May Meeting

The Monroeville Garden Club met one last time on May 9 before welcoming the summer break and a few months off. Ms. Evelyn Bond hosted the meeting at her home in Monroeville, and Ms. Judi Burns co-hosted. There was also an official recognition and warm welcome for new member, Ms. Laura York. 

The meeting was called to order and members got right down to business, discussing ways to better manage/maintain the areas and plants the club is responsible for. The Auburn hollies in the planter pots around the square are doing well, as are the petunias sharing the space. A few existing beds around certain shops along the square have salvia returning from last year and violas that are thriving as of now, but will probably need replacing if they succumb to the summer heat. Powdery mildew is an ongoing issue with the drift roses around the courthouse, so members are considering different treatment options. The MGC purchased a dozen knockout rose bushes to replace some that were declining at Veteran's Park, and the YMCA got them planted, as they are now managing the park. The rose garden outside the courthouse got a heavy pruning in February and was recently sprayed for weeds and fertilized. Deadheading the roses and putting out new mulch will be done over the next few weeks, and members decided to repaint the garden arbor later in the year. These are just a few of the ongoing projects discussed at the meeting. There are many clubs, organizations, and individuals who work year-round to keep our city beautiful, and the Monroeville Garden Club is proud to be part of the effort. 

After all business had been addressed, members mingled and munched on goodies prepared by Ms. Bond and Ms. Burns. There were fresh fruit skewers, chips and dips, pimento cheese or garden tomato sandwiches, chicken salad roll-ups, cheese biscuits, mixed nuts, and chocolate iced bundt cake, with fresh lemonade, coffee and water as beverage choices. Beautiful fresh flowers were arranged in a centerpiece on the table. Before leaving, club members were invited to walk around the property where they admired quite an array of colorful flowers and landscape. It was a grand finale to end the meeting and kick off sweet summertime! 

"Summer was our best season. It was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse; summer was everything good to eat. It was a thousand colors in a
parched landscape."
~ Harper Lee,
To Kill A Mockingbird

(L) Evelyn Bond, Hostess and (R) Judi Burns, Co-Hostess