By Susie Hovater Malone

The Cultura Garden Club held its first meeting of the calendar year at the Farmhouse Table Café and Bakery in downtown Russellville. President Debbie Nale presided over the meeting, welcoming members and special guests, Susan McKinney and Ree Shannon. Nale arranged for delicious refreshments to be served.

Manager Kandi Parker gave each attendee a menu and spoke briefly about the business and its available services. She shared how she, her sister and brother-in-law, Stephanie and Maurice McCulloch, the three owners, had a vision to start the business.

The garden club theme was “Get growing and going in our community.” Members received and reviewed club yearbooks. Nale reported on the meeting the club officers held over the summer to make plans for improving and streamlining projects and services for the community, as well as plans to make the meetings more interesting and fun, as well as possible speakers, topics, venues membership growth strategies. Officers include Cheri McCain, first vice president; Susie Malone, secretary; Patricia Cox-treasurer; Debra Spillers, historian; and Brenda Oliver, parliamentarian.

Debra Spillers, fall committee chairman, reported her committee would place four fall streetscapes downtown. Susan Pearson reported the club will plan to participate in the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Pumpkin Palooza at City Lake Park in October. The mums from the club’s fundraiser will be delivered on Monday, Sept. 18, at the home of the Nales.

In other business, the members approved a $100 donation to St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Members were encouraged to participate in local blood drives and to turn in information for club reports. They listened to a presentation detailing information about the District I fall meeting, which will take place Oct. 16 at the Weatherford Centre in Red Bay, with the Red Bay Garden Club hosting. The meeting theme will be “Plant a garden, sow happiness.”

Martha Sibley won a door prize drawing during the close of the meeting. Members read “The Garden Club of Alabama Collect.”