EVERETT, JUNE 12th: Laura Hartman has seen it all and done it all, but Washington has always been her home. From attending grade school in Mount Vernon to college in the Spokane Valley and then hitchhiking across the country and into Europe, Laura has spent her life trying a bit of everything before settling in Snohomish. In 2010, she discovered a group that would eventually become her passion; the Snohomish Garden Club.
“It’s a great relief from all the troubles in life,” Laura shared. “It’s more fun to garden with people and it’s been a growing experience for everyone.”
In 2012, Laura took over leading the non-profit Snohomish Garden Club from Jerry Stansberry. This year, Laura was nominated by Robert Giles to be recognized as an Eden Health Hometown Hero for her efforts within the club. He explained how as the garden leader, Laura orchestrates and drops off food they’ve grown to local food banks.
“That was started by Martha Perry,” Laura explained. “She came up with the idea to grow food for the food bank and she worked to develop relationships with those groups.”
Martha passed away in 2010 and in her memory, the vegetable garden is referred to as the Martha Perry Veggie Garden. Laura and the current members of the Garden Club keep Martha’s dream alive.
After the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2019, the Garden Club faced lockdowns, lower volunteer numbers, and relocation. But since then, their fortune has turned and Laura talked about the influx of volunteers they’ve been receiving.
“I go into tears every time,” Laura said. “They love coming and I get that from a lot of our volunteers. They don’t even know that much about gardening sometimes.”
The North Lynnwood Windermere Group have become regular volunteers, bringing 50 to 60 people in June to help as part of a company community service initiative. Laura spoke to how their help with weeding, planting, and harvesting has completely transformed the veggie garden patch. Even students show up to help, as the veggie garden is a great opportunity for earning service credits.
The Garden Club recently received a $500 grant from the Snohomish Conservation District’s Lawn to Lettuce program, allowing them to expand to a full acre.
“I’ve also started doing presentations [on the garden club],” Laura said. “We need help harvesting and planting and the need is even higher now.”
Snohomish Garden Club members pay annual dues, but volunteering to help with the veggie garden is always open to the public and welcome for all ages. Those interested in helping bring fresh, local food to Snohomish food banks can find more info at the Snohomish Garden Club website.
