Garden club celebrates National Garden Club Week

Photo: Dawn Weiss, presents her booklets and container garden of various herbs to Yalanda Priddy, Librarian at the M.R. Davis Library in Southaven. (Submitted photo)

During National Garden Club Week (NGCW) in Mississippi, which was June 1–7, the DeSoto Civic Garden Club (DCGC) celebrated by presenting flower arrangements to the M. R. Davis Public Library in Southaven; B.J. Chain Public Library in Olive Branch and an educational display featuring “A Fairy Garden” at First Regional Library in Hernando. There were also two more educational boards that featured the importance of herbs and pollinators at the library in Olive Branch.

At the M.R. Davis Public Library, Yalanda Priddy, Librarian, accepted a lovely basket of red geraniums which included a filler of white miniature flowers with assorted greenery from DCGC member, Carla Proctor. On June 2, Mrs. Proctor read to the children during story time, a beautiful children’s book entitled, “Do Butterflies Make Butter?” This book was endorsed by the National Garden Club and donated by the DCGC as an addition to the library’s children’s collection.

First Regional Library in Hernando was the setting of an innovative educational board featuring a concept of “A Fairy Garden” that was created by DCGC members, Sheila Deese, Connie Williams and Elaine White. Some of their components included using driftwood that was found on the banks of the Mississippi River in Tunica.
As the public came to the library during NGCW and viewed the Fairy Garden display, they were encouraged to participate in a drawing for a Fairy Garden Starter kit that was donated by the DCGC.

The winner of the Fairy Garden Starter Kit was selected on June 7 but the public can view the display until the end of June.

DCGC member, Dawn Weiss, constructed an educational board and presented it to Priddy that included an abundance of information on the topic of herbs and their value in the enrichment of our foods. She also completed a lovely container garden which consisted of herbs.

Another DCGC member at the B.J. Chain Public Library was Jo Trogden Sweat who shared her display of pollinator plants in a container that was composed of Milkweed, Melampodium, Zinnas, Pentas, and Lavender.

The importance of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, cannot be overstated for they are of significant service in maintaining the wild and agricultural plant communities.

The DeSoto Civic Garden Club is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. and The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.