Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 12, 1993 TAG: 9303050386
SECTION: LAWN & GARDEN PAGE: LG-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
VALLEY IS HOT SPOT FOR GARDEN CLUBS
Believe it or not, gardening is the No. 1 hobby in the United States today, said Lee Hipp, who heads the horticulture program at Virginia Western Community College. Studies also show that the interest in growing things is "cross-generational," he said, involving people of all ages.The Roanoke Valley is home to more than two dozen garden clubs which offer a wide variety of activities.
Some of the groups are traditional kind of clubs, made up of homemakers and retirees who meet during the day to discuss and arrange flowers. Other clubs include both men and women, and some have night meetings to accommodate working people.
The clubs also are involved in civic projects, such as planting trees and flowers at schools and churches, and some concentrate on one plant in particular.
Some of the clubs serve a small neighborhood area, while others draw in members from all over Virginia. Some are open to anyone, and others can be joined by invitation only. Some of the clubs are in danger of folding, as elderly members drop out. Others are growing.
Some of the clubs date back to the 1920s, and others have sprung up more recently in new subdivisions.
The Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs has been around since 1964. The council and its 28 member clubs own and maintain Fairacres, a house at 2713 Avenham Ave., which is used for meeting space and for special events.
Through the council, the clubs participate in various projects, such as Holiday House, an annual crafts show and sale. Profits from the event go toward supporting Fairacres. Each Christmas, the clubs put together plates of cookies and candy for patients at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Salem. The council meets on the third Friday of the month, and sponsors flower judgings and workshops.
The organization also has donated funds to the Arborteum project at Virginia Western.
The Garden Council "has been very supportive," Hipp said. When the idea for the arborteum came about in 1985, "they were the first to jump on the bandwagon."
In May, a garden plot on the 2-acre site will be dedicated in the council's honor Hipp said.
Star City Garden Clubs is another garden club council based in Roanoke. It was formed late last year to replace the Star City Council of Garden Clubs, which disbanded several years ago when its membership, which once numbered 10 clubs, dropped to three.
The remaining clubs formed the new council so they could join together to host the state meeting of their organization this year.
Some of the member clubs date back to the 1920s. As with many of the Roanoke Council groups, the number of people involved has fallen off, as women have increasingly joined the work force. These clubs also would like to attract new, younger members.
There are other clubs in the Roanoke Valley which do not belong to either council, but most do. Here is a listing of the clubs and their activities. Anyone wishing to join a garden club can call the councils for more information.
\ Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs\ \ BLUE RIDGE CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY\ When and where: First Tuesday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open, subject to membership approval\ Number of members: 25\ Area served: Southwestern Virginia\ Dues: $16.50 (Includes membership in national society)\ Year founded: 1960\ Contact person: Bill Setzer, president\ Activities and projects: The society members sponsor a yearly plant sale, offering cuttings they have rooted and potted themselves, and an annual fall show at Valley View Mall. The group sometimes participates in Holiday House. "We're always looking for new members," Setzer said. Mums are especially interesting because they are fall flowers and the blooms last a long time, he said.\ \ BLUE RIDGE IRIS SOCIETY\ When and where: First Tuesday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 80\ Area served: Roanoke Valley\ Dues: $12.50 (For national society; includes newsletters)\ Year founded: "A long time ago"\ Contact person: Larry Morgan, president\ Activities and projects: The society sponsors a show each spring. This year's will be held in May at Valley View Mall. In June, members will sell plants they have grown. Next year, the group will host a meeting of the regional Iris Society, which will bring in growers from Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. The Iris is the official flower of Roanoke, Morgan said, and some of the club's members have been recognized nationally for their work in hybridization.\ \ BLUE RIDGE ORCHID SOCIETY\ When and where: Second Sunday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 45\ Area served: Members come from as far away as Charlottesville, Abingdon and West Virginia.\ Dues: $11\ Year founded: Early 1950s Contact person: Ed Scott, president\ Activities and projects: Members come from "all walks of life," Scott said. "We're very active group. Anyone is welcome to join." Members judge each other's plants at the monthly meetings, and the competition gets "pretty spirited." The club has a yearly show the first weekend in May at Valley View Mall, and puts on shows for other clubs around the state. Orchids are "a plant group that is extremely interesting to the members to grow and the flowers are incredible," Scott said.\ \ BUDS & BLOSSOMS\ When and where: Last Tuesday, Fairacres (night meeting)\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of Members: Eight\ Area Served: All areas\ Dues: $12\ Year founded: 1990\ Contact person: Kathy Seeley, president\ Activities and projects: This club was formed to meet the needs of working people. "It's a young bunch," and it's a "struggle" for some people to come to the meetings, Seeley said. The club is not currently involved in any projects because it is still getting organized, but members do participate in Holiday House.\ \ DOGWOOD\ When and where: Fourth Wednesday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: By invitation only. New members must be accepted unanimously.