Belzoni Garden Club

06/18/2026

Got the paper to bed a little early tonight.

06/18/2026

📣 From the Desk of Emily Donovan
Environmental Concerns (Air Quality & Water) Chairman, Garden Clubs of Mississippi
Vice President, Belzoni Garden Club

Looking for a meaningful Water Stewardship project for your garden club?

Projects do not have to be large or expensive to make a lasting impact. Consider initiatives such as:

💧 Rain Gardens – Capture stormwater runoff, reduce localized flooding, and help filter pollutants before they reach streams, ponds, and lakes.

🌿 Native Plant Demonstration Gardens – Showcase attractive, low-maintenance plants that require less supplemental watering while educating the public about water-wise landscaping.

🌳 Tree Planting Projects – Trees intercept rainfall, reduce runoff, stabilize soil, and improve water quality.

🏞️ Native Vegetative Buffers – Planted around ponds, streams, drainage ditches, and lakes, these living filters trap sediment, absorb excess nutrients, reduce erosion, and help keep pollutants out of our waterways.

🚯 Waterway and Drainage Cleanups – Removing litter from streams, ditches, and shorelines improves water quality and protects wildlife.

📚 Educational Signage and Public Awareness Projects – Help residents understand how everyday actions affect our water resources and encourage stewardship throughout the community.

When rain falls, stormwater runoff can carry sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, oil, litter, pet waste, and other pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Approximately 86% of Americans receive their drinking water from surface water sources, making clean waterways essential not only for wildlife and recreation, but also for the quality of the water many of us drink every day.

Environmental Concerns and Water Stewardship Award submissions are due December 1, but projects and reports may be submitted at any time before the deadline.

I would love to see the creative ways clubs across Mississippi are protecting and improving our water resources. Share your projects, photos, and success stories!

06/15/2026

Give the new River Road page a follow!

06/15/2026

How cool! Congratulations!

NATIONAL WINNER OF SMOKEY BEAR/WOODSY OWL POSTER CONTEST SPONSORED BY BRANDON GARDEN CLUB

Brandon Garden Club, Inc. (BGC) is very proud of Srishti Rajesh Babu, second grade student at Stonebridge Elementary School, for winning National First Place, Second Grade, from National Garden Clubs, Inc. for her Woodsy Owl poster. The annual Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster competition is a partnership between the U. S. National Park Service and National Garden Clubs, Inc. Entries are judged at local (BGC), state (The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.), regional (Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc.), and national (National Garden Clubs, Inc.) levels. Winning First Place from National Garden Clubs, Inc. is an exceptional honor.

On June 11, 2026, Srishti Rajesh Babu had the opportunity to meet Smokey Bear and Mississippi Forestry Commission staff at Brandon Public Library. Her teacher, Jennifer Ables, joined BGC members for a photo with Srishti holding the winning poster.

Pictured with Srishti Rajesh Babu (L-R): President Ann Wentz, President; Joan Alliston, Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl Chairman; Smokey Bear (Brendan Blakely, Forester), Mark Mann, Forester; Meacham Harlow, Outreach & Information Officer; Jennifer Ables, Teacher, Stonebridge Elementary School; and Charla Jordan, Public Relations Chairman.

06/12/2026

🌺🤍💙 Red, White, and Bloom came to life through these beautiful arrangements!

A special thank you to Kathy Allen for coordinating the floral designs for the River Road Spring District Meeting and for leading the talented team of volunteers who helped create them. From gathering materials to designing and placing each arrangement, their hard work added beauty and a warm welcome to our event.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed flowers, greenery, creativity, and time to make the meeting a success. Garden club members truly know how to transform a space and make guests feel at home.

Thank you all for helping make the 2026 River Road Spring District Meeting a memorable day in full bloom! 💐

06/11/2026

What a wonderful day hosting the River Road District Spring Meeting of Garden Clubs of Mississippi!

The Belzoni Garden Club and Isola Garden Club were honored to welcome more than 60 members from across the Delta to Belzoni for a day of fellowship, education, and celebration of gardening and community service.

We are especially proud that River Road District was recognized as the district with the most national awards and recognitions in Mississippi. The Belzoni Garden Club was also honored to receive three National Garden Clubs Certificates of Appreciation for our work during 2025.

A heartfelt thank you to Rev. Steven Dahl and First Presbyterian Church for graciously allowing us to use their beautiful facility. We also extend our sincere appreciation to every club member and volunteer who helped decorate, prepare food, welcome guests, register attendees, and work behind the scenes to make the day a success.

We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase our community and share the spirit of service that makes our clubs so special. 🌸

06/10/2026

🌿🌸 The Decorations and Floral Committees have been hard at work preparing for tomorrow’s River Road District Meeting!

We couldn’t resist sharing this clever creation by member Eva Champion. Using a simple mason jar and repurposed onion and garlic mesh bags, Eva created a floral arranging grid that helps keep stems in place and makes designing beautiful arrangements even easier.

Gardeners are known for finding creative uses for everyday items, and this is a wonderful example of recycling materials into something both useful and beautiful.

Thank you, Eva, for sharing your talents and inspiration as we prepare to welcome our guests tomorrow! 🌺💐

06/09/2026

Keep Belzoni Beautiful is proud to partner with Heart of the Delta, Mississippi State University Extension, AIM for Change, and community volunteers for the America 250 Greatest American Cleanup!

As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, we’re inviting individuals, families, churches, civic groups, businesses, and organizations to help make Belzoni shine.

Choose July 1, July 2, or July 3 and organize a cleanup project that makes a visible difference in our community. Whether it’s picking up litter, beautifying a neighborhood, planting flowers, cleaning a park, or sprucing up a community space, every effort matters.

Keep Belzoni Beautiful will provide trash bags and gloves.

Let’s show our pride in Belzoni and be part of a nationwide effort to leave our communities better than we found them.

For more information or to register your cleanup project, contact Belzoni today.

06/08/2026

🌸🇺🇸 Belzoni Garden Club Members 🇺🇸🌸

As we prepare to host the District Garden Club Meeting, we are asking members to help us create beautiful table arrangements for our guests.

Please bring fresh flowers to the Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall on Wednesday June 10 by 10am. Our theme colors are red, white, and blue, but we will gladly accept any flowers you can share. Also bring mason jars and baskets you have as well

We are looking for small baskets to use on the tables for our floral arrangements.

Thank you for helping us showcase the beauty and hospitality of Belzoni. We appreciate your support and look forward to a wonderful District Meeting!

06/07/2026

🌿 National Garden Week begins Today! 🌿

Gardens teach us patience. This oakleaf hydrangea was planted in May 2025, and over the past year it has grown from a newly planted shrub into a beautiful part of the landscape. While it has gained some height, its biggest growth has been outward, filling its space with lush foliage and blooms.

One of the greatest lessons gardening teaches is that growth often happens slowly, one season at a time. Healthy soil, the right plant in the right place, and a little patience can transform a garden in ways that are hard to see day by day but remarkable when you look back.

As we celebrate National Garden Week, take a moment to appreciate the plants, gardens, and gardeners in your community. Whether you tend a single flowerpot or an entire landscape, every garden has a story.

What is growing best in your garden this year?