Maggie Sue Creamer, The Elizabeth River Garden Club
Maggie Sue is a Tree Steward who shares her expertise with her community promoting the importance of healthy trees in our lives. She is qualified to identify trees, to consult on tree selection, to demonstrate proper tree planting and to guide in the removal of invasive plants that threaten trees. Her home on the Elizabeth River has been named a River Star Home for her use of sound environmental practices. For 20 years, Maggie Sue and her family have maintained a flower and vegetable garden using these practices.
Betsy Eggleston, The Spotswood Garden Club
Betsy is a true gardener at heart. She incorporates her horticulture knowledge and artistic design abilities to create beautiful, manageable landscapes and gardens. After growing Garden Club of Virginia daffodil collections and attending shows, she became interested in the judging process and completed the three-year American Daffodil Society course to become a judge. She has built raised daffodil beds for better drainage and larger blooms which later become vegetable gardens. Betsy has been a facilitator and instructor for lifelong living programs at James Madison University where she has taught gardening and landscaping.
Louise LaBarca, The Garden Club of Warren County
Through Louise’s organizational skills, the Beautification of Front Royal was founded for the purpose of raising awareness of the importance of planting trees, shrubs and flowers throughout town. As a result, over $200,000 has been raised, over 700 trees have been planted and hanging baskets of flowers adorn the streets of her community. In founding the beautification committee, Louise involved her own club members as well as members of three other county garden clubs. She instructed members on the selection and care of plantings to become familiar with the town’s horticulture. She is an active Tree Steward and founding member of the local chapter of the Urban Forest Council.
