Local garden club members attend a convention in San Diego

Members of the Westlake Village Garden Club recently attended the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc. (NCSGC) 71st annual convention in San Diego.

NCSGC is the largest gardening organization in the world.

It provides education, resources and national networking opportunities for its members to promote the love of gardening, floral design, and civic and environmental responsibility.

More than 1,000 members of NCSGC participated in a series of programs and workshops featuring speakers in the fields of conservation, environmental education, horticulture and floral design.

Recipients of PETALS (Protect the Environment through Action, Learning and Service) grants were honored at a reception hosted by Shell Oil Company.

PETALS is a two-year program of environmental projects co-sponsored by NCSGC and Shell. More than $135,000 incentive grants were awarded to 345 clubs from across the country.

The Westlake Village Garden Club has been the recipient of the PETALS grant twice in recent years and has contributed the required matching funds for the construction of the water feature in the bird habitat in the Conejo Valley Botanical Garden.