100 Years in Bloom

2026 officially marks the 100th year of the Homeland Garden Club! This is a remarkable milestone that celebrates a century of environmental stewardship, community leadership, and enduring fellowship. As we begin this special year, we are reflecting on the legacy of our founding members while looking ahead to the future of conservation and community engagement in Baltimore.

To open our centennial celebrations, we welcomed Michelle Mele, owner of Loveland Farm in the Worthington Valley, for an inspiring and fragrant start to the year.

Michelle shared the story of her journey from beekeeper to lavender farmer, describing how her passion for pollinators and sustainable agriculture naturally evolved into cultivating lavender. Her presentation beautifully illustrated the connection between thoughtful land stewardship and small-scale farming.

She introduced us to three varieties of lavender grown at Loveland:

Angustifolia (English lavender)

Intermedia (French lavender)

Stoechas (Spanish lavender)

These sweet scented varieties are winter hardy, thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and are naturally drought, deer, and rabbit resistant, which make them both practical and beautiful additions to our regional landscapes. Michelle also shared how dried lavender blooms are used in oils, soaps, sachets, and even culinary applications.

Following her presentation, Michelle generously shared her dried lavender harvest, and members created their own fragrant sachets to take home.

As we celebrate 100 years of impact, this gathering was a fitting reminder of what has sustained the Homeland Garden Club for a century: a shared love of plants, a commitment to environmental leadership, and the joy of learning and creating together.

Here’s to the next 100 years!