Find magic in the children’s garden

Connie Cousins

The fairies went out from the world dear,

Photo provided/Connie Cousins

The Bellefonte Community Children's Garden.

View larger

Smoking ban in effect

Because men's hearts grew cold.

And only the eyes of children see,

What is hidden from the old.

— a poem by Kathleen Foyle

Lisa Duchene, president of the Bellefonte Garden Club, says there is something magical about the children's garden behind the Centre County Library Historical Museum on North Allegheny Street in Bellefonte. She says the flowers there seem to bloom ahead of others in town.

Now in its third year, the children’s garden is really becoming the vision the garden club had for it. Local children have been involved in planting vegetables and flowers, and on June 27, they made “fairy houses” for the fairies that live in the garden.

“The biggest need of the children’s garden is for more children to take part in its care and enjoyment,” Duchene said. “The garden is meant to be a place for learning about flowers and vegetables and for gathering ’round the story bench for tales of butterflies, frogs or fairies.”

The children’s garden is made possible through a partnership between the Bellefonte Garden Club and the Centre County Library.

The following are upcoming activities in the garden.

• 10 a.m. July 25: Children can make stepping stones to place in the garden or to take home. Bring small, smooth, colored glass or other decorations to place within the stepping stones.

• 10 a.m. Aug. 22: Learn how caterpillars become beautiful butterflies in the butterfly garden, which was created by Penn State master gardeners.

• 12:30 p.m. Sept. 13: All are welcome to the Harvest Potluck.

The Bellefonte Garden Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month to promote gardening, to educate members about gardening and to use plants and landscaping to beautify the community.

The club has filled urns with beautiful flowers around the downtown, in front of the library, at the Lt. Jonas Panik Memorial Garden at the National Guard Armory, and in Talleyrand Park. The Garden Genetics Greenhouses have donated many plants to these efforts.

Membership in the club is free and open to anyone with an interest in gardening.

Upcoming garden club events include a tour of Garden Genetics greenhouses at 10 a.m. July 18; a garden party and tour of Beverly Harader’s garden at 6:30 p.m. July 21; and “Veggies 101: Eat It!” with food writer Jennifer Zeigler at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at Cafe on the Park.

Another endeavor of the garden club is the “Trail of Daffodils,” a pet project of Wilda Stanfield, treasurer of the club. Volunteers have planted 111,000 daffodils, and Penn State individuals have planted 100,000. You can appreciate the display next spring along Benner Pike and Buffalo Run between Bellefonte and State College.

To RSVP for events, e-mail gardenclub@bellefonte.com or call Lisa Duchene at 357-0289.

Connie Cousins writes about community news from the Bellefonte region. If you have news in Bellefonte or Benner, Spring, Marion or Walker townships, e-mail her at connie.cousin@yahoo.com or call 308-8390.