Lendonwood to Honor Volunteers

Garden volunteers and supporters will be honored at the Lendonwood Gardens Annual Meeting and Party on Tuesday, September 11, at the public botanical garden in Grove.
The casual outdoor party will feature music, food, a plant sale and a silent auction of several bonsai plants, according to Sharon Houck, chairman of the event committee. A barbecue dinner will be catered by Larry Koch of Cimarron Doc’s Bar-B-Q and Chili Company in Grove. Guitar music will be provided by musician Jered Swopes, Houck said. The party will begin at 5:30 p.m.
During the evening, there will be a short business meeting to vote on a new slate of officers for the Lendonwood Board of Directors. In addition, Lendonwood members will vote on a proposed change in the by-laws.
Cindy Reynolds, president of the garden’s board, said the highlight of the evening will be the opportunity to say “thank you” to the many volunteers, members and supporters who have contributed to the beauty and success of the garden. “Without the hard work and contributions of these supporters, Lendonwood would not be the community jewel it has become,” Reynolds said.
More than 1,200 types of plants fill the public garden’s three acres at 1308 West 13th Street (Har-Ber Road) in Grove. Highlights include large, colorful collections of rhododendrons, dogwoods, daylilies, Japanese maples, and hostas.
Lendonwood also is home to the Angel of Hope statue garden, a serene memorial to lost loved ones. In addition, a large Japanese pavilion overlooks a scenic pond filled with koi.
Lendonwood is a non-profit organization operated by a Board of Directors consisting of volunteers from the local community.

Rain Garden at Lendonwood

Local Master Gardener volunteers planted a rain garden outside Lendonwood Gardens on Thursday, July 12. This rain garden, and several more that are soon to receive plants, are being funded through the CLEAR GRAND project, a collaborative effort to keep Grand Lake , and the streams and rivers that feed it, clean.

“When it rains, stormwater picks up pollutants (including fertilizer, metals, oil, etc.) from lawns, streets, parking lots, and other places and washes them toward local streams and lakes. Rain gardens are designed to capture and treat that runoff.” says CLEAR GRAND coordinator Kevin Gustavson.

Once the water enters a rain garden, the plants and soils significantly clean that water by trapping or using the excessive nutrients, oils, and metals that would otherwise flow on to local streams and lakes. Rain gardens are also beneficial in that they provide some flood control by holding water that might otherwise rush to streams. So not only are rain gardens a cost effective alternative to stormwater detention ponds, they provide the additional benefit of filtering pollutants and adding beauty and interest to the landscape.


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Caption: Rain garden plants and soils clean inflowing water before draining toward local streams and lakes.

Several other rain gardens have been constructed in the area with a few more on the way. Most of these gardens will be planted early this fall. Additional cooperators in the CLEAR GRAND Project that will soon have their own rain gardens are: Grand Lake Visitor Center ; Cherokee Queen/Royal Bay Restaurant; Grove High School ; the Early Childhood Learning Center ; Elm Creek Plaza ; and a couple residential homes.

Gustavson said, “We will be placing some signs out to help educate the public about the function of the rain gardens.” He added that there is a whole educational component to the CLEAR GRAND Project that will help Grove and other area residents better understand how lawn care, waste disposal, vehicle maintenance, septic system maintenance, and other “individual” actions can keep Grand Lake clean. For more information go to the CLEAR GRAND web site grandlakefun.com/cleargrand or call Gustavson at (918) 801-2150.

