Mount Holly hosts garden series

Lovers of gardening and history can satisfy both their passions at the Mount Holly Garden Series, 9 a.m. today at Mount Holly Cemetery, 1200 S. Broadway.

The series, featuring talks by a variety of gardening experts, was started by the More Group as a way to draw more visitors to the historic cemetery. Now, though, it's run by the Downtown Dames, a community service group in the South Main Street district that formed in 2004.

"It was a group of ladies that wanted to see what we could do to help things around here," says Margaret Wyatt, Dames president.

In the beginning, the group weeded flower beds, hosted balls and Victorian teas, put up flags and Christmas decorations along Main Street and around the Mount Holly Cemetery in conjunction with other groups like the More Group.

Over the years, its focus has shifted from the South Main area as a whole to Mount Holly as its particular pet project.

Currently, the group is raising money to help with renovations to the Bell House and in the past, Downtown Dames has bought markers for graves that didn't have them and helped pay for a commemorative plaque for Arkansas soldiers in the Civil War Battle of New Market.

And, of course, the group hosts the Garden Series, with its garden- and outdoor-related programs held the third Saturday of the month, April through October. There's a speaker, doughnuts, coffee and door prizes, and attendees are invited to take chairs or to sit on the curb or in the shade of the Bell House at the cemetery. Admission to the event is a suggested donation of $5, which will help cover expenses for the series and to raise money for other Downtown Dames projects.

When it comes to the speakers, Wyatt says, "We try to find the cutting edge of what goes on in the garden."

Today's speaker, master gardener Susan Rose, will talk about seasonal bulbs and will bring some as door prizes. Rose is one of the series' regulars. Finishing out the season, Tana Beasley of Stuttgart will talk about hummingbirds in September and Janet Carson will speak in October.

The purpose, in addition to sharing information, is to draw people to the cemetery so they can see it as it changes through the year.

"It's a beautiful cemetery. You go to cemeteries and everything is flat and there are no trees and they make it so it can be mowed without any obstructions. This is a beautiful place. To me, it's a place that marks the lives of many wonderful people," Wyatt says.

HomeStyle on 08/20/2016

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