\ Number of members: 24 (Limit)\ Area served: South Roanoke, Raleigh Court and Salem\ Dues: $15\ Year founded: 1952\ Contact person: Mary Lou Delaney, president\ Activities and projects: The group participates in civic projects, such as donating trees and landscaping at local schools and supporting the Explore Project. "If we hear about it, and we can help, we do it," Delaney said. The club prepares plates for patients at the Veteran's Hospital at Christmas time. Flower arrangements are judged at each monthly meeting, and the member with the most ribbons at the end of the year receives a trophy.\ \ DIG & DREAM\ When and where: Fourth Thursday, Preston Park\ Membership requirements: Limited to 30 members\ Number of members: 30\ Area served: Northwest Roanoke, North County, Williamson Road\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1948\ Contact person: Dorothy Boyd, president\ Activities and projects: Monthly programs center on the care of flowers and roses. the group is involved in civic projects through the garden council. "We just enjoy being together," Boyd said.\ \ HAPPY GARDENERS\ When and where: Second Friday, Preston Park\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: Seven\ Area served: Roanoke, Vinton, many from Williamson Road area\ Dues: $8\ Year founded: About 1960\ Contact person: Eileen Ivanhoe, president\ Activities and projects: This club used to be one of the largest in the valley, Ivanhoe said, and now, "we are racking our brains for members." The group tried night meetings to attract new members, but changed back to day because it didn't work for the older members. The group participates in Holiday House and prepares plates for the Veteran's Hospital. Members used to maintain a garden at the hospital, but stopped when the horticulture department took over.\ \ FOREST LAWN\ When and where: Second Thursday, Salem Senior Center\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 13\ Area served: Mostly Salem, but members come from all over the Valley and from\ Franklin County.\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1953\ Contact person: Myrtle Plybon, president\ Activities and projects: The group tries to teach others about gardening. They go on garden tours and present programs about plants and birds. The group sponsors yearly bake sales and plant sales, and makes Christmas plates for veterans. Club members are a "mix" of ages, Plybon said.\ \ HILLANDALE\ When and where: Second Thursday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open, but new applicants must be sponsored by two members.\ Number of members: 25\ Area served: Roanoke Valley\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1941\ Contact person: Evelyn Gardener\ Activities and projects: The club has speakers and flower-arrangement judging at each meeting and participates in the veterans' Christmas plate program.\ \ HUNTING HILLS\ When and where: Fourth Monday, Hunting Hills Country Club\ Membership requirements: Open to Hunting Hills residents\ Number of members: 50\ Area served: Hunting Hills\ Dues: $20 Year\ founded: 1974\ Contact person: Polly Delvero\ Activities and projects: The monthly meetings feature a speaker or a program. The group also participates in workshops and field trips. It maintains a garden at Hunting Hills Drive and Foxridge Road as well as the fish pond at Mill Mountain Zoo. Last Christmas, the club sponsored a home tour for members and friends, which Delvero said was a "huge success." The group also donates trees and shrubs to schools, and participates in the veteran's Christmas plate project and Holiday House. "We're a real young group," Delvero said. Most members range in age from 35 to 55.\ \ JEFFERSON HILLS\ When and where: Not Available\ Membership requirements: Not Available\ Number of members: 16\ Area served: Not Available\ Dues: Not Available\ Year founded: Not Available\ Contact person: Mrs. James Damone\ Activities and projects: Not Available\ \ LABELLEVUE\ When and where: Second Thursday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: Prospective members must attend three meetings\ Number of members: 18\ Area served: LaBellevue subdivision and all other areas.\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1977\ Contact person: Sharon Myers, president\ Activities and projects: This group meets at night to accommodate working members. One of the group's biggest projects is the Christmas Eve "Illuminaries." Members offer white paper bags and candles for homeowners to use to line walkways in exchange for a donation. Most of the members have gardens and are interested in flower arranging. The group has planted bulbs at the Herman L. Horne School in Vinton, and has helped an Eagle Scout earn his rank. The club also participates in preparing plates for veterans.\ \ MAGIC CITY\ When and where: Third Thursday, members' homes and Fairacres\ Membership requirements: By invitation\ Number of members: 26\ Area served: All areas\ Dues: $20\ Year founded: 1934\ Contact person: Tommie Whitman, president\ Activities and projects: "We're an old club. We don't really do too much," Whitman said. The members are interested in flower arranging and horticulture. The group contributes to the arborteum at Virginia Western Community College and the state nature conservancy program. The members participate in Holiday House and the veteran's Christmas plate program.\ \ MASTER GARDENERS\ When and where: First Monday, Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department\ Membership requirements: Members have completed the Master Gardener program through the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.\ Number of members: 34\ Area served: All areas\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1989\ Contact person: Edith Paine, president\ Activities and projects: This group maintains the Rose Garden behind Mountain View, the old Fishburne House, which is now a recreation center for Roanoke's Parks and Recreation program. The garden was planted many years ago by the Men's Garden Club, which is no longer in existence. Class members are required to donate 48 hours of work in the garden in addition to course work, and graduates also volunteer their time.
