Club spreads beauty through flowers

Published 8:15 pm Friday, June 9, 2017

Flowers are blooming in Washington, courtesy of the Washington Garden Club.

All year long, more than 80 members and “master gardeners” work to plant seeds and maintain gardens around Washington. Outgoing president Sallie Brody said some of their bigger projects include the Harding Square garden at the base of Market Street, and the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center plants and a garden on Third and Market streets.

Brodie said the club just recreated a garden at Brown Library.

“There were a lot of roots. … We had to dig everything up, pull them out, start all over,” Brody said. “There was an arch totally covered in jasmine that you couldn’t even really tell was an arch — we extended a garden there.”

Before joining the Washington club, Brody was president of the Mooresville Garden Club in Iredell County and said it was only fitting that she got involved with the club in Washington.

“I’ve always liked flowers. I enjoy arranging flowers and digging in the dirt,” she laughed.

June marks the end of the garden year for the club, and the summer months are dedicated to maintaining the different gardens around town. Friday, the club held its annual end-of-year luncheon at the First Presbyterian Church. Floral centerpieces were auctioned off to members.

New officers were elected and six new members were installed.

The officers are Janice Simons, president; first vice president, Teresa Crozier; second vice president, Sallie Brody; recording secretary, Sue Pass; corresponding secretary, Hazel Arnold; and treasurer, Dee Donovan.

The club is a branch of The Garden Club of North Carolina. It has been a confederate club for nearly 60 years. The club will hold monthly programs when they start back up in September.

The garden club focuses its work in Washington, but also takes frequent fieldtrips to different locations all over North Carolina, such as Edenton and the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo.

The members hope to spread as much beauty around the town as possible through “civic beautification,” according to Brody.

“We want to beautify the town,” Brody said.