BSA Troop 180 Tames the Restless Natives

Boy Scout Troop 180, under the leadership of Tyler Phillips, really spruced up our butterfly garden this weekend.  Pruning, weeding, and sowing seeds, the garden is ready to share its autumn glory with the public (and the butterflies)!

Read the article, "Taming the Restless Natives," in the upcoming October 2019 Creekline.  And learn more about the native butterfly demonstration garden that the Garden Club of Switzerland maintains in Alpine Groves park.  You are welcome to join us at our meetings.  See the schedule here.  Please let us know if you plan to attend so we may have enough refreshments for all.

We're less than a month away from the start of another Garden Club of Switzerland program year!

Our monthly meetings are the second Thursday of the month from 10AM-noon from September through May.  Most take place at the Bartram Trail Library and are open to the public.  There are a few events that take place in other locations and these may be for members only.  The program schedule is at our Events page and on our Calendar.  If you see a program you would like to attend, consider yourself invited!  Please do us the courtesy of letting us know in advance so that we may have enough refreshments for everyone.  Use our contact info, SwitzerlandGC@gmail.com.  If you would like to become a member after you meet us (how could you resist?) ask for an application form or open the online Membership Application and mail it or bring it to a meeting.

Grow your world and join a garden club!  Our first meeting is September 13!

Rain, Rain, When Will You Go Away?

Summer is our rainy season, but this year - AGAIN - we are getting more than our share of "free water."   Our average June rainfall is just over five inches but this past June we got over eight!  While we can't get Mother Nature to turn the tap off we can fine-tune our landscape to be more tolerant of her changing disposition.

Do you have any low-lying areas in your yard that are subject to ponding?  Or do you have concerns about soggy areas around your home?  You can plant a "rain garden." that will soak up the puddles and love it!  Read about Rain Gardens on the web.  And you can select plants that enjoy getting their feet wet by using the Florida-Friendly Plant Database.   If your house has gutters and downspouts, you can use a rain barrel to capture the water from your roof; attach a spigot and hose to the barrel and you can use the water to irrigate around the house in dry times or to water your plants under your porch - you can even wash your car (if it ever stops raining...)  Just don't drink water that you've collect and stored.

When you aren't gardening you can still read about it.  The St. Johns County library system has a large collection of reading material (printed and online) that will give you gardening ideas.  There are also fiction books that have garden themes.  Take the kids/grandkids to the library and check out some rainy day reading to help them keep their academic skills sharp.  School is just a month away!

Switzerland is Historic! Celebrate it on 2/24!

The old Bennett House in Alpine Groves Park is the starting place for Historic Switzerland Dedication Day.  The celebration includes the Bennett House, the old Hartley Store, and the home of Stetson Kennedy (a National Literary Landmark as well as a county historic landmark).  The event is free, and although you are invited to register, it is not necessary.   Click here for directions to Alpine Groves Park, and to Hartley store (now Andrew's Homestead Store), and Stetson Kennedy's home, Beluthahatchee. 

When: Saturday, February 24 
Where: Alpine Groves Park, 2060 SR 13, St. Johns
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Details: St. Johns County and the Stetson Kennedy Foundation have partnered for a Historical Landmark dedication recognizing the Bennett Farmhouse, Hartley Store, and Beluthahatchee. At 10 a.m., attendees will gather at the Bennett House located by the St. Johns River at Alpine Groves Park for the dedication of all three historic properties. Attendees are encouraged to visit the Hartley Store and Beluthahatchee at the conclusion of dedication, both sites will be open to the public until 1 p.m. 
Registration and More Information: Register here for the dedication ceremony. For more information, please contact AyoLane Halusky at 904.209.0348 or ahalusky@sjcfl.us.