July 12, 2008

A biennial event that is a proven favorite! Homes and gardens in the picturesque town of Monterey will be open on Saturday. On Sunday, travel through some of Virginia's finest mountain scenery to visit homes and gardens in Western Highland County. Visit their web site for more information.

The Monterey Garden Club was organized on February 5, 1927, and will celebrate its 80th year in 2007. The meetings are generally held on the first Tuesday of the month (except January) at 1:00 in the afternoon. Through the club's efforts, Monterey is a designated bird sanctuary and the 2006 House & Garden Tour held July 8 & 9, was the 8th biennial event to be hosted by the club. The tour serves as a major fund raiser for the club. Each year, the club sends one student to Nature Camp, plants and maintains flowers around the Highland County Courthouse in Monterey, and has the hefty responsibility of organizing and overseeing the flower exhibits at the Highland County Fair. It also sponsors a Christmas lighting contest for homes and businesses in the Monterey area and holds a Christmas Auction for club members to raise money for a student's educational journey to Nature Camp.

Most meetings are held in the Mountain View room at the Highland County Public Library in Monterey. Refreshments are served, a guest speaker presents a delightful program and members' horticulture and artistic exhibits are judged and given points towards the annual awards presented at the spring luncheon each April. The club welcomes new members! Specific information about the upcoming meeting is posted several weeks prior to the meeting date in the Community Calendar for Highland County in the area's weekly newspaper, The Recorder. Please join us!