"We were looking for a project," Paine said, and the garden "needs help. Roses take a lot of time," he said. The group also works to encourage nurseries to donate rose bushes and landscaping supplies. Members are of all ages and are interested in all phases of plant life.\ \ MILL MOUNTAIN\ When and where: Third Thursday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: 80-member limit. When there is an opening, other members can put up someone for membership.\ Number of members: 80\ Area served: Most are from Roanoke, some from Fincastle.\ Dues: Not available\ Year founded: 1927\ Contact person: Sue Brown, president\ Activities and projects: The group planted and maintains a wildflower garden on Mill Mountain during the spring and fall. They participate in Historic Garden week, along with the Roanoke Valley Garden Club, during which the public is invited to view homes and gardens in the Roanoke Valley for a fee. The club participates in Holiday House, sponsors flower shows, and has planted bulbs and shrubs in the garden at Fairacres. Members are "all ages," Brown said, and there are several mother-daughter pairs involved.\ \ NORTH LAKES\ When and where: Fourth Wednesday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 12\ Area served: All\ areas Dues: $12\ Year founded: 1980\ Contact person: Betty Reggia\ Activities and projects: The club participates in Garden Council projects, the state nature conservancy program, the Extension Service's 4-H garden program, flower shows, and helps the Chrysanthemum Society with their yearly show. The club won an award from the state for its ongoing beautification project in the median strip at the intersection of Peters Creek and North Lakes Drive. The group also sponsors a yearly card party/fashion show fund-raiser, which is used to buy plants and shrubs.
"We are older," Reggia said. "We'd like to have some younger members."\ \ OAKLAND\ When and where: Not available\ Membership requirements: Not available\ Number of members: 10\ Area served: Oakland\ Dues: Not available\ Year founded: 1930\ Contact person: Louisa Breeden\ Activities and projects: Oakland is one of the oldest garden clubs in the valley, and at one time, was one of the biggest. A victim of its own success, in the 1950s, the Oakland club sponsored other clubs in the area when their membership grew too large to meet in members' homes. The group will disband after its March meeting because the members that are left are not able to come to meetings any more. The group "was really active in its heyday," Breeden said, and is responsible for plantings at area churches and around downtown.\ \ ROANOKE ROSE SOCIETY\ When and where: First Sunday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 18\ Area served: All areas.\ Some members come from as far away as Bedford and West Virginia.\ Dues: $8\ Year founded: 1924 (This group is the successor to the Men's Garden Club Contact person: The Rev. David Yingling Activities and projects: The group puts on a yearly tour of members' gardens for invited guests, and presents an annual rose show on the first Saturday in September. This year, the society will be host for the Colonial District show, which will attract rose growers from all over the East Coast. Growers do not have to belong to the society to exhibit, Yingling said. During the monthly meetings, a program is presented and members share techniques. One of the attractions of roses, Yingling said, is that unlike many other plants, they can be grown in small yards.\ \ ROANOKE VALLEY\ When and where: Third Wednesday, Fairacres and members' homes\ Membership requirements: By invitation\ Number of members: 70\ Area served: All areas\ Dues: Not available\ Year founded: 1925\ Contact person: Susan Feinour, president\ Activities and projects: This group has maintained landscaping at the Virginia Museum of Transportation for many years. "It's a challenge," Feinour said. Because of nearby streets and parking lots, "it's not an ideal place to come up with a plan." The group has planted trees, bulbs and flags at the museum's current location, and at the former facility at Wasena Park. The club sponsors the Historic Garden Week tours, along with the Mill Mountain club, and is involved with the extension service's 4-H program. Members also participate in the veteran's Christmas plate program and the state nature conservancy program.\ \ ROSALIND HILLS\ When and where: Second Wednesday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 21\ Area served: All areas\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1953\ Contact person: Cornelia Crawford, president\ Activities and projects: Most of this club's members are primarily interested in flowers, Crawford said. There is a program every month with flower judging and speakers.\ \ ROUND HILL\ When and where: Fourth Wednesday, Preston Park\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 22\ Area served: Northwest Roanoke\ Dues: $7.50\ Year founded: 1953\ Contact person: Charlotte Kabler, president\ Activities and projects: The club helps with the extension service's 4-H gardening project, and plants trees and bulbs at city schools.\ \ SOUTH HILLS\ When and where: Fourth Thursday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: Open to neighborhood residents\ Number of members: 30\ Area served: South Hills\ Dues: $8\ Year founded: About 1968\ Contact person: Lib Shackleford, president\ Activities and projects: This club is mostly for residents of the South Hills neighborhood, Shackleford said. "It's a good time for the neighbors to get together." The group has supported the arborteum at Virginia Western Community College, the extension services' 4-H program, and nature camps for needy children. The group concentrates on flower arranging, Shackleford said. "We have a good time."