Chipley Garden Club dedicates new tree planting to Edwina Showers, Charlotte Sapp for Arbor Day

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People walking or driving by the Chipley train depot and farmers’ market downtown may have noticed a new tree planted in the field.

The tree is courtesy of the Chipley Garden Club, who held a dedication on Friday, Jan. 19 in honor of former members Edwina Showers and Charlotte Sapp–as well as Arbor Day and the 100th anniversary of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc.

Current Garden Club members gave remarks in memory of Showers and Sapp. Showers was remembered as someone who took new members to various plant nurseries and introduced new members to longtime Garden Club participants.

Sapp was also remembered as someone who gently insisted prospective members attend a Garden Club meeting and join the fellowship, which has left remaining members grateful.

Showers also loved to share and give  other members plants and could “be thrilled by the most mundane bit of information and photograph,” according to recollections. 

Sapp was said to be knowledgeable and someone who provided fun gardening activities. 

“She gave me the roots of the program,” Garden Club Vice President Linda Pigott said. “I know that when she arrived in Heaven, God said, ‘Well done, Charlotte.’”

Florida was one of the first states in the nation to celebrate Arbor Day, Garden Club President Gweneth Collins said.