Lendonwood Bash to Feature Auction

Tickets still are available for the Lendonwood Gardens Birthday Bash, set for Saturday, June 2, on the grounds of the public botanical garden in Grove. The fund-raising event will feature an auction of about a dozen specially planned and donated “party packages” ranging from a catered lake cruise to high tea at Lendonwood.
The Birthday Bash, held from 5:30 to 8 p.m., celebrates the 10th year anniversary of Lendonwood Gardens and Oklahoma’s centennial with entertainment and good food as well as the auction. Music will be provided by Sonny D and the Invisibles. Catering of heavy hors d’oeuvres will be handled by Auntie Em of Grove.
Tickets to the Bash are $30 per person and are available at Grand Escapes Travel at 313 S. Main Street, Grove. Sharon Houck of Grove is chair of the Birthday Bash planning committee.
“We expect the auction to be extremely spirited and lots of fun,” said Cindy Reynolds, president of the Lendonwood Board of Directors. “All proceeds will go to the maintenance of Lendonwood, which depends on the generosity of the community and volunteers to continue as a real treasure on Grand Lake.”
Among the party packages to be auctioned off will be a catered Italian dinner dubbed the “Witness Protection Program.” Another will be a two-hour wine-and-cheese party for 18 at Honey Creek Lodge with piano music provided by Terry Jordan of Grove.
A dinner for six will be provided by Santa’s Old Broads, a local ladies’ organization that has published a popular cookbook featured in area newspapers. Other packages include a gourmet dinner, a Mexican fiesta, a Chinese New Year celebration party, a seafood dinner, a mimosa brunch with lake cruise, and a “sailing adventure.”
One package offers “high tea at Lendonwood Gardens,” featuring tea, desserts and scones served on fine china. In another party package, Leonard Miller, founder of Lendonwood, will offer tea and a guided tour of his new home garden at Elk Ridge northeast of Grove.
Lendonwood Gardens includes more than 1,200 types of plants throughout three acres at 1308 West 13th Street (Har-Ber Road) in Grove. A popular tourist destination, the public garden showcases a number of plant collections, such as rhododendrons, evergreen trees, dogwoods, daylilies, Japanese maples and hostas.
Many visitors are drawn to the Angel of Hope statue at Lendonwood, which provides a beautiful memorial to lost loved ones. In addition, a large Japanese pavilion overlooks a scenic pond with koi fish.
Lendonwood is a non-profit organization operated by a Board of Directors made up of volunteers from the Grand Lake area.

Lendonwood Turns 10, Birthday Bash Set

Grand Lake’s premier botanical garden is turning 10 years old and Lendonwood Gardens is inviting the public to help celebrate and contribute to Lendonwood’s future. On Saturday, June 2, a “birthday bash” will be held on the garden grounds in Grove from 5:30 to 8 p.m., featuring entertainment, good food and a rousing auction.
Cindy Reynolds, president of the Lendonwood Board of Directors, said, “We are looking forward to marking this milestone with the entire community and all our volunteers. There will be terrific music and food and lots of fun.
“It’s also a wonderful coincidence that our beautiful state is observing its centennial this year – so we will have plenty to celebrate.”
The birthday celebration will be Lendonwood’s primary fund-raising event of the year, she said, with a “party package” auction planned to encourage donations. The “party packages” will include donated dinner parties, such as one for six people offered by Santa’s Old Broads, a local women’s organization.
Entertainment for the Birthday Bash will be provided by Sonny D and the Invisibles. Catering of heavy hors d’oeuvres will be handled by Auntie Em of Grove.
Tickets, which are $30 per person, are available at Grand Escapes Travel at 313 S. Main Street, Grove. Sharon Houck of Grove serves as chair of the Birthday Bash planning committee.
Reynolds said community support is vital for the continuation of Lendonwood Gardens. “We depend upon donations and volunteer assistance to keep this beautiful garden available to the public. Without that help, Lendonwood could not exist.”
More than 1,200 types of plants fill the public garden’s three acres at 1308 West 13th Street (Har-Ber Road) in Grove. Highlights include large, colorful collections of rhododendrons, dogwoods, daylilies, Japanese maples, and hostas.
Lendonwood also is home to the Angel of Hope statue garden, a serene memorial to lost loved ones. In addition, a large Japanese pavilion overlooks a scenic pond filled with koi.
Lendonwood is a non-profit organization operated by a Board of Directors consisting of volunteers from the local community.