Destin Garden Club meeting

The Destin Garden Club wishes to extend an invitation to the public and members to attend their upcoming meeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave.

Guest speaker Dara Dobson, Walton County Master Gardener, will give a program entitled "Florida Native Woody Shrubs/Trees and Their Importance to Our Florida Birds, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators." It will be a discussion on the beauty and importance of species and why planting natives matter to our declining native pollinator populations. She will bring a group of Florida native shrubs and small trees and showing how they can enhance your landscape and also the importance of including them in public landscapes.

Dobson has been a panhandle resident for 53 years. She currently serves as the chairman on the DeFuniak Springs City Beautification and Tree Board, and she and her husband Lloyd own and operate Seven Pines Native Plant Nursery, which specializes in Florida native plants, shrubs, trees, grasses, vines and wildflowers and old southern garden favorites. They also offer Florida native plant design services.

In addition, Dara and Lloyd Dobson own and live on a 240 acre Stewardship Forest in DeFuniak Springs. A Stewardship Forestry program promotes reforesting with native Longleaf pines (Pinus palustris), planting crops for wildlife, protecting endangered plant species, planting native plants and wildflowers pond management and installation of various bird boxes. The program revolves around multiple-use management and conservation of private lands.

This meeting is open and free to the public who are encouraged to attend this delightful, educational program. The object of the Destin Garden Club is to stimulate the love of gardening among members; to promote gardening through community projects; to aid in the protection of birds, trees, shrubs and flowers; to encourage city beautification and to share with members and others the fruit of our studies.

For more information or questions, please contact Velda Dougherty at 660-341-8900.