<b>By Lanier Laney</b>

Twenty years ago, <b>Marion Leach</b> (age 92) founded the Garden A Day event in Beaufort through the Beaufort Garden Club.

“I wanted the garden club here to do something for National Garden Week (June 1-7), but we aren’t big enough for a whole week of gardens, so I came up with Garden-a-Day,” said Marian with a smile. “There is no charge for it, it’s a gift from the homeowners, the Beaufort Garden Club, and for the past few years, the Lowcountry Master Gardener Association.” The Master Gardeners act as docents at each garden and tell visitors the names of particular flowers and plants. The first day of this year’s five-day event featured two lovely gardens in The Point neighborhood — Sheryl Steele and Susan Rainey, who were on the first tour 20 years ago.

The Beaufort Garden Club is also celebrating a milestone. This is its 80th year, making it the oldest garden club in the county and one of the oldest in the state. It’s founded on a charter that limits its members to 29, and there is a waiting list. <b>Deena Kulp</b> is the current president.

Marion, who has visited every garden, every year, for the past 20, had nothing but great things to say about her many years with the Beaufort Garden Club. “To me it is the ‘premier’ garden club — premier meaning both first and best,” she said with a smile and headed off into the garden on her walker.

Kudos to Marion Leach for having that original vision of beauty to create this event and to the Beaufort Garden Club and all the homeowners over those many years who brought that vision alive and have given so much to the residents and visitors to our community.  Job well done!

Here are some pics for you:

[caption id="attachment_16993" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Garden-A-Day-founder-Marion-Leach-center-with-Master-Gardener-docents.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-16993" alt="Garden-a-Day founder Marion Leach, center, with Master Gardener docents Sandra Educate, left, and Caroline Havens on Monday, June 2." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Garden-A-Day-founder-Marion-Leach-center-with-Master-Gardener-docents-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></a> Garden-a-Day founder Marion Leach, center, with Master Gardener docents Sandra Educate, left, and Caroline Havens on Monday, June 2.[/caption]

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