Community Garden Spotlight
By - Emma Rauschert, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist
Picture caption: The Spoon River Garden Club touring Jeanine Standard's property during their July meeting.
The Spoon River Garden Club, Canton, IL
The Spoon River Garden Club began when a group of like-minded gardeners came together to talk about gardening, flowers, and to share advice or new things they learned. Started by Judy Hollaway in the early 2000s, the group has grown to 47 active members and has over 600 members on its Facebook page. Members of the group are almost entirely from Fulton County or Canton. Currently, Janice Reneau is President of the group and has been since 2009. The group has a meeting every month, and every meeting is different.
“You don’t have to belong to anything to attend the meetings,” says President Janice Reneau. The meetings are loaded with fun. Oftentimes, the meetings consist of field trips to various places, such as Hummingbird Haven outside of Bernadotte, botanical gardens across the state, or Mason State Tree Nursery. During the summer, the meetings are held at various members’ properties to showcase their beautiful work. In the winter months, the plant lovers meet at the Temple Baptist Church on Vandyke in Canton. Every other year, they host a garden walk during the summer to showcase outstanding gardens. Up to 10 people’s gardens are chosen for a tour. The touring day is dedicated to showing off beautiful gardens, sharing advice, and asking questions.
The garden club prioritizes giving back to their communities. Every year, on Valentine’s Day, the club creates bouquets and donates them to a nursing home. The group also works with the Westview Elementary School's STEM project and does presentations on various nature topics, including teaching the kids about hummingbirds, pollinators, and soil. And most famously, their plant sale, which this past year generated $2,400 of money they put towards four scholarships. Members get creative with what they are selling at the sale. Janice said they split hostas or other perennials in their gardens, pot them, and sell them. They raffle off fairy gardens and sell gently used garden tools, pots, and ornaments at the sale.
Janice says, “We are like-minded. We like to share our gardens with people. We swap ideas. We all like flowers. We like to learn new things at every meeting. Everyone has something different to share.” The club is an inspiring example of a flourishing social club that gives back to the community. Interested in joining the garden club? Contact Janice at 309-251-0335 or follow their Facebook page- Spoon River Garden Club Canton IL. Annual dues are $10.
Picture caption: Pastor Sue Harrington (left) and Gayle Blodgett (right) standing in the community garden.
Community Garden at 1st Congregational U.C.C. in Canton, IL
In between two concrete parking lots sat a strip of land covered in weeds and pea gravel. The 1st Congregational United Church of Christ saw it as an opportunity. In the spring of 2024, a community member suggested putting a community garden there, so that is exactly what the church did. Pastor Sue Harrington stated, "We were spending church money to maintain the surroundings of the church. We decided to spend our money on things that would benefit our community, people, and environment. We wanted to provide a place for folks to come together in the community." According to Pastor Sue, the goal for the church's surroundings is to turn all the grass and lava rock around the church into beneficial things for the community and environment, such as a small orchard, a strawberry patch, and pollinator gardens.
University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Gayle Blodgett has led the community garden efforts. In the spring of 2024, the church built three raised bed boxes. This spring, they added on. The church purchased the raised beds, soil, and mulch to start the garden. The Nook Resale Shop in Canton donated seeds. The seedlings were started in the church by church members. Members of the church maintain the garden. Pastor Sue would like to invite anyone interested to come out and take produce or share excess produce from their gardens at a share space located at the edge of the garden.
Future goals for the community garden include cooking classes, a kids' camp where kids can learn about gardening, and a big sign by the road. Gayle Blodgett said, "I think this is what Jesus intended. That we take care of other people. This garden is a great testament to that." For more information on the garden, check out their Facebook page- Canton 1st Congregational U.C.C., email cantonucc.care@gmail.com, or call 309-647-0271.