An award-winning display from a recent flower show, hosted by Piedmont Garden Club earlier this year, will be making a repeat appearance — this time inside Piedmont Community Hall at the Harvest Festival. Sponsored by the Piedmont Beautification Foundation (PBF), the presentation showcases the multilayered importance of the essential Oak Tree, native to our community.
“We celebrate our majestic Oaks, keystone species in our native habitat, considered sacred by indigenous peoples. An ecosystem powerhouse of leaves, bark, acorns feed and shelter many native insects, invertebrates, birds and mammals. Oaks sequester carbon and their roots retain water and sustain microorganisms that nourish our soil,” says Patty Reed, one of the creators of the exhibit. With appeal for all ages, viewers are invited to spot and learn about birds, butterflies and small animals who rely upon this habitat. There will be a special display of the many insects which live in the Oaks and the native plants which grow around them.
The exhibit is the brainchild of PBF treasurer and trustee Julia Burke who had help from fellow PBF trustees Christiana Macfarlane, Valerie Matzger, and Cathy Glazier; and Piedmont Garden Club members Barbara Giuffre, Cris Heins, Annis Kukulan, Lisa Lomenzo, Kerri Lubin and Patty Reed. The Oak Tree Exhibit received a national award from the Garden Club of America in New York City.
The Piedmont Garden Club, host of the Flower Show where the exhibit was first unveiled [learn MORE], is currently celebrating its 100th birthday. PBF, which is sponsoring the display of the exhibit at the Harvest Festival, was created by Piedmont Garden Club jointly with the Piedmont City Council in 1964.