By Teri Clark
The Victorian Garden Club of Vicksburg is celebrating its twentieth anniversary. The club started in 1994, with about ten members who enjoyed gardening and joined to share their enjoyment and expand their gardening knowledge.
Grace Appell and Bonnie Holmes were part of the founding group. When Appell passed away, a Peace Garden in her honor was planted on the Historic Village grounds and is known today as Grace’s Grove.
The club has grown to about 25 active members. They have enjoyed touring area public and private gardens and greenhouses, learning about herbs and native plants, and making many garden crafts, including hypertufa pots and fairy gardens.
Their annual spring plant sale raises funds to purchase plantings for each building as new structures are added at the Historical Village. A spring and fall clean-up event each year is dedicated to sprucing up the Historic Village.
The Club has also purchased books for the Vicksburg District Library, and members were glad to make a donation to the Pavilion Fund.
In downtown Vicksburg, club members, Patt Brumleve, Wendy French, and Shirley Heath, have spent many hours caring for “Liberty Lane,” in between Hill’s Pharmacy and Do It Best Hardware store.
The Victorian Garden Club meets on the fourth Monday each month and welcomes guests to most programs.
For more information, please contact Teri Clark at 778-9948 or teri-clark@att.net. Dues are $10 which helps defray expenses for speakers or special trips.
Officers for 2014 include Teri Clark, president; Marilyn Pagels, vice-president; Nancy Smoker, secretary; Carol Somsel, treasurer; and Jonatha Johnson, programs.