Welcome Messages from our Co-Presidents
When a friend brought me to my first Coastal Gardeners meeting, I was flabbergasted! Never before had I been in a room filled with so much positive energy. Their passion for all things gardening was palpable. My comment at the end of the meeting was, “These (40) women have it going ON!” This impression has remained unchanged throughout the four years of my involvement in Coastal Gardeners and I am honored to be its Co-President.
As you learn more about Coastal Gardeners through these pages, I hope you will consider joining us, if you have not already done so. Our gardening activities, many of which benefit our community, are all top-notch. We have a lot of fun, too! Many of us have become close friends, building a community within our organization.
Thank you for visiting and happy gardening!
Ruth Boggs, Co-President
I became an avid gardener during the three years I lived in South Carolina and lived next to a master gardener. Gardening for me has always been a place to escape and to be creative and so when I was introduced to Coastal Gardeners by a friend , I was excited to learn more.
During the past two years, I have enjoyed the educational programs and opportunities to work with the powerful, energetic and passionate group of women in this club and give back to our local community. Since my recent retirement in June of 2024, I have been looking to expand my volunteering and was both humbled and honored to be asked to take the position of Co-President of Coastal Gardeners.
Our club offers members the opportunity to build lifelong friendships, learn new things and to give back. If you are looking to expand your horizons, get involved, meet new people and simply have fun; please join us at one of our upcoming meetings to learn more.
I hope to see you there!
Michelle Crane, Co-President
What do you do when you move from your beautiful two-acre vegetable and perennial gardens in Connecticut to Southern Delaware where your gardening is limited by your space and an HOA? Where do you provide an outlet for that innate desire to “get dirty” and surround yourself with Nature’s beauty? How do you navigate the totally different soil and growing conditions and transform them into a home for pollinators? Those questions and many more swirled around in my head and caused me great frustration when my husband and I moved here five years ago.
I was fortunate to meet a wonderful woman in my community, Sally Scarangella who was President of a new garden club that met in the evenings. Coastal Gardeners was perfect for me on many levels. They met in the evenings so my days would be free, I would have the opportunity to be introduced to others who shared my interests and I would hear from a variety of speakers about how to garden in Delaware. The club did not disappoint me – my gardening skills have grown, I have developed amazing friendships and have helped to grow Coastal Garden Club in the community.
Sandy Daniels, Vice President
What Coastal Gardeners lacks in age and size they make up for in their energy and enthusiasm in the community. I am so proud of our garden at the Delaware Seashore Tower Road, our partnership with Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids at Phillip C. Showell Elementary School, the planters at South Coastal Beebe ER and Cancer Center and our Holiday Gift Bags for the Roxana Senior Center and the list goes on and on. In addition, our monthly speakers and field trips have opened my eyes and increased my gardening knowledge and showed me how I can help the environment right in my own little backyard and in my commuity.
I hope you will consider joining Costal Gardeners where our diverse members contribute their time, talent and thoughts to the growth of Coastal Gardeners. Come to a meeting and see for yourselves to discover the “joy of gardening” with friends!