Labor of love beautifies Wellton

  WELLTON - Where have all the flowers gone? For some Wellton residents it has been a long time passing since the roses have bloomed so bountifully.

  But thanks to volunteers, blossoms will flourish this spring.

  Wellton's community garden, in disrepair for several years, has been revived recently under the nurturing green thumbs of retirees and students.

  Residents of the Desert Sands RV Park teamed up with Antelope High School seniors to restore the former splendor of their community garden on Los Angeles Avenue.

   Sherlee Polglase, a winter visitor from Montana, saw how beautiful the garden was in 2000 when she first arrived, she said, but in subsequent years it became neglected.

  "I tried to rally the troops in our RV park," Polglase said. "It was a huge response."

   Residents of Desert Sands recently removed 70 dead bushes and
trimmed surviving ones to invigorate growth.

  Last year, 11 drought-resistent rose bushes were planted and then in January more were planted and in February, another 25 were added.

  The most prevalent types of roses were the Mr. Lincoln that produce a pink/red bloom; Chicago Peace, a pink rose; and Golden Globe, a yellow rose.

  "I hate to see the roses let go, they're so beautiful. I wanted to restore them to their original beauty," Polglase said. "It's a way for winter visitors to give back to the community."

  More than two dozen Desert Sands residents worked in the 80-degree-plus temperatures on the first day of spring to help weed and tend the roses. Alice Bradford was one of the residents recruited by Polglase.

  "I love roses and some in the RV park are here until April so they'll be able to enjoy the blooms," Bradford said.

  Also volunteering  was Antelope High School's Key Club. It is a community service organization that helps organize food, toy and blood drives.

  Courtney Cloar, 18, is president of the Key Club and a lifeguard at Wellton Pool, where she met Polglase, who enlisted her help.

  "The garden has been here several years and it started to die off so I wanted to help restore it," Cloar said. "I knew Kelly Stevenson, who originally put a lot of hours in it. It definitely showed when he wasn't here."

  Stevenson was a member of the Kiwanis Club that launched the garden in the early 1990s. But by 2000 because of illness in the family, he was unable to dedicate all the attention he previously provided.

  Ariel Mendivil, 17, another Key Club member, said the club now gets a lot of calls for help from RV parks because of the conscientious attitude of members and the organizational efforts of Cloar.

  "I  drive by all the time and a lot of people walk and jog past here," Mendivil said. "It's nice to give people something pretty to look at other than houses. Wellton is definitely growing and it's good we can help it grow."

   The roses enhance another street beautification project between Bakersfield Road and Fresno Road where a variety of plants were cultivated a couple of years ago, said Rodney Rinehart, Wellton town manager.

  "When it's in full bloom it's really nice to see all the vibrant colors," Rinehart said. "The RV parks do an excellent job and the town is very proud of the way it looks."

  The town of Wellton provided six rosebushes as well as water, steer manure and fertilizer to help maintain the garden.

  A new watering system is being installed where additional water nozzles can reach more plants. And automatic timers with automatic valves that kick off the system provide more uniform irrigation. Watering during the summer is confined to the evening so the heat won't dehydrate the plants and will free up town staff to perform other maintenance, Rinehart noted.

  Polglase said there is still room for another 25 rosebushes in the garden. Donations for plants are being solicited for $10 per rosebush, yet smaller donations are also appreciated.

  The largest donor, Michal Graber, provided five each of Radiant Perfume, Sheer Magic, Pope John Paul and Cinnamon Twist roses.

  Anyone interested may donate a rosebush in memory of a loved one and that bush will be tagged with the requested name.

  Another planting is scheduled for April 25 at 9 a.m. along Los Angeles Avenue between William Street and Victor Street. Polglase invites other RV parks to volunteer by calling her at 785-8404.

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William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.