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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2020 | 41 "No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden…But though an old man, I am but a young gardener." ~ Thomas Jefferson The Garden Club Meeting is Wed., March 11, 10 am, in the Main Clubhouse Ballroom. This month's speaker will be Rose Horton, Design Consultant for Easy Turf. "Gardening?! That's for women." Au contraire! Did you know that gardening goes way back and has a good deal of manly history? Thousands and thousands of years ago, the planting of crops led to the creation of what would eventually be modern culture. The first crops were grains, as in wheat, barley, and the like. Modern theories of early agriculture show that the practice started so that the Neolithic nomads could get their home brew on. Yep you heard it right — early agriculture was driven to produce beer. You can't get any manlier than that! Now fast-forward several thousand years and you'll find some of the most celebrated gardeners of our time have been men. Perhaps one of the most prolific and adventurous of them was the third president of our country — Thomas Jefferson. During his time he was known far and wide for his gardening prowess. Aside from Jefferson, we find garden pioneers like Luther Burbank, who developed more than 800 varieties of plants throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s and is the father of the Russet Burbank potato. Of course, the one horticultural hero celebrated in both song and story is Johnny Appleseed. No, he's not just a legend of frontier America; he really did exist. Now, at this point you're probably shaking your head and asking, "Why do examples of a bunch of dead, manly gardeners mean that I should be gardening?" Hmm, you might be right — all that may not mean anything to you; however, there are plenty of reasons why gardening should be your new 'manly' hobby: Health… Gardening is great exercise; it will reconnect you with nature, it works as (free) therapy and meditation, it's a great way to beautify a space, it makes a difference to the environment, you'll never get bored, and its surprisingly creative. Why not give it a try and take that first step by coming to this month's meeting? You just might be surprised… see you there! Remember, you don't have to be a gardener to join! Come and visit anytime and see what we are all about. For membership contact: Sherry Case at (951) 533-3584 or Linda Powers at (951) 769-3101. For general information contact: President, Pam Mikkelsen at (951) 797-3080. For fruit picking/harvesting call Judy Garth at (951) 797- 3730. Please support the Garden Club by purchasing See's Candy gift certificates from Maureen Keeney at (951) 797-0011 or Janie Haughn at (909) 556-0577. Happy Gardening. Garden Club Easter See's Candy Sales MAIN CLUBHOUSE LOBBY, 9 AM TO 2 PM APRIL 1-4 • APRIL 6-10 This is the Garden Club's primary fundraiser. Thank you for your support!