The Washago Garden Club has added a "Door of Hope" to their Community Flower Gardens on the south side of County Road 169.
The club's 20 volunteers spearheaded the initiative as a way to participate in the Communities in Bloom competition.
“As expert gardener Mark Cullen said back in March, Communities in Bloom are promoting yellow, so if you are planting flowers, put yellow in the garden this year,” explained Washago Garden Club President Don Westcott.
The "Door of Hope" was salvaged from an over 150-year-old home on the corner of County Road 169 and Muskoka Street that recently underwent renovations.
“I saw the door leaning against the house outside and I asked to take it,” Westcott explained.
“I thought a yellow Door of Hope would be appropriate; it represents hope for our future.”
Local artist Doug Cooper painted the letters on the door, and the garden club met - respecting public health guidelines - Thursday morning to place the door in the Community Flower Gardens.
“We have a 10-year-old resident on Monck Road who has tumours on her face and in her mouth, and she is in a Toronto hospital. This Door of Hope gives us a place to pray for her,” Westcott said.
The Garden Club was started by Flossie Robinson in 1994; she lived until she was 104 years old. Her son, Paul, was in a Toronto hospital on Thursday morning undergoing tests for a heart condition.
Club members say the "Door of Hope" provides community members a place to come to pray for him, and a place to pray for everyone in the community who needs it.
“We all have a lot of hope for what’s going on in the world, we hope this will be inspirational and a happy story,” Westcott said.
The garden club continues to add new members each year and has been successful with its many projects such as the "Door of Hope", which has given community members a great sense of pride.
“Flossie’s son, Paul, told me that his mother figured that the gardens would die with her, so that was the inspiration for this group of people of about 20 to keep it going,” Westcott explained.
“This is a volunteer group that is trying to show some pride in our community; it’s a great group of people.”
Severn Township’s Mayor Mike Burkett says the garden club illustrates the heart of the community.
“This is what volunteers do and look how beautiful it is. We get letters from all over that express how beautiful this garden is,” Burkett said.
“I can’t thank the volunteers enough for what they do. They enhance and beautify our village.”
Severn Township’s Councillor for Ward 5, Jim McIntyre, also expressed his pride for the Garden Club.
“It’s marvellous that we have such a great turnout and that we have so many volunteers; it’s really enlightening to see,” McIntyre said.
To join the Washago Garden Club or for more information, you can call the club at 705-689-3594.
