Hernando Civic Garden Club

10/14/2026

The Hernando Civic Garden Club enjoyed a beautiful fall day touring the Germantown garden of Pam Beasley during our October meeting! 🍂🍁

Pam has decades of horticultural experience and a true passion for gardening. As Germantown’s Parks Director Emeritus and an active Memphis Area Master Gardener, she shares her knowledge with gardeners of all experience levels. Through Manor Woods Garden and her continued consulting work with Germantown Harvest Gardens, Pam puts her expertise in natural resources management, sustainable agriculture, and native plant design into practice.

Members enjoyed strolling along the gravel pathways of Pam’s beautiful home garden, which features an impressive 117 potted plants throughout the landscape! One of the most interesting aspects of her garden is that Pam grows her plants from seeds and cuttings. She also creates her own compost using leaves and yard waste to naturally nourish her plants and landscaping.

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with gardening inspiration, beautiful scenery, and valuable tips from an experienced gardener. Thank you, Pam, for graciously opening your garden and sharing your knowledge and passion with our members! 🌸🌿

10/03/2026

On Thursday, October 1, 2026, HCGC members Cookie, Mary Ashley (President) and Kim (new member) took to Riley street to pick up trash to kick off one of our community projects. Riley street has been adopted by HCGC for several years.

09/10/2026

Hernando Civic Garden Club members gathered at the lovely home of Katie Snell for our September meeting and the first meeting of the 2026-2027 club year.

We were excited to welcome our new members Lisa Day, Debra Sikes, Kim Starnes, and Cathy Thompson with a special New Member Tea hosted by Katie Snell and co-hostesses Valerie Donnelly, Stacy Dorris, Camille Pittman, Gwyn Young and Pat Young. HCGC President Mary Ashley McNeely welcomed everyone and led an orientation for all club members as we began another exciting year together. Members received the new HCGC yearbook filled with pictures of all our members accomplishments last year along with hand-painted pictures by our talented member Suzanne Cox. Members reviewed club assignements, upcoming projects, and plans for the year ahead. Elizabeth Mills gave the invocation, and Amanda Uselton presented hostess Katie Snell with a beautiful fall floral arrangement she created in appreciation for opening her home to our club.

It was a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and a great start to a new year for HCGC! 🌻🍁

08/23/2026

The North Mississippi Hummingbird Festival is September 12 & 13 this year at the historic Snowden House in Southaven, MS. Lots of great information about the festival can be found on the website linked below.

07/03/2026

The Hernando Civic Garden Club held a wreath-laying ceremony on the Blue Star Memorial at the First Regional Library in honor of Independence Day and America's 250th Celebration.

The wreath was placed at the Blue Star Memorial as a symbol of our enduring gratitude, respect, and remembrance for all who have served our nation, past and present.

As we celebrate the birth of our nation and commemorate 250 years of American independence, we recognize that this year marks the beginning of our nation's semi-quincentennial celebration—a historic milestone honoring two and a half centuries of freedom, democracy, and the enduring American spirit.

It is especially fitting that we gathered at this Blue Star Memorial to pay tribute to the generations of service members whose courage and sacrifice have safeguarded those ideals. May this Blue Star Memorial remain a place of remembrance, reflection, and appreciation for generations to come.

Happy Independence Day, and may God bless America.

National Garden Clubs Inc.
Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc.
The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.

06/15/2026

06/14/2026

On the final day of National Garden Clubs Inc. National Garden Week 2026, our members honored Hernando's rich history cleaning and beautifying the gravesite of Felix LaBauve at the Hernando Memorial Park Cemetery. Shrubs were cut back, leaves were raked and weeds were removed to make a more welcoming and respectful memorial space.

Felix LaBauve played a remarkable role in shaping the history of Hernando and DeSoto County. Born in France in 1809, he was orphaned at a young age and immigrated to America in 1815. Throughout his life, he devoted himself to public service and community improvement.

Known as the "Father of Scholarships in Mississippi," LaBauve established the state's first university scholarship endowment to provide educationsal opportunities for orphaned boys who otherwise might not have the means to pursue higher education. He served on the Hernando Town Council, represented DeSoto County in the Mississippi Legislature, helped establish the county's first newspaper, and served as DeSoto County Clerk. He also inspired the design of Hernando's iconic 1870 French castle-style courthouse and donated land for the establishment of a Catholic church in the city.

As we concluded National Garden Week, we were proud to preserve and honor the resting place of a man whose vision, generosity, and leadership continue to influence our community today.

The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.
Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc.
National Garden Clubs Inc.

06/14/2026

On Friday, our members visited the Desoto County Museum to install a sunflower-shaped birdseed wreath for local birds to enjoy in celebration of National Garden Week, sponsored by National Garden Clubs Inc..

The wreath is made with sunflower hearts and black oil sunflower seeds, which will attract a variety of bird species to the area and provide a nutritious food source for our feathered friends.

The DeSoto County Museum has been a treasured part of the Hernando community since opening on Commerce Street in 2003. Located in the heart of the city, the museum preserves and shares the rich history of DeSoto County, Mississippi through its exhibits, artifacts, and educational displays.

Red, white, and blue flowers were placed at the newly installed Veterans Memorial on the Courthouse Square as a tribute to the brave men and women who have served our country.

This project was completed in conjunction with the Hernando Veterans Parade Committee, who dedicated the memorial in 2025. Our club is honored to support and recognize the sacrifices of our armed forces and veterans. We hope these patriotic blooms serve as a lasting reminder of our gratitude for their service and commitment to our nation.

The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.
Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc.
National Garden Clubs Inc.

06/13/2026

Our Seedlings group of young gardeners jumped in to National Garden Clubs Inc. National Garden Week on Thursday making seed bombs! The children were able to craft custom seed bombs from natural materials to take home to use or as a gift.

The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.
Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc.
National Garden Clubs, Inc.

06/12/2026

HCGC was honored to sponsor two young men from Hernando, Mitchell McNeely and Kyle Cartwright, to MSU’s 53rd Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Camp. McNeely and Cartwright both said that they really enjoyed the hands on experience of the camp and all that they learned about horticulture and landscaping. The annual camp is sponsored by MSU and the Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc. Campers Kyle Cartwright, Mitchell McNeely, and Ellie Bozeman presented a floral arrangement and a resolution to GCM President Mrs. Sassy Mauldin as a token of appreciation for the support from the state organization.
The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.
Mary Ashley Mauldin Mcneely
National Garden Clubs Inc.
Sally-Sassy Draper Mauldin