The Cranbrook Garden Club is counting its blessings after another successful season.

Since the club started in 1991, its numbers have swollen from 18 members to 192 members today.

Club member Debbie Sinclair attributes the club's popularity to a global trend.

"There has been an increase in interest in organic food, growing our own produce. I think there's a trend back to gardening," she said.

The club is made up of not just long-time, passionate gardeners, but also people who are just picking up the pastime.

"The club is for people who are just learning to garden, too. We love to share our ideas and tips. We keep our meetings short and we always have a workshop or a guest speaker," said Sinclair.

Each July, the club hosts the Cranbrook Open Garden Day. This popular fundraiser allows folks to visit six or seven yards around Cranbrook to see beautiful blooms and innovative ideas.

The tour is the club's most recognisable event, and it's quite an undertaking, Sinclair said. Six to eight club members spend about five months organizing the tour, and around 40 volunteers help out on the day.

"Anybody can sign up for the tour. If you think you would like your garden on the tour, by all means contact us," said Sinclair.

"We are always looking to see what people are planting for our zone. Some of these gardens are little micro climates."

This year's tour brought out 237 people and raised $2,600.

"All the money raised goes back into the community. We've done a real variety of diverse beautification projects," said Sinclair.

Over 16 years, the Open Garden Day has produced funding for dozens of projects around town. The club also organizes work groups to do gardening around Cranbrook.

The club has helped with gardening projects at the Centennial Gardens, the Cranbrook Arches, the Public Library, the hospital, the cemetery, the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, Fort Steele, and the Gro Community Garden.

Much of the club's work has been in conjunction with the City of Cranbrook, but a community-wide approach works best, said Sinclair.

"The garden club is very happy with the city and we appreciate their support, but we have to give kudos to businesses too. They have worked really hard to put their stamp on Cranbrook. We need the whole community buying into it," she said.

A love for gardening shows through in everything the club's members do in the community.

"It's a personal passion for all of us to take it beyond our own yards," said Sinclair.