Ferriday — Assembling in the home of Joline Simmons on Lake St. John, the Ferriday Garden Club members were entertained by Brenda Zerby of Moreton’s Flowerland in Natchez.

Brenda and her husband Blair Zerby have owned and operated Moreton’s since 1973.

“Everything I know I learned from Blair,” Zerby said.

The Christmas-themed window dressings the pair creates each year bring visitors just to see the unique holiday displays.

Zerby talked as she built a tablescape, a door decoration and a mantle display, and kept her audience busy making mental notes of how they could incorporate her techniques in their holiday decorating.

Using the technique of “layering,” Zerby built a Thanksgiving table arrangement using both live and dried plant material. She asked the audience to identify a particular plant or foliage, then showed how to use it to its best advantage in the arrangement as she created it.

Going from mantle to table to door, Brenda explained the uses of texture, scale and color in eye-pleasing creations.

The business portion of the meeting featured several committee reports.

Mary Beth Whitehead used both a poster display and handouts to illustrate her report on “Gardens for Hummingbirds.” Whitehead also gave a ways and means committee report.

Lena Bateman reported on recent additions to the Blue Star Marker Project as well as city beautification projects.

The downtown area of Ferriday has been cleaned up and decorated with seasonal displays.

Diane Watson, reported progress of the Cleanest City Contest and suggested the club purchase some lapel buttons promoting the Ferriday clean-up project.

President Sherrill Sasser passed around three questionnaires concerning specific plantings in members’ gardens.

The information will contribute toward building the club’s eligibility for Louisiana Garden Club awards.

Sasser also gave details about the upcoming spring convention in Monroe.

Refreshments following the meeting were provided by hostesses Joline Simmons, Jeanette Gremillion and Anne Maxwell.

The December FGC meeting will be a Christmas party and gift exchange in the home of Penny Gregg on Dec. 11.