For Gloria Houser, a tree was an opportunity — a living monument to the majesty of nature. She was particularly fond of the Smoke Tree, also known as the cotinus coggygria. In the early summer, its leaves are a vibrant salmon color — giving the plant a smoky appearance in the fresh yellow sunbeams of the summer sun. On long walks through the city's west side with her husband, Houser would often comment on how lovely she thought the tree looked, its branches smoldering toward the sky.
After Houser died last year, the Beverly Hills Garden Club started wondering about how to honor her. She was a longtime member of the club and often spearheaded beautification projects with the city, creating Christmas wreaths for City Hall and planting flowers at George Washington Middle School. She was also an active member of the Alexandria Beautification Commission since 1983. Because of her longtime association with the city, the club wondered about planting a memorial tree at a city park.
Gloria and William Houser were often seen strolling hand-in-hand at Fort Ward Park, a short walk from their home on Early Street. After being approached by the garden club, City Arborist John Noelle arranged for a plot of land near the front parking lot to be set aside and the club donated a Smoke Tree. Last week, a ceremony was held to dedicate the tree and remember Gloria Houser.
"There were many times when I would be at the park and I would see Gloria and Bill holding hands," said Noelle. "I said, 'You know, people will think that you're in love,' but they just smiled."
HE REMEMBERED the first time his wife met Houser, who was a gifted social facilitator.
"My wife asked me, 'Who was that lady who took my hand and introduced me to everybody in the room?' I told her it was Gloria," said Noelle. "She was like that, always wanting to make people feel comfortable."
Other members of the garden club agreed that this was one of her outstanding traits.
"If you were standing in the back of the room, she would approach you and make you feel comfortable," said Erika Dante, turning her attention to the Smoke Tree. "Gloria deserved this for all she did."
She remembered the day she met Hauser, after fracturing her shoulder. Dante was walking through Fort Ward Park when a stranger approached her.
"She wanted to know what had happened to me," Dante remembered. "She was so compassionate, and she was always concerned about the welfare of others."
MEMBERS OF THE GARDEN club remembered Houser's interest in bamboo, which she would often use in her flower arrangements. Members of the club laughed at the mention of bamboo, which became a staple of the garden club's resources by accident.
"It started when we were at Arlington National Cemetery about 50 years ago," said William Hauser. "We were looking for things to transplant to Alexandria and we came upon all this bamboo. We brought it back to our home on Early Street, and it started taking over. So she started clipping it and using it in her arrangements."
The Smoke Tree was planted just north of the front parking lot. No plaque has been placed at the tree yet, but Noelle is investigating the possibility of including one at the memorial planting.
Several days after the memorial planting, Alexandria was named a Tree City by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 22nd year that the city has received this national recognition, which was given to the cities that meet for standards: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.
"She would be very proud of her city to be named a Tree City because she worked so hard on the Beautification Commission," said garden club member Bunny Hooker. "Gloria helped to make this a Tree City, so I think she would be proud."