by Darrel Mayers
With over 30 official garden clubs that call Zilker Botanical Garden
Center their home, it is pretty clear that we live in a city of gardeners.
This number doesn't even include a whole host of very active 'un-
official' clubs and community gardens, guilds, meet-ups and projects
that happen across Travis and Hays Counties.
The Garden Club of Austin is one of the city's oldest, and it cele-
brates the sixtieth anniversary of its first flower show this coming
weekend with a big plant show and sale.
On Saturday the show runs from noon to 5 p.m. and on Sunday,
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Zilker Garden Center Auditorium and patio, at
2220 Barton Springs Road, will be the center of all of the activities.
It was fun to drop in on a meeting of this venerable club last Thurs-
day. Amanda Moon (from our nursery) spoke of the joys of strolling
through an evening garden of silver foliage and white flowers, many
of which release wonderful fragrances to attract bats and moths and
other nighttime pollinators.
'If you are wanting to go with vines, you can plant a mixture of mor-
ning glories for day-time color, and moonflowers for the evenings
and nights,' suggested Amanda.
She also spoke of many other players who have a role in creating
a beautiful evening and nighttime garden, including hymenocallis
(spider lilies), gardenias, angel's trumpets, artichokes, sweet aly-
ssum, silver pony foot and mission olive trees.
Wilburn Hackebeil, vice president Dana Rocco after the meeting.
Afterwards I sat down with Wilburn Hackebeil, who was club pres-
ident from 2007 through 2012 (and a huge fan of caladiums). He
explained that of all the clubs, the Garden Club of Austin is the
most general. 'If you are new to Austin, this is a good place to learn
the basics.'
Fellow club members, such as Indian horticulturist Venkappa Gani,
are all seasoned experts in the differences between gardening east
or west of IH-35, which plants to put where, and they will help with
advice on how to grow bumper crops of vegetables.
'When the club began in 1953 it was called "the Men's Garden Club
of Austin," and there were a lot of guys from Bergstrom Air Force
Base, and much more of a focus on vegetables,' said Wilburn. 'Now
it's more about flowers and vegetables and everything in between.
Also the "men's" part of the title has been dropped and women have
been welcomed for years.'
There was a fun, party-atmosphere in the room as the 40-or-so assem-
bled members exchanged stories and asked questions during Amanda's
illustrated talk. At the end came the results of a salsa-making contest
and a raffle.
The Garden Club of Austin currently has 60+ members. Annual dues
are $25. They are a friendly bunch and will welcome new members
with open arms.
Happy gardening everyone! ❦
