Fleming Island Garden Club enjoys successful food drive

By Rhonda Scoville, The Garden Club of Fleming Island

FLEMING ISLAND – Members of the Garden Club of Fleming Island recently collected 336 pounds of food and $140 during its annual food drive and delivered it to the Clothes Closet and Food Pantry of Orange Park.

The club also tidied up the Fleming Island Library gardens ahead of the Veterans Day display of American flags.

Many attended Gardenfest on Nov. 15, where they had plenty of plants and hand-made crafts ready to sell. Gardenfest was a one-day program hosted by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs in Starke. It offered topics of interest on wide-ranging horticultural and environmental subjects. It was a time of learning, sharing and making friends with those interested in gardening and conservation.

Members learned about palm trees, growing roses, how to create a fairy garden, and how to use hardscapes in your home landscape. There were wonderful gift baskets for silent auction and other beautiful items to win. Currently, plans are being made with the Art Guild of Orange Park to team up on their Art Studio tours in May. More information will be released as plans develop. Also, Jan. 7 is Florida Arbor Day so, as we do each year, we will plant a tree at one of the schools. In December, we will gather at Club Continental for a holiday lunch instead of having our regularly scheduled business meeting. We will return to the Fleming Island Library on Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. for our regular meeting. All are welcome.