Alice Broeder takes pleasure in tending to the green around the green at the Salmon Arm Lawn Bowling Club.
For about 12 years, Broeder has v0lunteered her time to care for the gardens that surround the grounds at the lawn bowling facility beside Salmon Arm’s curling rink. Over that time, thanks to donations from residents and a local nursery, as well as the efforts of Broeder and her fellow club members, the garden has become something of a community attraction, drawing visits by avid gardeners and others who appreciated the club’s colourful surroundings.
“I’m a very early morning riser, I love it here, it’s so quiet, it’s good for your mental health, your physical health and your spiritual health,” said Broeder, dismissing the word “work” to describe her efforts with the garden.
The flora throughout the grounds is varies widely and is carefully maintained. Along one fence there are grapes. In one corner zucchini grows. And throughout, various hues of green are punctuated by eye-catching colour.
“In the spring it’s tulips, we have a lovely tulip show, it’s one of my favourite times,” said Broeder. “And then later are the peonies, I love peonies, there’s many different kinds… There’s a period of two or three weeks with each plant, and now we’re going into the lilies. Roses are going now, geraniums will be the rest of the summer.”
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Included in the landscaping on the club grounds are some fairly new structural additions, including a garden shed and a pergola patio cover. For these, Vern Broeder, Alice’s husband, credits club president Dan Quilty’s grant writing prowess.
“We’re lucky because… he’s good with applying for grants and stuff. We have to do all of the work but a lot of this stuff came from grants,” said Vern.
The club grounds are back in use for the summer, though because of the COVID-19 pandemic, its members are unable to host or attend the tournaments that usually take place throughout the season. But they are grateful for the clubhouse and the garden, where they can once again play together and socialize.
“When we had to shut down, people didn’t see each other for a long time and the, when we were able to open, you should have seen the smiles on everyone being to see each other,” said Alice. “It’s a great social space to be. And I think every community needs greenspace.”
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