Since annual flower show is deferred until next year, the Gonzales Garden Club gathered for a business meeting, lunch and a garden tour. The April 6 meeting centered around committee reports about the ongoing projects of Jambalaya Park beautification, the plant sale and live oak registration.
Vice President Mary Jo Pohlig reported on preparations for the upcoming Gonzales Centennial Celebration. In collaboration with the mayor’s office, she met with Chief Administrative Officer Scot Byrd at Jambalaya Park on March 31. She brought bedding plants, soil, mulch and slow-release fertilizer, for which she was reimbursed by the city. Two city workers, Robert and Corey, up in a bucket truck planted her lantana and lemon sedum in the tops of the 10 iron jambalaya pot poles with Mary Jo directing from below. Before lowering the bucket, the workers gave the plants their one and only supplement of water for life, praying for occasional rain for the otherwise drought-tolerant plants. Mary Jo remarked, “Robert and Corey did an excellent job!”
Chairman Gwen Heck spoke about a new Live Oak Society project. The garden club is in partnership with Gonzales Committee on Cultural Affairs (GCCA) thanks to GCCA Vice President and Lions Club Live Oak Tree Project Committee Chair Pam Hughes to promote the recognition of registered live oaks in the parish. The endeavor is to purchase and install commemorative plaques at 12 to 20 select trees. The ultimate goal is to publicize mapped tree locations on public land for citizens interested in self-guided tours of the grandest Ascension oaks.
President Jamie Trisler discussed next month’s plant sale. Members have been propagating plants and were reminded to bring baked goods to sell. Tables for set-up are needed. A flyer will be distributed to publicize the event. The plant and bake sale will be held on the lawn of City Hall on May 6 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. A large sign on the corner of Irma Blvd and Cornerview will beckon passersby.
The club enjoyed a meal in the elegant Carriage House Restaurant at Houma House. Eggplant Napoleon was the most decadent entrée choice. Conversations were relaxed and personable. Afterward, members strolled the grounds of shady walkways admiring the oaks, plantings, statuary and water features, occasionally drifting into offset seating areas. The ladies came away from the serene afternoon with new wishes for their own home gardens.
