The Van Buren County Master Gardeners chose Earth Day to plant a Grancy Greybeard tree (Chionanthus Virginicus) at Ed Leamon Park (ELP) in Fairfield Bay adding to the 50th anniversary celebrations. This beautiful late Spring blooming Southern native tree was selected for the Good Life it provides for a variety of birds and mammals with its fragrant flowers and pretty berries. Mayor Paul Wellenburger and Community Club President Ken Schuette are pictured with VBC Master Gardener President Marylou Horvath and Linda Pratt, Treasurer, to mark the occasion.
The variety of trees in ELP qualifies the park for arboretum status. A Master Gardener goal for this year is to update/add name markers for the plants and trees in the park as part of our mission to provide horticultural education. Grancy Greybeards were also donated and planted by the VBC Master Gardeners at the new Clinton Library last week.