Chester Garden Club

President: Eudora Peterson (406-397-3181)
Meeting and Program Information: Patricia Seidlitz

Celebrating 50 years of Gardening

The Chester Garden Club has been active for 51 years. When first started, little could be grown in the town because the water had so much sodium that it was totally unsuitable for watering plants. However, a hardy, optimistic group of women went ahead and started planting and working to make the town better. In 1962, water was piped in from Tiber Dam on the Marias River, and the change began to be seen quickly.

The group has stayed about the same in membership - between 25 and 30 members, and now includes some men. The club has branched out to nearby towns, with the realization that population continues to decline on the Hi-Line. New members are always welcome.

One of the charter members, Georgie Brain, became an early flower show judge, and as a result, this is a group of people who like to do arranging. On the years they do not have a summer flower show, the August meeting is all about arranging. Members bring plant material, containers of various kinds and their creative ideas. The National series on design was taught one summer with community members invited. Nearly everyone in the club participates in making arrangements which are taken to county offices and businesses with a card stating it is from the Chester Garden Club. This is a great way to say thank you for the support the community gives for projects, and to publicize what the garden club does.

Club member, Carol Works, works on a floral design (above) for the county fair flower show. One of her designs used at the 2007 MFGC Fall Board meeting appears above.

The club has a huge plant sale in May with plants provided by the Riverview Greenhouse in Fort Benton. The proceeds are used to hire someone to take care of the garden in the corner of the city park. We also plant a small garden by the post office in conjunction with 4-H. For the past three years, the club has participated with the Shelby and Conrad clubs in a display at the four-county Marias Fair in Shelby.

The Chester Garden Club is a member of the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce, which allows us to particpate in the local farmer's market. We set up a table when the spirit moves us, and when there is something to sell! Fruit pies, garden gloves, flowers and cards have all been sold, and the members are always looking for something neat to sell.

One of our active charter members, Margaret Meissner, is publicity chairman. [see photo below] We sponsor a junior garden club with 4-H kids who are taking a horticulture project. Garden books for the library are purchased as memorials for departed members and their spouses, so the library has a good collection.

For the first time ever, MFGC Fall Board was held in Chester. The participation by members was great, most of the food was donated, and this successful event was financially very successful. This group of people -- who come for many reasons -- share their time, expertise and plants, making the club well worth belonging to, and really influencing the way the area looks by their example of good horticulture practices.

Meetings are in the Liberty County Library beginning at 1:30 p.m. with dessert and coffee, followed by the program and the meeting. At least once a year, the program is one of the videos that the state group owns and rents. There are often guest speakers, and the community is fortunate to have two excellent birders, one of whom is a garden club member.

The Club installed a Blue Star Memorial marker at the Lions Park on US Highway 2 on May 28, 2007. The Markers are dedicated to Veterans serving in all branches of the military.