Southaven aldermen name hummingbird garden for June Wheeler
Aug. 20, 2025 – The Southaven Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday night to name the city’s new hummingbird garden at Snowden Grove Park in honor of June Wheeler, a longtime master gardener and mother of Alderman John David Wheeler.
The garden, now officially designated the June Wheeler Memorial Hummingbird Garden, will serve as a tribute to Wheeler’s love of plants, birds and community beautification.
City officials said Wheeler’s lifelong passion for gardening and her fondness for hummingbirds reflected her “gentle and caring nature.” The resolution adopting the name described her as a skilled gardener who shared her knowledge widely and helped enhance Southaven’s natural beauty.
“With its blooming flowers and the hum of tiny wings, the June Wheeler Memorial Hummingbird Garden will stand as a living tribute to her love for nature and the lasting impact she had on everyone fortunate enough to have known her,” the resolution stated.
Alderman Wheeler expressed appreciation to the board for honoring his late mother. “It does mean a lot,” he said following the vote.
The new garden is adjacent to the city’s Field of Dreams complex and will also be highlighted during Southaven’s first-ever hummingbird festival later this year.
In other business Tuesday, the board:
- Approved an internship program with the Southaven Police Department’s Crime Scene and Investigation Unit for college students.
- Granted a conditional use permit for a vehicle repair shop at Highway 51 and Stateline Road.
- Heard from Mayor Darren Musselwhite that the city’s Silo Shootout soccer tournament will feature a record 80 teams Aug. 22-24.
- Noted construction has begun on the bike track and skate park at Cherry Valley Park, with completion expected in October.
- Announced repairs are underway on the brick wall at Highway 51 and Rasco Road, which will be updated to mirror the city’s entrance signs.
