By Bob Arnold
Thirty-eight Wesson Garden Club (WGC) members and youth gardeners participated in a WGC flower show last month at the Wesson Old School Community Center.
Based on National Garden Club standards with different types of horticulture, design, educational and youth exhibits, “To Everything There is a Season,” capturing the spirit of the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 from the Bible and Pete Seeger’s Turn, Turn, Turn popularized by the Byrds in the 1960s, thematically framed the show on April 4.
Best in the Show ribbon winners in the Horticulture and Design divisions were Dixie Thornton for her pencil tree exhibit and Camille Johnson for her exhibit in the “Time to Laugh” class. Receiving multiple first place ribbons in the Horticulture and Design divisions were Rhonda Ishee (4), Pam Owens (3), Debbie Smith (6); and Robin Furr, Rebecca Harrison, Debbie Hoagland, Vicki Martin and Joy Wesbrooks – two each. Furr also received the Novice Award for her First Place exhibit in the Design division “Time to be Silent” class.
The show featured two educational displays:
"Butterfly Life Cycle,” an exhibit created by Pam Owens and Jennifer Peets that highlighted the importance of pollinator gardens in line with the National Garden Club emphasis on them.
“Public Relations/Publicity,” an exhibit created by Dixie Thornton and Jennifer Peets that showed how WGC promotes its activities in line with encouragement by National Garden Club.
More than 80 guests visited the show over the course of the day, and Lisa Smith, show chairperson, and WGC President Dixie Thornton commended Garden Club committees for their work in producing “an outstanding flower show” and thanked the Town of Wesson for the venue.
First place ribbon recipients in their respective divisions were:
1. Horticulture Division. Plants Grown for Bloom. Debbie Hoaglin, Debbie Smith and Rebecca Harrison. Annuals foliage only. Rhonda Ishee and Debbie Smith. Biennials and Perennials. Debbie Smith and Vickie Martin. Perennials foliage only. June Owens, Rhonda Ishee and Debbie Smith. Bulbous Plants. Joy Wesbrooks and Rhonda Ishee. Bulbous Plants for foliage. Joy Wesbrooks, Rhonda Ishee, Debbie Smith and Sherri Carty. Arboreal shrubs. Dixie Thornton, Pam Owens, Robin Furr, Ramona Hartzog, Joy Phillips, Paige Anderson, Cherry Head, Lisa Smith and Vickie Martin. Arboreal trees. Pam Owens, Sonya Cowen, and Jennifer Peets. Container Grown. Rebecca Harrison, Debbie Hoaglin and Debbie Smith
2. Design Division. Time to be Silent. Robin Furr, who also won the Novice Award. Time to Build up and Break Down. Debbie Smith, who also won the Beverly King Award. Time to Heal. Pam Owens. Time to Laugh. Camille Johnson, who also won Best in Show. Time to Praise. Jennifer Peets. Others who exhibited in this Division were Dixie Thornton, Debbie Hoaglin, Jean Ricks, Nikki Smith, Vickie Martin, Sherri Carty, Cherry Head, June Owens, Marilyn Britt, Pam McLemore, Rebecca Harrison, Lisa Smith and Paige Anderson
3. Youth Division. A Time to Build. Issa Scopel. A Time to be Born. Brayan Hernandez. A Time to Dance. Anne Houston Peets. Others who exhibited in this division were Elam Scopel, Lily Sykes, Whisper Breeland, Lindsey Lockhart, Glori Freeman. Haley Bates, Courtney Davis, Abigail Holloway, Leighton Hall, Emmett Case, Kori Peets, Addisyn Coleman. Maddie Coleman, and Eden Scopel.
The Wesson Garden Club is a member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., Natchez Trace District-Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.