This is Jaye Leatherman one of your two new co-presidents.  Neill and I wanted to introduce ourselves and to let you know how we are planning to co-preside!!  Toni Berthelotte has left some big shoes to fill, so luckily there are two of us!! We are beginning our term with Neill preparing the meeting agendas and myself presiding over the Monthly Meetings and Board Meetings.  We will both be involved in budgeting, working with the committee chairs, and the community. Please feel free to talk to either of us regarding your questions, thoughts for the direction of the Garden Club, etc. You can be sure that we will coordinate our efforts through frequent conversations.

A little bit about Jaye:  I have always loved the outdoors and enjoy getting my hands dirty in the garden.  I have lived in many places and it is fascinating to learn about the plants that grow well in each climate.  In Houston and New Orleans I enjoyed the huge Magnolia trees, ligustrums, pittosporums and lush, green St. Augustine grass.  In Canada, I had many varieties of evergreens in my yard but struggled with my flowering annuals as it seemed as soon as I planted them, it snowed and then they were gone!! In South Korea, I discovered that primroses made a colorful addition to the native greenery surrounding our Ex-Patriot housing complex. Washington state homes were dwarfed by the towering evergreen trees and I was constantly battling fungi of all types!!  My yard in San Diego was accented by all varieties of plants, from slender palms, to tropical hibiscus, to desert cacti.   I have been in Idyllwild for 2 years and through the Garden Club, have started learning about mountain gardening.  My first project in my bare yard was a meditative labyrinth surrounded by the native beauty of columbines, coral bells, and hardy succulents. I look forward to learning more and planting more!!!

A little bit about Neill Bell: Like Jaye, I’m a relative newcomer to the San Jacinto Mountains, having spent nearly 40 years living in inland Mendocino County, 125 miles north of San Francisco. About the only thing I know about gardening is that there are three general requirements for successful plant growth—sun, soil and water. I lived on a rocky hillside parcel that had one. Sun. So, I appreciate that our little property on Cedar Street has all three. Even more, Elizabeth and I enjoy the people we have met here. We are happy to be part of this remarkable community and organizations like IGC that contribute so much to the richness of the Idyllwild experience.