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DEL.ICIO.USThe scoop on an upcoming garden gala
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Debi Cziok and Charles Wayne
Let me tell you a little about the cause behind a fun upcoming gala.
The 2008 Southeastern Flower Show’s opening night party is planned for 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The gala raises money for the Legacy Garden program.
Last year’s Legacy recipient was the Shepherd Center. I stopped by there Tuesday afternoon and visited with Debi Cziok, Shepherd Center’s horticulture specialist.
“It was a blessing for us,” she said of the garden donated through the Legacy program. “We were honored to have been chosen.”
The Shepherd Legacy Garden is just a rock’s throw from busy Peachtree Street, but you wouldn’t know it. It’s a cozy nook of raised beds planted with pansies, snapdragons, ornamental grasses, rosemary and camellias. The beds’ heights vary, allowing patients to access them from manual or motorized wheelchairs.
Patients can help with tasks like weeding, or just enjoy the garden with their families. Some have created “yard art” - stones decorated with college team colors or happy sayings.
Charles Wayne, recovering from a motorcycle accident, has been at Shepherd since October. He used to garden with his mother growing up, and always cut his grass and his neighbor’s. In fact, his lawn manicuring skills became so good that it became a side business for him.
Today, Wayne enjoys getting out in the sun and spending time in the garden at Shepherd.
“This is a getaway for people,” Cziok said.
This year’s Legacy Garden recipient will be Shepherd’s next-door neighbor, Piedmont Hospital. The program will enchance the Byrd Barrier-Free Garden, used for rehabilitative horticultural therapy, as well as a deck outside the Infusion Center. Patients and their families can enjoy the tranquil garden area during chemotherapy and other therapeutic drug infusions.
The Legacy Garden program was started in 1994, and other recipients have included the Wesley Woods Hospital, the Emory Winship Cancer Institute and Oakland Cemetery.
So, back to the gala.
The chairs are Mary Wayne Dixon and her daughter, Ginger Dixon Molloy. WSB-TV’s Jovita Moore will serve as gala host, along with colleagues Chuck Dowdle and David Chandley. Hirtle, Callaghan & Co. is sponsoring the gala. Tickets to the black-tie event are $200; call 404-351-1074.
Beth and Tom Ventulett are the show’s honorary chairs, and Timothy Martin is the show artist.
The 21st annual Southeastern Flower Show, themed “Imagine That!”, will be Jan. 30 through Feb. 3. The show chair is Nan Henson.
Information about the show: www.flowershow.org.
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