\ \ SUGAR LOAF\ When and where: First Wednesday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: By invitation\ Number of members: 20\ Area served: Mostly southwest Roanoke. Some members come from Cave Spring, and\ some from Northwest.\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1959\ Contact person: Marian Danco, president\ Activities and projects: The group presents horticulture and design programs during the regular meetings, and belongs to the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. The club has donated to the Virginia Western Arborteum, and has organized plant therapy programs with an adult-care center. Each patient was given a pot, soil and bulb to plant.\ \ TOWN AND COUNTRY\ When and where: Third Tuesday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Applicants are proposed by new members\ Number of members: 28\ Area served: All areas\ Dues: Not available\ Year founded: Before 1943\ Contact person: Beverly Fitzgerald, president\ Activities and projects: This club works with a local middle school on ground improvements. The school indicated that it had a need, Fitzgerald said, and the club investigated what had to be done. The students help the adults, she said. The group also participates in Holiday House.\ \ VALLEEVUE\ When and where: Second Wednesday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 12\ Area served: All areas\ Dues: $25\ Year founded: About 1930\ Contact person: Eileen Dunavant, president\ Activities and projects: "We're a busy club," Dunavant said. "We do a whole lot of things." In addition to the monthly meetings, the club plants bulbs on Arbor Day, and has sent needy children to summer camps. Members participate in Holiday House, and work on the grounds at Fairacres, as do members of other clubs. The group also participates in regional and district flower shows.\ \ WESTCHESTER\ When and where: Fourth Tuesday, Fairacres\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 16\ Area served: Southwest County and Salem\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1960\ Contact Person: Millie Trent\ Activities and projects: The club participates in Holiday House and the state nature conservancy program. Members are especially interested in recyling and environmental concerns. They have provided landscaping for the Children's Home Society grounds, and two of the members have qualified to judge on the national level.\ \ WASENA\ When and where: Third Tuesday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: Six\ Area served: Mostly Southwest Roanoke\ Dues: $5\ Year founded: 1930\ Contact person: Frances Childress\ Activities and projects: The club helps with the extension service's 4-H program and prepares Christmas plates for veterans. Although the group is small now, Childress said, it was once one of the largest, and is one of the founding members of the Roanoke Council of Garden clubs.\ \ HINOKI BONSAI\ When and where: Third Wednesday, Fairacres\ Number of members: 25\ Membership requirements: Open\ Area served: All areas.\ Some members come from as far away as Marion and Lynchburg.\ Dues: $10\ Year founded: 1978\ Contact person: Chuck Kroll, president Activities and projects: The club is made up of a mixed group of men and women from all occupations, Kroll said. During the meetings, there are lectures, discussions and workshops, and members are encouraged to bring their projects with them and work on the plants together. "It's a chance to exchange ideas and information and to develop skills," he said. Bonsai is attractive, Kroll said, because "It's like living sculpture that's never finished." Each year, the club sponsors a show in early May at Valley View Mall. Last year, he said, more than 100 miniature trees were on display.
Star City Garden Clubs\ \ IDEAL GARDEN CLUB\ When and where: Second Tuesday, member's Homes\ Number of members: 23\ Membership requirements: By invitation\ Area served: Northwest Roanoke\ Dues: $15\ Year founded: 1927\ Contact person: Hattie M. Brown, president\ Activities and projects: The group is a member of the Blue Ridge District Garden Clubs. Each meeting features a program as well as flower-arrangement judging. Members have participated in landscaping projects at local churches. One member, Lessie Polk, has belonged to the club for 50 years, Brown said.\ \ GOLDEN HARVEST\ When and where: Second Tuesday, members' homes\ Membership requirements: By invitation\ Number of members: Nine\ Area served: Northwest Roanoke\ Dues: $12\ Year founded: 1954\ Contact person: Irene Greene\ Activities and projects: Members spend their meeting time arranging and judging. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, the club delivers flower arrangements to shut-ins. The group also sponsors bake sales to raise funds. Most of the club members are older, but young people are welcome, Greene said.\ \ BIG LICK\ When and where: No set date, members' homes\ Membership requirements: Open\ Number of members: 10\ Area served: Roanoke\ Dues: $18\ Year founded: 1930s\ Contact person: Gertie Manns\ Activities and projects: Manns has just been elected president of the club. The club has not been very active lately, but in the past, members have participated in various landscaping projects. She is currently looking into new projects to start. New members are encouraged to bring flower arrangements to meetings, and the group frequently holds workshops.