On Saturday, April 8, 2017, members of the Brookside Butterfly Garden Club began the spring clean-up of the garden. After the many windy days of winter there was much debris to be removed. Our usual ritual of raking and hand carrying the leaves and branches from the garden was brought into the 21st century by new member Bill Ronnan. Bill brought along his generator, blower and electric hedge clippers and within a short period of time, had the garden spotless! Helga Merryman and Janet Gremli took time to tidy around the freshly sprouted primula and sedum. A clump of lesser celandine with its shiny yellow flowers, was easily spotted by new member Gayle Black. With her extensive plant knowledge, Gayle indicated that this plant was not welcome as it is an invasive species.

The time in the garden was so delightful, with fresh air and sunshine all around. We were thoroughly entertained by many avian friends visiting the feeders. Red and white nuthatches, kinglets, titmice, downey woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, many sparrows and a single hawk all took the time pass our way. A pair of Canada geese lazily sat on the lawn watching all of our activity in the garden. At the end of our day, we certainly were pleased with our productivity, especially since the garden looked quite rejuvenated. Thanks to the enthusiasm and helping hands of old and new members alike, our day was a success!