The San Saba Garden Club (SSGC) met on October 1st at 2:00 p.m. in the historic clubhouse at Mill Pond Park. The event was well attended, with 24 members present and two guests, Rhonda Waidmann and her mother, Margo Kight, joining the meeting.
Hostesses Mona McMahan (chair), Denise Mason, and Betty Jo Fisher served an enticing array of refreshments. Individual charcuterie cups filled with savory tidbits and topped with a towering skewer of cheese were a delightful surprise. They were accompanied by a fresh fruit bowl, mini cheesecake cups, and caramel-drizzled green apple slices. Guests sipped on a variety of iced beverages, including hibiscus, black, and peach teas, with coffee also available. The serving tables were festively decorated in warm tones of falling leaves, capturing the beauty of the autumn season.
After requesting that Mona McMahan lead the group in prayer, President Debbie Shahan called the meeting to order, and customary recitation of the club’s collect, motto, and creed followed. The meeting was then turned over to member Donna McKinney, who presented the first in a two-part series on home landscaping.
In her engaging presentation, McKinney highlighted the process of assessing outdoor spaces, creating paper-and-pencil plans to scale, and implementing changes to create a more inviting landscape. Notably, McKinney’s sensible advice was that landscaping should begin with considering what you, the landscaper, most desire—what will bring you most pleasure and nourish your spirit—since the yard is an extension of the home. She further noted the importance of considering the unique opportunities and limitations of each space, while also factoring in personal preferences, budget, and time commitments.
To encourage the less experienced landscapers in the group, McKinney shared her own journey of purchasing a home with nearly half an acre of land containing just three trees, weeds, and several man-made structures requiring removal or relocation. As a professional florist, McKinney was able to showcase her expertise by sharing drawings of her own landscape designs. She spoke candidly about the challenges she had faced in transforming her barren yard into a lush and vibrant space. Over time, she created an intricately laid out and inviting garden that now boasts year-round blooming flowers, a vegetable garden, stone paths, rerouted dry creeks, and cloistered seating for relaxation and meditation.
Looking ahead, the club is eagerly anticipating next month’s meeting, which will be held at McKinney's home to view her landscaping project. Members are encouraged to bring a drawing to scale of their own yards as well as ideas for adding features that will transform their outdoor spaces into nurturing environments for themselves, their families, guests, and passersby.