Edmonds Floretum Garden Club has earned a first-place award in Community Beautification from National Garden Clubs, an organization that oversees 500 clubs nationwide.

In announcing the award, Floretum noted that it takes tremendous physical labor to keep Edmonds beautiful. This year’s COVID-19 outbreak was a challenge for the city’s parks and recreation department, as related restrictions kept workers home entirely for a couple weeks; then crews had to alternate weeks. As a result, the city was unable to hire the usual seasonal help.

But then the Floretum Garden Club came to the rescue.

Last year, the club provided some 30 volunteers to plant Edmonds’ hanging baskets, corner gardens, and Hazel Miller Plaza.  This year, due to COVID, two city employees — Debra Dill and Eric Bird — did nearly all that planting by themselves. But by June, restrictions eased, and since then Floretum — along with Edmonds in Bloom — has been providing volunteers almost weekly.

“Floretum has been absolutely amazing in our lean times, stepping up and helping us,” Dill said. “It has allowed us to do things for the city that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.  Without the club, we’d be far behind.”  Co-worker Bird added: “The Floretum crew did in two hours what it would take us three days to do. And it helps that club members are a knowledgeable labor force.”

Members have trimmed and weeded, pulled invasive grasses, and planted flowers at 4th and Dayton, Frances Anderson Center, the Library Plaza, Veteran’s Plaza, and City Park.

Floretum holds monthly meetings that are open to members and guests. The meeting on Oct. 19 will highlight the Snohomish Conservation District: Program Updates and Environmental Priorities, by Linda Lyshall, Ph.D., executive director. More at www.edmondsfloretumgardenclub.org.