Cook made Honorary Lifetime Member of Garden Club
Donna Cook became the newest Honorary Lifetime Member of the Pine Island Garden Club during its monthly meeting at Fishers of Men Evangelical Lutheran Church Thursday morning.
“I am overwhelmed,” Cook said, surprised of the honor.
Garden Club President Marty Kendall said there is nobody in the club, in her opinion, that deserves the honor more.
“She is an artist with flowers,” she said.
After guest speaker Lynn Berreitter gave a presentation, Cook was called to the front of the room as Garden Club Honorary Member Marjorie Vanderkruik gave her praise for everything she has done for the club and Pine Island.
Kendall then read two letters, one from author Pamela Crawford and the other from the Florida Gardening Magazine highlighting Cook’s gift of gardening and floral arrangements.
“She is the kind of person who touches everyone she meets in a very gentle way,” she said after the presentation was completed.
Cook began gardening once she moved to Pine Island around 1995.
“I just love plants,” she said.
Her enjoyment of gardening comes from the successes she has with her plants, due to the many failures that take place. The ideas for her gardening stem from Mother Nature because of the many colors it provides.
For the past eight or nine years, Cook has provided demonstrations at the annual Garden Gala of how to create floral designs. She said the 30-minute demonstration shows what is available at one’s fingertips without buying flowers.
The designs are created from what Cook is growing in her yard, what her friends are growing and from a horticultural trash pile. She said it is easy to piece something together to form an arrangement from what is found in Mother Nature.
The 12th Annual Pine Island Garden Gala will be held Saturday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event, which includes free parking and admission, will feature native and tropical plants, crafts, food, raffles, white elephant and bake sale.
For more information, visit www.pineislandgardenclub.org