Not Your Average Garden Club Meeting

A visitor from Sleepy Hollow

I've talked about about my garden club, the "Night Bloomers," before.  We are a collection of individuals who gather, once a month at a members home, to share our garden experiences, knowledge and tips, and many of us belong to other gardening/nature organizations that also contribute in expanding our gardening horizons.  We are not a rag-tag organization, nor are we a "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" group.  However, I would not classify us as one your textbook, "white glove society" garden clubs, with lots of rules and bylaws either, as rules and bylaws are virtually unheard of in this particular group.

I think this is their landscape designer and his assistant.  Certainly not a landscape architect, as he would have white hair and his assistant would be truly angelic.

A couple of neighbors floating by.

We are basically normal, everyday people concerned about our herbs and vegetables and flowers. That is, until the month of October rolls around on the calender and we meet at Night Bloomer member Susan's home--in the early evening--presumably before all of the "ghosties" and "ghoolies" come out to do a bit of weeding, hoeing and reaping of their own.

Susan with her husband, Richard, a.k.a. Egor and Morticia.

One of the guests brought his version of pumpkin pie, a la EEK!

Family pets, Jack and Russell, greet visitors as they enter the cemetery--I mean property.

This is the garden club meeting where gardening concerns take  a different turn and Susan's home and yard, which is usually brimming with colorful flowers and foliage, sophisticated statuary (from Blooming Hill, of course) and neatly sculpted rock-lined paths through trees with bowing branches turns into a scene from the Amityville Horror Movie. Did I mention that Susan and her husband, Richard, are members of the Amityville Horror Society???  They really are lovely people, you know.

She gives a whole new meaning to the term "Ginger".

Anyway, the Night Bloomers met for our annual scary October meeting, last night, at Susan's aptly appointed Halloween home where she and Richard will meet and greet friends and trick-or-treaters from around the neighborhood. If you ask me, all they need is a little thunder and lightening and they can call the place "Pet Cemetery."

Dorothy and the flying monkeys aren't anywhere to be seen.  Can you blame them???

This "neighbor" asked for a ride home last night but I said I didn't have room in the car--I hate lying, although it is a Mini Cooper.

As informative, and enjoyable as the evening was at Susan' home, by the end of the Night Bloomer's meeting, when the really dark shadows reveal themselves, I always make sure I walk out through the gardens with everyone else, get in my car, lock the doors and speed off before any witch or skeleton has a chance to bum a ride home with me.  Then I hum Christmas Carols the entire way back to my house as it helps take my mind off of the macabre evening I just sat through.

A couple more of the "neighbors" were out for their evening stroll as I was walking into the garden club meeting. I was just praying that they weren't going to ask me any questions about lavender or when the shop at Blooming Hill is open.

Can't wait to see what you have planned for next year, Susan and Richard!  Until then...

It's a yearly tradition that I've come to look forward to as Susan and Richard's Halloween home is happily occupied by two generous spirits who play along to the holiday and are unafraid to share their sense of humor and good will with their friends at a "not-your-average" garden club meeting, and beyond.  Happy Halloween!