Len Walters has been president of the Pitt Meadows Garden Club for about six years and was re-elected to another term on Monday night at the club's annual general meeting.

After the business of electing the executive, they had their usual fare: a talk from a gardening expert - this time Lidy and Ron Kok of Amsterdam Nurseries - who were there to share information about new plants.

Currently there are about 55 members at the club, which started in 2000. Many of the members aren't Pitt Meadows residents, rather the club draws its members from outlying communities, like Port Moody and Port Coquitlam.

The membership of the club is about 85 per cent female, Walters said, but, he added, "We're getting more men - more husbands."

Money raised through dues and the annual plant sale - scheduled this year for May 12 and including a seed swap - help create a "wonderful package" for members, Walter said.

Nine months of the year, the club meets at the community hall next to the heritage church (at Ford and Harris roads), and every month they have a speaker.

At their monthly meetings, the speakers will sometimes bring plants for sale at a discount.

Every year, they also go on a bus tour - last year it was to Minter Gardens in Chilliwack. Membership also includes a summer barbecue and a Christmas banquet at the Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

"For $15, you can't go wrong," Walters said. The club isn't necessarily for people who maintain large, elaborate gardens. Some members no longer have large gardens, but live in apartments or have small yards. However, they "still have a passion for gardening," Walters said.

Walters said himself he's not a "fantastic" gardener, but he enjoys the social aspect of the club and gleaning information at the monthly meetings. He has recently built a greenhouse, and he's looking forward to learning how to grow plants from seeds.

Natasha Etherington, the club's vice-president who also coordinates the speakers, said she enjoys getting gardening information in a relaxing environment.

Lately the club has focused a lot of attention on organic gardening, reducing the use of pesticides, and learning about invasive plants - planting "the right plants in the right place," Etherington said.

The club meets from 7 to 9 p.m. every third Monday of the month. Non-members can drop in for a $2 fee.

There are usually refreshments and a 50-50 raffle during the meeting.

"It is a very social group," Walters said of the Pitt Meadows Garden Club. "They're very friendly - they welcome everyone."

There is overlap in the membership of the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows garden clubs, therefore, they are careful to stagger their plant sales.

Maple Ridge Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale on April 28. They meet the third Wednesday of the month at the Fraserview Community Centre.

mrantanen@mrtimes.com