District I Holds 2026 Spring Membership Meeting

District I held it’s Spring Membership meeting on March 30, 2026 at Memphis Botanic Garden.

Members were treated to a masterclass in Horticulture Collections and Displays. The featured speaker was Shannon Hammers, a member of Collierville Garden Club, the District I Judges Council and Memphis Area Master Gardeners. Shannon set up various collections and displays with staging and powerpoint visuals to go over rules, tips and differences of the two when entering a flower show or using them to decorate the home.

TFGC President, Leila Johnson and TFGC President Elect, La Quita Misner, traveled to Memphis to attend this meeting. The night prior to the District meeting, they were honored at an Italian dinner with several District 1 club members from Germantown Garden Club and Poplar Estates Garden Club in the home of Phyllis Allen. Both of these officers helped to hand out the TFGC awards for the Tennessee winners in the Smokey Bear-Woodsy Owl National Poster Contest. Club Presidents in attendance from Cordova Garden Club, Germantown Garden Club, Poplar Estates Garden Club, Southwind Garden Club and Suburban Garden Club picked up the certificates for both the club and the student artist.

A special Memorial service was held to honor the deceased members of District I clubs for the past year. Names were read and white roses, representing each named member, were placed in a vase. Barbra Dodge, District Chaplain, spoke words of comfort and the vase of roses was later presented to Caroline Nave as a tribute to her presence today.

Monies were collected for Plant A Tree by Ways and Means. Clubs were asked to donate a basket centerpiece for the tables and several silent auction tables. Baskets contained items such as seeds, aprons, trowels, gloves, plants and other creative items to be sold by silent auction to benefit the needs of District I projects. A buffet luncheon followed the meeting and members were invited by the Assistant Director of Memphis Botanic Gardens to tour the remaining tulip beds in bloom.