Member Clubs of TFGC have been invited to decorate the gates of the Tennessee Executive Residence in Nashville for the seasons, around holidays and other special events and provide floral arrangements for some occasions. Contact the 2009-11 Chairmen for this project, Judy Piovarcy and GaNelle Roberts, for information on how your club can participate. Email addresses can be found in the Directory Issue of The Volunteer Gardener.
Executive Residence Project and the First Lady’s Luncheon
The final First Lady’s Luncheon of the Bredesen administration, a tour of the renovated residence and the opening of Conservation Hall was held October 1, 2009, on the grounds of the Tennessee Executive Residence.
The TFGC Executive Residence committee planned the floral decorations in the Residence as well as centerpieces for each of the 50 tables, decoration of the gates and a “showstopper” for the luncheon tent.
Ms. Andrea Conte, First Lady of Tennessee, indicated the money donated to the Executive Residence Project by TFGC members over the past two years be used to fund these arrangements and decorations.
Arrangements in the completely renovated residence were done in honor of the living First Ladies of Tennessee.
District I Director, Darlene Glisson, created an arrangement in the Living Room in honor of First Lady Andre Conte. Pat Smith, previous District I Director, did an arrangement in the Sunroom in honor of Hortense Cooper.
District II Director Florence Ann Ketelsen and DII Executive Residence chairman, Jerri Davis, located their arrangement honoring former First Lady Betty Dunn on a beautiful sideboard in the residence center hallway.
The arrangement honoring former First Lady Martha Sundquist was designed by District IV member, Eddie Lou Shoffner, and placed on an entry foyer console table.
The Dining Room table and fireplace mantle were the locations of District III’s arrangements created by Valerie Tripp and Maggie Burns honoring former First Lady Honey Alexander.
The theme of this luncheon and the focus of the newly built Conservation Hall are conservation and The Greening of the Residence.
The gate design was a framed floral replica of the seed packet invitation while in the luncheon tent, table centerpieces were live pansies in recyclable paper containers decorated with seed packets and tied with raffia. An assembly line consisting of District II garden club members quickly assembled the centerpieces. Following the luncheon, the pansies were collected and planted in seasonal beds on the grounds.
In the large luncheon tent, members of Southwind Garden Club of District I decorated large chandeliers affixed to the support poles with fall flowers to create an elegant setting for this final luncheon. The speaker podium was flanked with tall urns filled with complimentary fall flowers.
The contributions of the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs were acknowledged on the permanent donor wall inside Conservation Hall as well as from First Lady Andrea Conte in her remarks during the luncheon and from her deputy, Jody Folk who asked attending members of the garden clubs to stand to receive applause and acknowledgement from the audience.
