'Herbs at their Best' presented at Garden Club

El Campo Garden Club members met Tuesday morning at the El Campo Country Club with 32 in attendance. President Karen Jenkins called the meeting to order, and club chaplain Florence Adamitis opened with a prayer. The minutes of the previous meeting were read by Jessica Radley, secretary, and approved. Committee chairwomen gave an update of their activities.

Ann Strarup read correspondence from Cleo Christensen, a previous scholarship winner of the Garden Club.

Dorothy Robbins was introduced as the guest of Kay Sikes.

The table decorations were the work of Vivian Bannert and Jeanell Taylor who also served as hostesses.

There was no "Yard of the Month" for February. Ruth Speckels and Mary Ottino will choose the award for March.

Members voted to make a contribution to the Special Olympics Wharton County All Stars group, a participant of the Texas Special Olympics.

A program presented by Pam Nash was entitled "Herbs at Their Best." Nash is a member of the Wharton Garden Club and is a master gardener. She invited all ladies to attend the Wharton Garden Club meetings. She brought hand-outs on herbs, recipes and door prizes. She stated that she grows her own herbs from seeds and has a booth at the farmer's market in Wharton.

Herbs can be dried by heating an oven to a hot setting, turning off and placing the herbs inside on a cookie sheet until cool or by placing in an ice tray and freezing and then dropping the ice cube in a cooking pot. She talked about bay laurel from bay trees, basil, dill, parsley, rosemary, cilantro, oregano, marjoram and sage. She stated all herbs make flowers and look very nice in a flower bed and most like the sun. Many of these herbs are also good in tea, and legend has it that rosemary is good for memory.

In March, the club will take a field trip to Myra's Bay City Nursery, and luncheon at the Thyme and Again Café and Shop on the courthouse square.

The meeting adjourned, and all enjoyed a meal of King Ranch Chicken and an ice cream sundae bar with cookies.