Following a period of unprecedented financial success, the Coupeville Garden Club awarded grants for the first time ever to four other Central Whidbey nonprofit organizations for landscaping and education.

The club announced the awards just ahead of its annual plant sale, which takes place next Saturday. Ryan’s House For Youth, the Coupeville Boys and Girls Club, Historic Whidbey and the Pacific Northwest Art School were the recipients of a total of $5,000 in grants from the garden club.

Club member Linda Youngs said the awards are a very big deal, as the club usually only makes enough money from its annual plant sale to buy enough seeds, soil and propane to heat its greenhouse for another season.

“We’ve never had money available to do this before,” she said.

The Boys and Girls Club was the big winner, receiving $2,500 to complete landscaping outside its new building on South Main Street. The building is expected to open this summer.

Historic Whidbey was awarded $1,000 to be put toward landscaping outside the Haller House. The historic property has undergone a number of renovations since 2018, including foundation and roof replacements, but landscaping remains to be done.

Historic Whidbey Executive Director Lynn Hyde has said in a previous interview that planning and completing landscaping on the property is expected to be a major expense for the nonprofit organization.

Ryan’s House For Youth also received $1,000. Executive Director Amber Truex said members of the garden club plan to come advise the young people who will be doing the planting.

“It means a lot to us that the communities we work with go above and beyond to support us and our work,” she said.

The Pacific Northwest Art School was awarded $500. Art school Executive Director Lisa Bernhardt said the school was thrilled to be chosen, “as we are a bit off the beaten track as far as visibility.”

“Since we are an arts organization our curbside appeal should present a nice visual aesthetic,” she said. “This grant will allow us to do some small improvements.”

Youngs said the garden club hopes to be able to provide more grants to other area nonprofit organizations in the future. Providing these grants helps the club to fulfill its mission of beautifying Coupeville through planting and education, she said.

The club’s annual garden sale will take place this year from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 at the Coupeville Rec Hall.