Great news! The newspaper made enough money from the T-shirt sale for Granny and the Garden Club to plant gardens all around town.

Everyone has an idea for where the gardens should go. “The area by the old train station could use some sprucing up,” T.J. suggests.

“How about a garden in front of the courthouse?” Momma says. “That’d make the town square look just perfect.”

I bet you already know what kind of garden I suggested — yup, a pink garden! And Granny loved my idea!

On Tuesday, Granny and the rest of the Garden Club head over to the railroad station to plant a butterfly garden. They plant all sorts of flowers to attract the butterflies — purple coneflower, Mexican sunflower, butterfly weed, mist flowers, and butterfly bush.

Next they fill in the borders with all sorts of plants that butterflies just love like sweet peas, sunflowers, marigolds, snapdragons, and hollyhocks. Finally they set a birdbath right in the center of the garden so that the butterflies will have someplace to rest when they’re tired from flying!

On Wednesday, it’s time to tackle my garden! Granny loved my plan for a pretty pink garden. We found the perfect spot, too! We’re planting it right in front of the public library. It’s the perfect spot for me since I love to read so much!

Ugly Brother and I get to help, and I invite my friends, too. Granny is waiting for us at the library after school. The sidewalk is covered with long boxes full of flowers, and the rest of the Garden Club ladies are standing nearby.

Before long, I see Lucy. She is holding a watering can that is shaped like a sunflower. “You look like a real true Garden Club lady with that!” I tell Lucy.

“Nanny gave it to me,” she says. “Did you see Miss Clarabelle’s straw hat? She looks like she is wearing a little garden on her head.”

Lucy and I giggle and pull on our gloves. Ugly Brother barks and runs in a circle around us.

“Are you ready to help too?” I ask him.

He barks, “Ruff.” That means no. Suddenly he runs off and starts digging through Granny’s gardening bag. When he runs back, he has a pair of gardening gloves hanging from his mouth.

“Are these gloves for you, Ugly Brother?” I ask.

He barks, “Ruff, ruff.”

“Oh, no!” Lucy says. “Dogs can’t wear gloves. What are we going to tell him?”

I put on my thinking cap. There just has to be a way! It will break Ugly Brother’s poor little heart if he can’t have gloves, too. He always wants to be like everyone else.

Just then an idea hits me. I reach down and tuck the gloves into his collar. “Is that good?” I ask.

“Ruff, ruff!” he barks happily.

Cara and Paula ride up on their bikes just in time to start digging. The garden pops with hot-pink daisies, soft-pink roses, and bubble-gum-pink geraniums. The geraniums remind Paula that she has bubble gum in her pocket.

“Who wants a piece?” she asks, pulling the pink pack out of her pocket. “We can have a bubble-blowing contest while we work!”

I think that is a great idea! We all take a piece and get to work. First we dig a hole, then we blow a bubble.

Cara blows a giant bubble the size of a baseball. “I bet no one can blow a bubble bigger than that!” she says.

Paula doesn’t like to lose. “I bet I can!” she says.

We all watch as Paula blows a big bubble. She blows more and more, and the bubble gets bigger and bigger. It gets so big I am worried it’s going to pop.

“Be careful —” I start to say. But my warning comes too late.

There is a loud POP! as Paula’s bubble breaks and sticks all over her face. There are blobs of pink gum in her hair, too!

Granny has to call Paula’s momma to come pick her up. “I don’t envy her momma,” Granny says. “Getting that gum off is going to be a challenge.”

“I guess I win the contest,” Cara brags.

Paula starts to cry.

“Wait just a minute,” I say. “Paula did blow the biggest bubble.”

“Kylie Jean has a point,” Lucy agrees.

We declare Paula the bubble-blowing winner right as her momma pulls up. I give her a big squeezy hug, but I’m careful not to get any of that sticky gum on me.

I look back at the garden and realize we are almost done. “The border of pink flowers looks almost like a crown!” I tell Granny.

“You think everything looks like a crown,” Cara says. Since my dream is to be a beauty queen, she’s right!

“We better hurry and clean up,” Granny says. “It’s getting close to suppertime.”

We clean up our supplies, and as Ugly Brother and I get ready to head home, I just have to take one more look at my beautiful pink patch of pretty flowers. It is a garden fit for a queen!

Thursday’s garden is a water garden in the middle of the town park. It has lots of lotus flowers, cattails, and lily pads. There are even fish swimming in it!

On Friday, it’s time for Granny’s garden — the final one. Granny decides to plant her garden in front of the town hall.

She decides to work all by herself, and at the end of the day, everyone is amazed at her magnificent garden! Granny sure did save the best for last!

In the center, plants and flowers form a giant dogwood tree. All around the edges of the garden, flowers in every color of the rainbow form a border. Butterflies flit happily over the blossoms, and bees buzz in appreciation.

At the end of the week, our little town has gardens galore! We’re sure to win the Prettiest Town contest now!