Whatever Makes You Smile
So many new delights to behold as we move into springtime! The days are longer, the hillsides are greener, the flowers are more abundant and the birds are returning. I hope you all are finding something delightful every day.
Our Club is thriving thanks to you, our members. Attending our Green Thumb events and Trips & Tours brings us closer together as we share our love of nature and make life-long friends. If you haven’t joined in yet I encourage you to do so. Have fun looking for delights together at the April South Coast Plaza Spring Garden Show which is a don’t-miss-it event. Thanks to our T&T team for putting together such wonderful destinations this current Club year.
Enjoying our fantastic speakers is a delightful way to learn something new each month. Many of you have shared with me how much you have enjoyed them this year. The quality of our speakers is one of the reasons we are 237 members strong. Vice President 
has some very interesting and fun speakers in the works for 2024-25 continuing this great tradition. April starts our membership drive and I encourage you to renew on April 12 so you don’t miss out on all the fun planned for next year.
Speaking of speakers… Our March speaker Alan Barry from Wild Birds Unlimited in Mission Viejo was 100% delightful. So many fun facts about birds and how to attract them to our yards with bird feeders and by planting what they love like: Sage, Lilac Verbena, Lupine, Milkweed, Red Hot Poker and California Fuchsia, all native to our region. With 1 in 4 birds gone since 1970 everything we can do to help them thrive makes a difference. Provide nesting materials, shelter from predators, fresh water, appropriate bird food and reducing pesticide use are simple ways to help.
Alan and his wife Maggie and their knowledgeable staff can be found at 24451 Alicia Parkway, Unit 9B, Mission Viejo (just across the 5 Freeway in the Denny’s Center) with phone number (949) 472-4928 and website Wild Birds Unlimited – Nature Shop (wbu.com) No doubt they can advise how to bring more delightful birds to your gardens. When you stop by be sure to let them know you’re with the Garden Club and enjoyed hearing Alan speak. Ahhh…as I write this I’m enjoying the trill of the House Finch outside my window!
I look forward to hearing what brings you delight – the site of a hummingbird, your fruit trees in bloom, walking past our “The Good of the Hive®” mural … whatever makes you smile.
– Jane Leary