Planting seeds of interest in gardening

The Paumanacke Garden Club held its annual event at the Wantagh Public Library on April 16 to teach children the importance of planting. “Little Plants for Little People” was planned for children in kindergarten and first grade, where they worked together with Garden Club members to help them create their own terrarium — made with a fish-bowl container, soil, brightly colored sand and white pebbles.

“They added their soil, made a well in the center and planted colorful succulent plants called Kalanchoe,” past president and Coordinator Maryellen Kennavane said.

The Garden Club based in Wantagh, was founded 85 years ago and currently has 30 members in the organization. With a little help from the garden experts, a group of 12 children got down and dirty with their flower creations.

“We showed them how to expose the plant roots and explained that through the roots, the plant is able to take up water, vitamins and minerals it needs to survive and grow,” said Kennavane, a member of the club since 1999. “Then they covered the soil with sand and topped it off with pebbles and real, dried star fish.”

Mary Cesare, president of the Garden Club, reached out to the staff at the Wantagh Library and asked to hold a few programs a year as a way of “paying it forward,” to the community. 

“I believe it benefits all involved in making the library a place for fun and learning for the children,” Kennavane said. “And it gives caregivers a free hour to spend as they choose.”

Past President Marianne Wengler also attended the event and has been the club’s youth coordinator for more than a decade. Wengler spearheads the creation of the annual float in Wantagh’s Fourth of July Parade. 

Lorraine Loughlin, the master gardener of Nassau County’s Cornell Cooperative Extension, was also at the event helping out and is slated to become the club’s new president in June.