Garden Club: July 2022

Garden Club members enjoyed the traditional barbecue and picnic at the Beach Bluff on June 20. What a perfect setting for celebrating a year of work, growth and learning more about caring for Mother Nature! This marked the final event of our club’s calendar year.
The new slate of officers for our upcoming season was officially installed at the event. Thank you to Board members who are retiring, and for their hard work over the past year. Thank you to the incoming officers and members for step- ping forward to keep the Garden Club going for another year.
We are taking a break for the summer over July and August, and will open our scheduled program again from September 2022 through June 2023. We meet at 11 a.m. on the third Monday of the month. Dues are payable now by check (no cash) to the Niguel Shores Garden Club, and should be delivered to the Office. Dues are $20 for one house member; $35 for two house members.
Special congratulations to our Honorary Life Member—Ruthy Stahl—who turned 104 years old on June 15! Ruthy was one of the Gar- den Club founders, and has attended the Garden Club for at least twenty years. What an achievement! We stand in awe of her! The Garden Club has donated money to the Penny Pines Reforestation Project in Cleveland National Forest in honor of Ruthy. It is our pleasure to establish the location of the plaque in her name.
Orange County has a bounty of gorgeous botanical spaces to visit this summer. One gem in particular is the Niguel Botanical Preserve, which evolved from a community garden in 1984 and covers eighteen acres. It is hidden in plain sight behind Crown Valley Park in Laguna Niguel, off Crown Valley Parkway. The gardens continue to evolve, showcasing plants that are drought tolerant and suitable for our climate. This sprawling oasis is home to native California plants, as well as a variety of flora from Australia, Chile, South Africa and the Mediterranean Basin.
Admission is free, and parking is plentiful. Dogs on leashes are welcome! There are trails and walkways to enjoy. The terrain may be steep in places, with uneven surfaces and steps. Don’t miss the Labyrinth: an elevated lookout point, boasting a panoramic view of the Saddle- back Mountains. Know your physical limitations, and
enjoy your visit!
—Ann Strauss