San Saba’s Garden Club is getting ready to start a new program year and we’ll start by celebrating something that happened a long time ago.

It was a beautiful fall morning in 1955 when Garden Club members Sallie Arhelger and Katylee May went to the Mill Pond to water the flower beds. The most exciting thing they expected to find was a wilted petunia or a little damage from some furry creature that paid a nocturnal visit. Boy, were they surprised!

When they arrived, they were greeted by a wrecking crew that was in the process of demolishing the old mill building. The two-story rock building, one of the oldest in San Saba, originally housed a mill which was operated by water power and was later used as a pumping station for the City’s water system.

Sallie and Katylee were horrified. They abandoned their water hoses and immediately went to see the Mayor. They convinced the City Council to grant the Garden Club a 99-year lease on the building provided club members would restore it for their use and for use as a garden center.

San Saba’s Garden Club has chosen to focus this year’s programs on extending the legacy of the courageous and creative women who founded the Garden Club in 1936 and who, over the years, have made important contributions to our community. Among other accomplishments, they have sown thousands of wildflower seeds along our highways, met their obligation to restore and maintain the rock building, supported a variety of war efforts, and embraced their Creed of endeavoring "to make this a more beautiful place in which to live."

Our first meeting in September will be a re-enactment of the morning Katylee and Sallie stopped the wrecking ball. Aileen Roberts, a long-time Garden Club member and well-known performer, is writing the script and producing the skit. The hostess committee (chaired by Carol Littlefield and assisted by Jeanne Sauer and Marcie Cooper) will provide a nostalgic buffet of 1950s-era salads, music, table decor and cake and ice cream.

You might think the September program will be hard to top, but listen to a few of the other events we’ll offer this year. In October, we’ll visit Mark Hedley’s ranch in Richland Springs to enjoy lunch and learn about hydroponics and bees. In February, we’ll have a formal tea (with appropriate vintage attire) to honor our Country’s first President. In January, Cathy Ledbetter will present a slide show featuring historic homes and gardens of San Saba. In December, the Club will visit Ann McElroy’s home at Harmony Ridge, enjoy a delicious holiday lunch and feast on the beauty of the table decorations created by Jane Randolph, Gail Bruner and Anna Wilson. Every program we’ll have this year will provide interesting information, good food and even better fellowship.

The Club meets from September through May at 11:00 am at the Clubhouse or at another designated location. In addition, the Club sponsors a variety of optional field trips and participates in community projects that improve the quality of life for San Saba residents or visitors. This year the Club’s projects include reaching out to San Saba’s youth and expanding our town’s public gardens.

The Garden Club welcomes new members. The only requirements for membership are a desire to learn more about gardening, a commitment to making San Saba County more beautiful and a $20 per year membership fee. Please feel free to call Ann McElroy at 372.4469, Lynn McHenry at 628.3285 or any other Garden Club member for more information.