BUCKHANNON – The Upshur County Commission thanked the Fred Brooks and Stargazer Garden clubs for their work throughout the community during the June 3 Upshur County Commission meeting.

The commission approved a proclamation declaring the week of June 6 through June 12 National Garden Week. Members from the Fred Brooks Garden Club of Buckhannon and the Stargazer Garden Club of southern Upshur County were in attendance during the meeting.

Fred Brooks Garden Club member Beth Post and Stargazer Garden Club member Carolyn Patterson said their clubs both feature Yards of the Month, help decorate for Christmas each year and participate in several other community ventures.

“Fred Brooks is a very famous botanist. He has a whole hall named after him at WVU, Brooks Hall,” Patterson said. “He grew up in French Creek and a lot of the plants that were discovered that are mentioned were discovered in Upshur County.”

Both clubs are part of the National Garden Clubs Organization, and that organization’s national convention will take place in West Virginia in 2023.

“In 2023 The National Garden Clubs convention will be at the Greenbrier; [it’s] the first time ever West Virginia has hosted the National Garden Club convention and that is because a woman from West Virginia, Brenda Moore, will be the new National Garden Club president,” Post said. “Again, I believe another first, so we are already planning because national conventions require hard work, but the State of West Virginia really wants to show off, so it gives us a chance to have a national spotlight on West Virginia.”

The proclamation declaring June 6-12 National Garden Week appears in full below:

“Gardeners have a passion for nurturing beauty and resources of the Earth, the planting of seeds and the care of all plants. Gardeners seek to add beauty, splendor, fragrance and nutrition to our lives through the growing of herbs, vegetables, foliage, flowers and gardeners work to serve our country’s traditional spirit of independence and initiative through innovation and hard work.

Gardeners advocate for the importance of all creatures, large and small, that share our world and their goals in a balanced and productive ecology.

Gardening is a challenging and productive activity for our citizens, including those who are just learning as well as those having years of experience.

Gardening promotes a healthy lifestyle that lasts a lifetime, helps reduce stress from other areas of our life, teaches that rewards can come from diligent efforts.

Gardening enables members of garden clubs across the nation and the world to make a world of difference in the communities where they reside and work.

Now therefore be it resolved that in an effort to acknowledge the importance of gardening, and the numerous contributions of gardeners National Garden Clubs, designates the week of June 6th to the 12th as National Garden Week.”