Gardeners are CL’s newest sanctioned club

The Canyon Lake Community Gardeners were approved last week as a sanctioned club by the Canyon Lake POA Board of Directors. The club focuses on gardening interests throughout Canyon Lake and hopes to incorporate many ideas and goals to strengthen not just gardeners‘ abilities and skills, but the community as well, Club President Kelly Lopez said.

The idea for a gardening club is not new to Canyon Lake. There was an “unofficial” Garden Club for several years in the community that was focused on visiting and touring prominent gardens in Southern California. They shared a love for gardening, just as the Canyon Lake Community Gardeners do. Unfortunately, like many things, the Garden Club lost steam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Club member Terry Makeig is potting a succulent arrangement for Fiesta Days. Succulent arrangements made by club members from donated cuttings and pots by Canyon Lakers. Photo by Kelly Lopez

However, much like in nature, when one thing falls to the ground, another rises to take its place. The Canyon Lake Community Gardeners was created out of a desire for community that had been sorely lacking during COVID-19. As things started opening up, a desire for companionship and sharing common interests intensified.

“I longed for a sense of community during COVID-19, and I wanted that community to center around gardening because that’s what I love to do,” Kelly said. “Gardening has always given me such peace, and I wanted to share the joy of a bountiful harvest and new seeds popping up with others.”

The idea for a gardening club was not what first occurred to Kelly. The idea for a community garden in Canyon Lake was what she really desired.

 Dozens of succulents will be available for a donation at the club’s booth at Indian Beach on Saturday May 28. Photo by Kelly Lopez

“I wanted there to be a place in Canyon Lake where gardeners could learn and grow together,” she said. “I first learned about community gardens when driving past and then visiting the community garden in Perris, called ‘Grow Perris.’ The idea almost immediately occurred to me that a community garden would be a great asset to Canyon Lake.”

Through Facebook, Kelly found others in Canyon Lake who shared her desire for a community garden. That encouraged her to pursue the possibility of starting one. After she made a few phone calls and sent some emails, the idea was added to the Canyon Lake POA Recreation Committee’s Feb. 9 agenda by Alex Cook.

Kelly, along with Canyon Lakers Nikki Holm and Bambi Castillo, attended the Recreation Committee meeting. They were pleasantly surprised that the committee members were largely on board with the idea of creating a community garden.

Heather Carroll picking the first ripe raspberry of the season from her raspberry bush on Mothers Day. Photo by Heather Carroll.

This support was only a first step, though. Canyon Lake POA President Joe Kamashian and board member Tim Cook were in attendance at the meeting. They cautioned the three ladies to be patient and warned them that getting their garden would be a slow process.

Tim advised them that the next steps to be taken would need to be first, become a sanctioned club, then become a nonprofit organization (501c3) and then raise funds.

Kelly, Nikki and Bambi soon set to the task at hand. Kelly began the process of starting the sanctioned club. Nikki agreed to become the club’s secretary and Bambi volunteered her daughter-in-law’s advice on becoming a 501(c)3.

“Everything was falling into place, as if it was meant to be,” Kelly said.

Kelly Lopez is hand pollinating her zucchini flower so that she can reap a bigger harvest.

Bambi’s daughter-in-law Kasey Castillo, who also sits on the Canyon Lake City Council, was instrumental in helping the club complete the necessary paperwork to apply to be a sanctioned club and she filed all of the necessary nonprofit paperwork. Linda Shurtleff, another club member, volunteered to write grants.

Although the club is dedicated to working on making a proposal for a community garden to the Canyon LakePOA board in due time, Kelly said the club will focus on fulfilling its purpose now.

They will visit home gardens in Canyon Lake, share their bounty of homegrown fruit and vegetables, share seeds and plant starts (because there is nothing more difficult for a gardener than to throw away even a seedling), and teach and learn from the community by holding events for all ages and experience levels about gardening and beautifying the community.

Club member Ellen Innocenti started cantaloupe from seeds and offered her extra seedlings to members of the group.

The club also hopes, in time, to partner with other clubs and organizations to hold events related to gardening.

The club is working with Recreation Committee member Alex Cook on finding a proper site for the community garden. The site will need to have enough room for individual raised bed allotments for gardening by residents, as well as space for a demonstration area where events could take place and still have room for fruiting trees and vines, native plants and a children’s garden.

The club hopes to be able to make a proposal that allows for enough room to grow food that could be donated to local food banks, such as Helping Hands.

The first big event for the Canyon Lake Community Gardeners will be having a booth at Fiesta Hopper later this month. The club’s booth will be at Indian Beach. They are a pending nonprofit organization, so they are asking for donations in exchange for succulent arrangements, floral crowns, garden themed bracelets and decor.

The booth will also have an education area with Milkweed seedlings for Monarch butterflies and a worm bin/compost display. The club will be handing out flyers with additional information about its purpose and plans.

The club will also participate in Club Rush on June 4 hosted by the Canyon Lake Family Matters Club. They will give an opportunity for individuals to plant a seed or pot a succulent and learn more about the club.

The club will hold a casual get together and meeting at Indian Beach on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

“We will go over Fiesta Day plans, but will mostly enjoy getting to know one another a little better and, of course, talk about our gardens,” Kelly said. “Everyone is welcome to any and all meetings, whether you’re a very experienced gardener or are brand new to gardening. You could just come to a meeting to ask questions or enjoy some homegrown produce.”

The club will be holding its first Garden Tour on June 26 at Heather Carroll’s house at 6:30 p.m., where the group will have a homegrown produce swap and tour her garden. Heather will make a presentation on propagation.

For more information about the Canyon Lake Community Gardeners, look for them on Facebook or contact Kelly at 951-609-6723 or clcommunity
gardeners@gmail.com.