 a.m. until noon. In the event of rain, the sale will be relocated under the park pavilion. The event will feature a wide variety of plants grown and divided from members’ own gardens, allowing the club to offer quality plants at affordable prices.
Selections will include perennials, annuals, bulbs, houseplants, flowering plants, shrubs and trees such as dogwoods and Japanese maples. Emphasis will also be placed on pollinator-friendly plants designed to support bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Available plants will include sun-loving varieties such as black-eyed Susans, shade-tolerant plants like hostas and coral bells, and a range of pollinator favorites including anise hyssop, purple coneflowers, liatris, and cardinal flowers. Additional offerings will include impatiens, day lilies, daffodils, iris, peace lilies, and aloe plants.
During the interview, club members discussed the importance of pollinators in maintaining healthy ecosystems and encouraged residents to incorporate pollinator-supporting plants into their home gardens. They also noted the importance of providing a variety of plants suited for different light conditions, including full sun and shaded areas.
Beyond the plant sale, the Cherokee Rose Garden Club continues its community beautification and outreach efforts. Projects include maintaining a butterfly garden at Galesville School and participating in other local enhancement initiatives throughout the area.
The club also announced plans for National Garden Week, scheduled for June 7–13. During this observance, members will prepare floral arrangements for display at city halls in Centre, Cedar Bluff, and Leesburg, and distribute arrangements to area nursing homes and local businesses.
The group recently hosted a certified flower show on March 20 at the community center, sanctioned by the National Garden Club. The event required extensive preparation and showcased the skills of club members. Mayor Jay Howell expressed interest in future shows being held more frequently. The club anticipates receiving recognition for its efforts.
Currently, the Cherokee Rose Garden Club has 28 members and continues to welcome new participants. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office on the Gadsden State Cherokee Campus, with the exception of July. Meetings are open to the public.
Each meeting features educational programming on a variety of gardening topics, with upcoming sessions focusing on edible herbs. Club members emphasized the group’s long-standing history as one of the oldest garden clubs in Alabama and its mission of sharing gardening knowledge, promoting community beautification, and encouraging hands-on learning for gardeners of all experience levels.
