The November meeting of the San Saba Garden Club (SSGC) was a field trip to nearby Fiesta Winery, where the group enjoyed a delightful and informative afternoon of refreshments and instruction in Hill Country gardening. The Steve Baxter family owns and manages Fiesta Winery, the vineyards, and the lovely landscape. Sally, Steve’s wife, has created an Edenic environment, surrounding the immaculately kept vineyard, that boasts a variety of flowerbeds artfully filled with perennials and evergreens, cascading hanging baskets, container gardens, and beautiful water features. Outdoor seating allows visitors to enjoy wine tasting and light refreshments, such as charcuterie boards, surrounded by nature’s bounty.
Sally generously shared some practical gardening advice with SSGC attendees. Of particular interest was how to handle the ongoing challenge of armadillos invading our gardens. Sally recommends using cayenne pepper and purchases it in large quantities to sprinkle liberally throughout her natural oasis; to date, she has found it to be an effective deterrent that does not harm the environment.
Club members also learned some of Fiesta Winery’s history. Located along the Colorado River, the property on which the Winery sits has been in the Baxter family for six generations. The original family home still stands, currently occupied by Sally and Steve Baxter.
Following a tour of the vineyard and grounds, SSGC members met in the tasting room for their business meeting. The Youth Committee announced winners of a poetry contest sponsored by the Garden Club. San Saba Elementary School winners were: Gavin Jolly - 1st place; Kinlei Vogel - 2nd place; and Thomas Tracy - 3rd place. The Club expressed sincere appreciation to Mrs. Jost’s third grade class for its enthusiastic participation in the contest, and wished the winners great success as their entries progressed to the National Garden Club’s District-level competition.
Recent activities sponsored by the Garden Club were the annual Blue Star Memorial Wreath Hanging (November 11th) and the San Saba Fall Decorating Contest for businesses and residences (November 13th). Forthcoming events include: San Saba Clean-up Day (December 11th), a Christmas carol singalong with cookies and hot cocoa at the local nursing home (December 14th), and this year’s fundraiser, which features beautiful notecards with photographs taken by Club members of local flowers and pollinators. These cards would make lovely Christmas gifts as well as personal thank-you notes. They can be purchased from any SSGC member. For more information, you may also contact Dianna Furlan at <furlan.dlf@gmail.com>.
Upon conclusion of the business meeting, the group enjoyed beverages and lovely cheese and fruit trays available in the tasting room.
The next meeting of the San Saba Garden Club will be its annual Christmas party. The theme is “An Old-Fashioned Christmas.” Members and their guests can look forward to a special evening of holiday dress, Christmas music, a potluck hors d’oeuvre buffet, “jingle juice” and wassail, lively conversation, and the continuing tradition of bringing wrapped gifts for nursing home residents. The event will be held in Rhonda Killion’s spacious in-town barn, which December hostesses will transform into a winter wonderland for this festive event.