Hometown Brandon - Summer 2015

Everything’s
Coming Up
Brandon Garden Club members are so excited!
As President Charla Jordan has repeatedly
told them, “We do great work!” Their great work
was recognized by The Garden Clubs of
Mississippi, Inc. (GCM) at the State Convention
in April when Brandon Garden Club (BGC) was
named Outstanding Club of the Year out of 123
clubs in Mississippi. BGC also received six
additional first-place awards – three state
awards from GCM for civic achievement, public
relations, and publicity press book , and three
regional awards from the six-state Deep South
Region for public relations, publicity press book,
and litter control. To top it off, Brandon Mayor
Butch Lee issued the following proclamation at
the May 4, 2015, city board meeting:
PROCLAIMED by the Mayor of the City of
Brandon this 4th day of May 2015, that the City of
Brandon hereby recognizes the Brandon Garden
Club for its awards and thanks the club for its
contribution to beautification and betterment of
the City of Brandon.
BGC members do not “do great work” for the
awards, though. They love flowers, gardens, and
trees, and they want their homes and hometown
to reflect that love. It is shown in outreach at
local nursing homes and assisted care facilities,
in working with special needs classes at Brandon
High School, in planting and maintaining indoor
plants and flower beds on city and county
property, and in decorating for special events at
City Hall like Veterans Day and Christmas.
An example of BGC’s dedication to
beautification and betterment of the City of
Brandon occurred in March when BGC members
participated in a work day in two city-owned
cemeteries and at two unique flower beds that
they designed and maintain in partnership with
the City of Brandon and the Rankin County
Board of Supervisors. Separate groups worked at
each location and then enjoyed gathering for a
group lunch. They obviously enjoy what they do.
One work group is pictured at the Plant It
Pink bed, which is located in front of the Rankin
County Courthouse Annex. This bed promotes
breast cancer awareness and honors breast
cancer survivors. BGC members researched
plants that could survive our summer
temperatures without irrigation, and they
selected hardy pink Drift® Roses, reblooming
daylilies, pink spirea, and pink crape myrtles.
This award-winning bed provides pink color
from spring through fall.
Another group is pictured working at the
Blue Star Memorial bed, which is located at
Brandon Public Library. Since 2007 this bed has
gone through several changes, much like our
home gardens, in both the shape of the bed and
in the plantings. This year we replaced Knock
Out® roses with Drift Rose roses and replanted
the edges of the Mississippi-shaped bed with
liriope. You may be wondering why replace the
Knock Out roses? Well, we learned that the Drift
Rose is a dwarf rose growing no more than two
feet tall and two to three wide, whereas the
Knock Out rose is a shrub rose growing three to
four feet tall. The Drift Rose was a better choice
for viewing signage at both the Blue Star
Memorial and at the Rankin County Courthouse
Annex.
Garden tip: If you want a hardy rose that
requires little pruning, consider the Drift Rose.
Drift Roses were introduced in 2008 and are
disease resistant and repeat bloomers. The Drift
Rose has roots that knit together and hold soil in
place. They are useful to cover slopes and help
prevent erosion. Best uses are as foundation
plantings under low windows, to line walkways,
or to combine with flowers of mixed heights.
They may be used in hanging baskets and
containers.
52 • Summer 2015