Photo Album: Community Projects




ARBOR DAY
This year Arbor Day was officially celebrated March 7th in the state of California. West Valley Garden Club celebrated the day at our March 10th meeting with an outdoor ceremony conducted by Madelyn Jameson, our president. She read a brief history of how Arbor Day was started in the state of Nebraska in 1872 when Julius Sterling Morton urged the citizens to plant trees as a conservation measure. His views were well publicized and on that first Arbor Day over 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. Today all states celebrate Arbor Day sometime between January and May depending on their climate. At right is a photo of Madelyn reading about the origin of Arbor Day.
We have planted a tree every year at Orcutt Horticultural Center including some Japanese weeping cherry trees, and replaced some orange trees in honor of fallen fire fighters. This year the park manager requested a Magnolia x brooklynenis or Yellow Bird Magnolia. Madelyn is getting ready to throw the first shovel full of dirt to plant the new magnolia tree at left.
Magnolia x brooklynenis is a late blooming variety with large, upright yellow flowers which sit majestically at the end of a branch. The blooms appear just as the leaves begin to unfurl. It is located in the area just above the exit road on the Justice Street side of the park. Below is a picture of an open blossom.