The Ashburn Garden Club

A drive around Ashburn reveals that summer’s in bloom. Yards are filled with flowers, trees and shrubs, and many people are turning their backyards into private oases. In Ashburn Farm, you may notice that many of the open community spaces have been enhanced with shrubs and flowers. Much of that work can be directly attributed to the recently formed Ashburn Garden Club.

“In the summer of 2010, we addressed the Ashburn Farm Open Space Committee about plantings around new signs in the community and they recommended we start a garden club,” said Ed Valaer Jr., who along with former member Cathy Minchew took the committee’s advice. Valaer is now president of the group.

“It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors and get to know gardens,” he said.

The Ashburn Garden Club meets once a month and anyone from Ashburn is welcome to join. The monthly meetings include lectures from master gardeners from the Virginia Tech extension office in Leesburg and allow members the opportunity to speak on topics in which they have an interest or expertise to offer. Everyone is welcome to share personal gardening issues that they are experiencing.

One of the things that Valaer learned from the master gardeners is that some plants don’t do well in the Ashburn area.

“The right plant in the right place is the essence of gardening,” he said, adding that discussions do not center solely on gardening as beautification. “We’ve also had lively discussions on vegetable gardens.”

In addition to the guest lectures, the Ashburn Garden Club plans social events that allow members to tour each other’s gardens and visit garden shows together. Last month, the club held the Ashburn Garden tour in which members toured the personal gardens of four members. The unanimous favorite belonged to Jay Meadows, who owns Meadows Farms, a nursery and landscaping company in Leesburg.

“It was über cool,” Valaer said of the garden. “It was a sweeping vista with extensive plantings, volcanic rocks, a wraparound bay deck lined with flowers and a waterfall that feeds into a koi pond.”

In addition to putting his home on the garden tour, Meadows donated a $100 Meadows Farms gift card to the club, and shared some tips and tricks of the trade.

Members also host and attend bulb and plant swaps.

“When we have plants that get too big for a space, we bring them in and swap them for other plants,” said Valaer.

The garden club also publishes articles in the Ashburn Farm newsletter “Across the Fence.”

This summer as it celebrates its first anniversary, the Ashburn Garden Club has planned a progressive picnic where members will move from garden to garden, enjoying food and drink along the way.

Meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at 21400 Windmill Drive in Ashburn Farm and last about an hour. On June 27, the topic will be irrigation systems with Mike Hall from Creative Irrigation Systems. On July 25, Marilynn Nailer, an expert on irises from the Purcellville Garden Club, will be the featured speaker. 

The Ashburn Garden Club is always looking for new members and new ideas, and the enthusiasm is infectious. 

As Valaer says, “We’re hooked on gardening. It’s contagious. When you see one thing succeed, you realize you can do more. It’s rewarding. And it’s great to get compliments from friends and neighbors.”