Old fashion garden at the Anderson Historical Society

Sandy Olson, Anderson Valley Garden Club

OLD FASHION GARDEN: The garden behind the Anderson Historical Society’s Museum features plants that were popular in gardens of generations past and a demonstration garden of native and drought-tolerant plants.

The Anderson Valley Garden Club was presented a Civic Landscaping Award of $500 in 200l to develop an old fashion garden at the Anderson Historical Society and Museum. The award was from the California Garden Club and Shell Oil Company, part of a program to “Protect the Environment through Action, Learning and Service.”

In keeping with memories of days past, the Garden Club selected flowers, trees and shrubs found in the gardens of our grandparents. They began the project from scratch, removing a diseased peach tree, digging and pulling unwanted weeds and hauling in loam. They also mapped the area where they would plant the trees, shrubs, flowers, lawn and the area for the patio and gazebo. Their dream was to have a comfortable garden with flowering bushes, trees and flowers for all seasons of the year reminding us of the past.

Bill Shafhirt and volunteers installed the brick patio and the Cascade Rebekah Lodge #414 of Anderson donated a park bench that was placed in the gazebo, which was built by one of the members of the Garden Club. Shasta College horticulture students installed an automatic water system. The Anderson Women’s Improvement Club and Anderson Rotary Club also made donations. The Shasta Rose Society donated some plants and members of the Garden Club propagated and divided plants in their own gardens and members of the Historical Society members also donated some plants. Sandy DuBose was the representative from the Anderson Historical Society in the beginning and now Margi Dial represents the Society. Rowena Goodner, Sandy Olson, Dotty Schafhirt, and Caroline Hayum were some of the members who assisted me in establishing this garden.

In 2006 the garden was expanded to include an area to create a demonstration garden using native and drought-tolerant plants. Sandy Olsen, of the Garden Club, submitted another application to the California Garden Clubs, Inc. for a Jubilee Grant of $200, which was awarded to the Club to cover expenses of the demonstration garden.

As you enter through a wrought iron arbor/gate along a path of stepping stones, surrounded by thick bark mulch, you are welcomed to view the native drought-tolerant plants. Most of the plants have tags to identify them. The stepping stones were created by pouring cement into a form and then placing leaves on the wet cement to leave their indentations on each stone. The leaves were pealed away as the cement set.

Today at the museum we have a very pleasing, colorful and relaxing garden spot created from a rocky, neglected backyard.

Much thanks to all the people who have donated their time and effort to such a pleasant, relaxing garden.