A motorist compliments the Garden Club members planting flowers on Saturday morning. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen

BETHEL — There was a changing of the guard at the flower islands in town.

Lida Isles, of the Bethel Garden Club, was handed the baton by Carol Nielsen about 15 years ago. Now Iles has handed it off to Betsy Raymond.

“You think of a garden club as people who twist wire flowers together and make them in beautiful decorations. This group is a down and dirty group,” said Iles.

Martha Siegel and other Bethel Garden Club members plant flowers on two islands at the intersections of Main, Broad and Church Street. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen

The town pays for the plants and 15 or so women head out on the first Saturday every June to plant the two islands by the top of Main Street. This has been the tradition for over 30 years. This year the planters were: Liz Repetto, Martha Siegel, Raymond, Nurrie Caviness, Deb Wild, Moriah McDonough, and Judy Buxton, all of Bethel. Beth Hodgdon of Mason and Nancy Babcock of Newry were digging, too.

After the flowers are planted in each of the islands, they go to breakfast at the historical society hosted by Rosemary Laban. Each gardener sign up for one week in the summer to water and to weed. ” That’s your only obligation,  which makes it a fun group. You plant that one day with a lot of camaraderie, and then you’re done except for your one week” said Iles.

Bethel Garden Club members plant flowers on Saturday morning. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen