THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 17, 1995 TAG: 9512150201
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALVA CHOPP, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Seventeen members of the Virginia Beach Council of Garden Clubs met Wednesday to give the city a special present . . . a bit of themselves.
As they have been doing for almost 20 years, women from around the city volunteered their time and talents to create Christmas decorations used to adorn municipal buildings.
Amid the sounds of staple guns and the smell of freshly cut greenery, these women gathered at the Landscape Services building in the Municipal Center early that morning to begin assembling the Williamsburg-type decorations.
When they arrived they found all the materials they'd need to get the job done.
Allen Clark, a horticulturalist assistant for the city, was in charge of the preparations. With the help of city landscaping crews, Clark had assembled eight truck-loads of freshly-cut trimmings from around Virginia Beach. There were bags of shiny magnolia leaves, red foster holly berries, cedar branches and pine boughs. Red tinted heavenly bamboo trimmings and golden rose hips added even more color.
``We kill two birds with one stone you might say,'' said Clark. ``We do a lot of pruning this time of year and this is a way we can put some of it to good use.''
Clark said the crews pay special attention to any colorful fruit bearing plants. ``We want the decorations to be authentic Williamsburg style . . . made with all natural materials. The crew supervisors really came through with a wide variety of plants this year.''
Even the wooden wreath forms provided by the city are made from cast out wood.
``Everything used is leftovers,'' said Clark.
Ann Brown, coordinator for this project and chairman of the Home and Neighborhood Development Sponsors, said this is a wonderful way for city garden club members to share their talents and interests with the public.
Mari Hall, a member of the Brittany Point Garden Club and a past president of the Council of Garden Clubs, said this experience is a great learning tool for new members.
Throughout the morning, members who had worked on this project in the past, shared their creative advice with novice members.
Kathleen Kinlaw, current president of the council, said many of the ladies working have come back year after year to help out. ``This develops friendships for us,'' she said. ``Plus they are all supportive of the council's projects and their own community.''
Some, like Betty Lou Smithson, had volunteered their services for three years or more. As a member of the Cavalier Garden Club, Smithson said she enjoyed it so much the first year she just continued to return to the project.
``It's not often you get together with other members of area garden clubs to do something for the city,'' she said, leaning across the table to reach for another bough of greenery.
Throughout the morning they worked. As they finished a wreath or door decoration, they placed it along the wall and checked that item off the list.
By the time they finished, 30 unique displays had been created. They will be hung above the door of the Francis Land House, on the Municipal Courts buildings, the old Coast Guard Station on Atlantic Avenue and various other city buildings.
Johnnie Miller, representing the Fox Run Garden Club, said there's a special pride in driving past these buildings and seeing your own handiwork displayed. ``Some people I've known even drive their out-of-town relatives to the municipal center to show them the decorations.''
Clark said the displays will be hung as soon as possible.
``We wanted to have things up close enough to Christmas to be appreciated by the public but not so early that the natural foliage wilted,'' he said.
This year's volunteers represented 11 garden clubs including Aragona, Brighton on the Bay, Brittany Point, Cavalier, Church Point, Fairfield, Fox Run, Great Neck Point, Lago Mar, Lake Smith Terrace and Pembroke Manor. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
Using eight truckloads of freshly-cut trimmings, the wreaths were
assembled Williamsburg-style with fruits and other natural
materials.
Andrea Magill, left, and Suzanne Duckworth were among 17 members of
the Virginia Beach Council of Garden Clubs who met Wednesday at the
city's Landscape Services building to sort through tree trimmings to
create Christmas decorations for municipal buildings.
A wreath begins to take shape in the hands of garden club member Pat
Walters. By the time they finished, 30 displays had been created.
They will be hung above the door of the Francis Land House, on the
Municipal Courts buildings, the old Coast Guard Station and various
other city buildings.
by CNB