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 |  |  | Jo Ann Wade awards Sarah Kilgore the "Designer of the Year" for the Alabama Stars calendar
| President Ann Daniels wishes Barbara & Charles Bohmann farewell, with Nell Copeland, the new Scholarship Chairman
| Redstone Garden Club members Diane Breffeilh, Carol Stewart, Michelle Archer, District I Director, Betty Coleman, Margaret Reynolds, Rhea Brightwell, receiving $100 check from NGC for Roadside Improvement Project. Background: GCA President, Ann Daniels
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The editor of our GCA magazine “Hortensia” is:
Linda Lewis, 2580 Jasmine Hill Road, Wetumpka, AL 36093;
ph: 334-567-2070, cell: 334-399-3158;
lindaloo@lewisadvertising.net
Horticulture Day at Old Alabama Town Thirty-nine people attended the “Horticulture Day at Old Alabama Town” on February 25, 2009. The event was sponsored by The Garden Club of Alabama, Inc. At 8:30 a.m. Margaret Reynolds, president of the organization, welcomed everyone. The Invocation and Pledge to the United States Flag was by Linda Lewis. Old Alabama Town provided a fitting location for the assembly of 32 garden club members from all around the state at the Loeb Reception Center. Members of the Camellia Garden Club had been planning details for several months, they prepared for the day with set-up, coffee and homemade cookies. Belinda Daugherty registered the guest. Joanna Middlebrooks introduced each speaker giving biographical information about them. They were as follows:
Morgan Smith who talked about “Alabama Wetlands”
Jane Mobley, Linda Griebel and Mary McCroan who are all Master Gardeners presented “Composting made Easy” and “Pruning Techniques for Southern Gardeners”
Donny Tomlin’s topic was “How to Grow and Graft Japanese Maples”
The Exhibitors were:
Susan Carmichael of the Clean City Commission, Montgomery
Rita Newton of Concreatures, Wetumpka
Donny Tomlin of Tomlin Landscaping, Montgomery
Everyone was enthralled by Morgan Smith who told of his trips to Peru and the Amazon Rainforest. His career with the US Air Force included training of the first astronauts. He talked about his personal experiences as an ethno botanist interweaving them with fascinating developments in Alabama’s wetlands, focusing on control methods and restoration efforts. Donny Tomlin, “The Maple Man”, grows over 100 cultivars at his Wares Ferry Ford Nursery, all chosen to withstand our Alabama heat. He brought some beautiful examples of his locally grown trees, guaranteed to be hardy. He is an expert grafter of Japanese Maples and gave a demonstration on grafting. He is also a water colorist and basket maker, selling these to local markets and displays his art at his nursery. The Master Gardeners all haled from Elmore County where they are very active in their organization and community. They provided the audience with detailed information about the dos and don’ts of composting and pruning.
The attendees participated in door prize drawings. African Violets were won by Judy Youngblood and Henry Baxley. A beautiful basket filled with an assortment of good things was raffled off and Brenda Boggan, Floradora Garden Club of Birmingham was the winner. At the conclusion the group enjoyed a luncheon of tasty sandwiches from Nellie Cameron’s Sandwich Shoppe. Members of Camellia Garden Club provided homemade items such as coleslaw and brownies for dessert. Coffee Iced Tea and water was also served. Several complimentary comments were made about the day by the group. They disassembled at 1:00 p.m.
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Pictures of the Event
Photos by Marie Updike, a member of Camellia GC, Montgomery, AL
(Click on photos to enlarge) 
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| Belinda Daugherty, Registrar
| Margaret Reynolds, GCA President and Morgan Smith
| Donny Tomlin
| L to R: Mary McCroan, Jane Mobley & Linda Griebel
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|  | Margaret Reynolds, welcoming speech
| Brian Newton, Concreatures and Margaret Reynolds
| Donny Tomlin & Joanna Middlebrooks
| Brenda Boggan being presented with raffle basket by Belinda Daugherty |  |  |  | | Belinda serving lunch
| Judy Youngblood and Maude Wise, President Montgomery Federation | Margaret Reynolds and Maude Wise
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