Lower Burrell’s garden club holds May Market to pay for public plantings

The Burrellton Garden Club of Lower Burrell will present its annual May Market to pay for the club’s beautification of six public gardens, which the club designs, plants and maintains.

The market will offer up annual and perennial flowers, hanging baskets, herbs and other items.

It will be held at the Lower Burrell City Hall garage, Bethel and Schreiber streets, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 8.

The May Market is the garden club’s primary source of fundraising to pay for all the zinnias, butterfly bushes and multitude of plants and other items for six public gardens and other areas of the city.

“Here’s another great example of a nonprofit organization, with volunteers abounding, doing tremendous work on May 8, so our city looks better through their hard work,” said Mayor John Andrejcik. “When the public sees the finished product of their labor, we should say, ‘thank you to the Burrellton Garden Club.’ ”

The club plans, buys flowers, plants and then maintains Burrell Lake Park’s pollinator garden and bandstand garden, and gardens at City Hall, the Route 56 and Leechburg Road intersection, the veterans monument at Stewart School and in Braeburn Heights.

“By planting these gardens we provide something for residents and visitors to enjoy and show the public how beautiful the city is,” said Rosie Mildren, a member of the Burrellton Garden Club.

Gardening isn’t just about good looks, but helping native wildlife such as the bees, other insects and birds in Burrell Lake’s pollinator garden, she said.

“The club work stresses how we can benefit the earth and keep it beautiful,” Mildren said.

The city has always been gracious and generous to garden club to maintain these gardens, she added.

The garden club, which has about 22 members, is looking for new ones. In addition to monthly meetings, the club breaks up into groups assigned to each of their city gardens.

The public is welcome to attend the club’s meetings, which are held the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. from March through December at Grace Community Presbyterian Church, 2751 Grant St, in Lower Burrell.

However, visitors need to call the club in advance, at 724-335-3353, to make a reservation to ensure that the club will have enough supplies for all participants.