Rake & Hoe Garden Club
As part of its commitment to community service, members of the Rake & Hoe Garden Club of Westfield visited Jardine Academy to decorate the Spring Tree with 111 colorful butterfly ornaments that members of the club had made.
The design of the ornaments was inspired by the book “The Little Butterfly That Could, written and illustrated by Ross Burach. The book tells an inspiring story about persistence and determination and includes a few facts about butterflies. The little butterfly must migrate south to find flowers. The journey is long, and the little butterfly is fearful about what might happen to him along the way. He meets a friendly whale who assures him that little by little he can make the journey. Eventually he reaches the flowers and meets many other butterflies. The garden club donated a copy of the book to the school’s library. The Spring Tree stands in the lobby of the school for all to see. The area around the tree was also decorated with the colorful butterfly ornaments. The students will learn about the inspiring story of “The Little Butterfly That Could” from their teachers in the coming days and each student will be given a butterfly ornament to take home.
The Jardine Academy, operated by the Cerebral Palsy League and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education provides a comprehensive educational program designed to meet the cognitive and physical needs of children and young adults, 3-21 with multiple disabilities.
The Rake and Hoe Garden Club is affiliated with the Garden Club of New Jersey and the National Garden Club, Inc. The club meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 12:00 pm at the Scotch Hills Country Club. Meetings feature speakers on horticulture, floral design, floral crafts, and environmental topics. Membership is open to residents of Westfield and surrounding towns. For more information, call Sharon Shiraga (908) 228 2865 or visit the club’s website, rakeandhoegc.org or Facebook page.
