Seedling Garden Club meets

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The Seedling Garden Club held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 13, 2023, at the Swainsboro Methodist Church fellowship hall. President Diana Malone called the meeting to order at 5 p.m.

Chaplain, Ann Peebles, opened the meeting with an inspiration titled, “Judge not to Judge". After the inspiration a moment of silence was held in memory of beloved member, Ginny Smith.

Lucille Braswell, secretary, read the minutes of the previous meeting and treasurer, Kay Peacock, presented the treasurer's report, both were approved as presented. Yard of the month, chairman, Yonna Bailey, reported that the Yard of the Month program will begin in April with Mary Pate Gay replacing Ginny Smith. Smith served on the Seedling Garden Club committee for several years and will be greatly missed. She enjoyed awarding deserving yards with the Yard of the Month honor. Nancy Lisenby, Arbor Day chairman, reported that in order to keep the planted trees throughout the community alive members must take turns with watering them. She gave out funnels to help with watering trees. Several members signed up to take turns with this project. Cheryl Goodman reported that plans for the club to have an entry in the Pine Tree Festival is under way. Working with Pine Tree Festival committee, the club will decide what they plan to do.

Goodman introduced the program for the evening. Dr. Paul Cerpovicz, Professor and Campus Beekeeper for East Georgia College presented a program on "Buzzing of the Bees". He stated that he first became interested in bees from his wife’s love of bees and her encouragement to start beehives. Paul stated in 2015 bees were put on East Georgia State College campus and in 2016 they were second in the State, now they are 14 in State. With 218 Bee Clubs in the State, these statistics speak well for a small-town college. Students tend to the hives and extract the honey. It takes one full year for bees to produce an ounce of honey.

Members really enjoyed watching the busy bees in the portable hive that Cerpovicz brought and now know how the expression "busy as a bee" came about, because they are indeed very busy workers.

Paul's purpose for presenting programs like this is to make people aware of bees. He gave each member a small jar of honey from his bees and also gave members an African Blue Basil plant and packages of pollinator wildflower mix. These are great pollinators to "feed a bee". Five books titled "Pollinator " was donated to be given with the raffle drawing at the end of the meeting. The very interesting and educational program was enjoyed by all members.

As the saying goes, "Everyone is Irish one day of the year". This was true with the Saint Patrick's motif used for the serving table for refreshments. A toy boy and girl all dressed up for Saint Patrick's Day was seated on either side of a pot of gold coins. Green was used throughout the decorations on the table. Hostesses served cheesecake with a choice of different toppings and soda. Hostesses for the evening were Paula Karrh, Judy McWhorter, and Wanda Scarboro. Twenty-one members were present with three new members being welcomed. New members are Jill Briercheck, Jane Durden, and Cathy Daniels. The Seedling Garden Club always has room for new members.

The luck of the Irish was with Cathy Daniels winning the raffle item and to Mary Pate Gay, Cheryl Goodman, Sally Willingham, and Kim Hooks winning the Pollinator Book donated by the speaker.

The Seedling Garden Club is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. and Oleander District.