Master Gardener, Pam Brightman, kept our interest with her informative and sometimes humorous PowerPoint presentation in January on pruning.  Following her presentation, members engaged with Pam, discussing pruning and other pertinent gardening topics.   We want to recognize the Greater Greenville Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau for providing expert and engaging speakers. 

Complimentary plants and flowers were again provided to members and guests.   One can never have too many plants!  Our door prize was also a lovely bouquet, which Carol Meyer took home to cheer her in the “bleak mid-winter.”

Two guests attended, and one of the guests joined the club.  Guests are always welcome!  Our next meeting is Monday, February 9th at 1 p.m. at the Mauldin Cultural Center.  Drew Jeffers, Clemson University Cooperative Extension horticulture agent, is our presenter.  His topic is “Local and not so Local Insects.”

We are preparing for our semi-annual plant sale on Saturday, March 28th at the pavilion at Mauldin City Park near the Ray Hopkins Senior Center.  There is always a wide variety of plants available as well as baked goods and “yard-sale treasures.”   Mauldin Garden Club President and master gardener, Necie Shearer, will be available to give information about plants for sale and recommendations on their best use in home gardening and landscaping.

We also want to sponsor a Mauldin conservation-minded student to attend Camp Wildwood in the summer of 2027.  The student must be entering 10th grade or higher in high school by the fall of 2027.  The Garden Club of South Carolina partners with the SC Department of Natural Resources, the SC Wildlife Federation, and the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund to ensure the camp’s success.  Camp Wildwood’s co-educational program focuses on the study of wildlife and outdoor skills, including forestry, hunter education, fisheries and more.  

We are planning now for the planting to come in our next phase of the Fence Garden at the Maulding Cultural Center.  Part of the joy of gardening is considering various plants, evaluating their appearance, growth patterns, and requirements to thrive, and choosing, hopefully, the plants that will satisfy. We also look forward to seeing our Phase One plants reappear this spring and bloom where they’ve been planted!

●  ●  ●