On Dec. 9 members of the Reston Garden Club met at Walker Nature Center. The club workshops are popular and provide a wonderful time to gather with club friends. Photo by Ryan Dunn.
December usually brings a holiday decorations workshop of some kind. The Reston Garden Club, an active community organization, held their decoration workshop at the Walker Nature Center in December on Glade Drive in Reston. The club workshops are very popular and provide a wonderful time to gather with club friends for activity.
Each year several club workshops are held to teach various crafts or provide a platform to produce items for fundraising.The Reston Garden Club has been an active part of the Reston community, since its organization in 1970. “I was the first membership chair person,” said Sally Guilfoyle, a resident of Reston for 44 years. “We have gone through a lot of changes.” Attending the December workshop were club leaders including President Mary Weinhold.
“This is something we do every year,” said Reston resident Joan Namm, a member of the Reston Garden Club for over 20 years. Programs and projects of the club are designed to encourage interest in home gardening, better horticultural practices, flower arranging, civic beautification and the conservation of native plants and wildlife. Membership is open to all interested residents of Reston and surrounding communities, whether they are novices or experts.
Objectives of the December workshop were to make over 50 holiday mug arrangements which were given to locations within the Reston area. These sites included the Artemis House, the Reston Embry Rucker Shelter, Reston Community Center, and Tall Oaks Assisted Living. Reston resident Pat Lenz explained the winter green holiday mug arrangements were a traditional event for the club. Other club contributions to Reston have included hundreds of trees and other memorial plantings, nature camp scholarships, “Adopt-A-Highway” maintenance of the Bowman Towne Drive area, and co-sponsorship of Reston Garden Tours. The club also maintains the garden at Reston Regional Library.
“Everything is done by the club members,” said JoAnn Shaub. “Both the greens and the holiday mugs were provided by members of the Reston Garden Club.” The December workshop has been a popular event as it allows members to be creative as they decorate mugs with wintergreen trimmings such as pine and holly. Members then have the chance to share these decorations with members of the community.
Members of the Reston Garden Club enjoy monthly programs with speakers and demonstrations. In addition, special events such as bus trips to gardens and shows are planned throughout the year. For more information on the Reston Garden Club, visit www.therestongardenclub.org.