The Sunnyvale Garden Club

Join us for our first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Sunnyvale Town Hall. Jay Przyborski will share his inside knowledge about the “Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park.” In addition to being a Docent Lead for the Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park Jay is a North Texas Master Naturalist, and a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. He is a former Advisory Board Member for the Trinity River Audubon Center and Past Chair of the Environmental Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association. For sixteen years, he has practiced law at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2027, his book, New Texas Gardens: At Home with Native Plants, will be published by the University of Texas Press. You can connect with Jay via his Instagram account devoted to gardening with Texas native plants: @NewTexasGardens.

There is no charge to attend the meeting and guests are welcome!. The meeting will be followed by a delicious lunch provided by SGC, which gives you an opportunity to meet and mingle with old and new friends! We hope to see you at Sunnyvale Town Hall.

Enjoyed our Sunnyvale Garden Club July Summer Symposium last week hosted by our lovely Sylvia Carter. We had a delicious potluck and then made Christmas wreaths out of toilet paper rolls for the residents at Christian Care. (Original post by Angela Marien.)

The Town of Sunnyvale has 19 proposed amendments for the Home Rule Rule Charter on the ballot on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Early voting is available at Sunnyvale Town Hall, 127 N. Collins Road as follows:

April 20 – 24 (Tues-Friday) 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

April 25 (Saturday) 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

April 26 (Sunday) noon – 6 p.m.

April 27 – April 28 (Mon – Tues) 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Here is some background information that may  be helpful:

• The charter is reviewed by citizens every five years.
• The 2025-2026 Home Rule Charter Review Committee had nine members (see the list below)
• The proposed amendments by the Home Charter Review Committee go directly to the voters for approval.
• Term limits, if approved by the voters, would NOT be retroactive. Current office holders would still be able to serve three more terms.
• Each proposed amendment was approved by a majority of the Home Rule Charter Committee. 
• Early voting started on April 20.
• If you don’t vote, you won’t have a say in which ones are approved.

Please feel free to share this information with your Sunnyvale friends, neighbors, Homeowners Associations, Book Clubs, etc.

If you have any questions, contact one of the members of the Home Rule Charter Review Committee listed below.

Home Rule Charter Review Committee 2025-2026

·       Gary Smothers, chair

·       Kevin Clark

·       Jerry Johnson

·       Lauren Larson

·       George Matthew

·       Meghan McCaig

·       Georgeann Moss

·       Joe Turner

·       Jim Wade 

Our topic for the April Sunnyvale Garden Club meeting is “Using Edibles in Your Landscape.” Barbara Gollman, a Dallas County Master Gardener, is our guest speaker. As usual, we’ll meet at Sunnyvale Town Hall at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14. We hope you can join us for the meeting and lunch!

About the speaker….

Barbara was raised on a farm in Kansas and couldn’t wait to leave! However growing things was in her blood, and houseplants, hanging baskets and African violets became a hobby

After a career as a Medical Microbiologist, she later became a chef/nutritionist with a specialty in plant-based cuisine and phytonutrients (plant nutrients) and is the co-author of The Phytopia Cookbook. Barbara became a Dallas County Master Gardener in 2005 and loves growing herbs and using them in her culinary creations.

Help us celebrate veterans with a very special presentation by Steve Smith, co-founder of the non-profit Farmers Assisting Returning Veterans (F.A.R.M.) the day before Veterans Day at Sunnyvale Town Hall. The meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 10 at 10:00 a.m. F.A.R.M. aims to reestablish the meaning in the lives of veterans through agricultural therapeutic rehabilitation and training. Their program allows veterans reintegrating into society to once again become teachers, providers, nurturers and leaders while empowering them to the lead the change in America’s distressed food system.

“American food security is paramount, and the veteran is the perfect fit to accomplish the mission,” says Smith.

Guests are welcome and there is no charge to attend. Plan to stay after the meeting for a delicious lunch prepared by the SGC Hospitality Committee, led by Rebecca Arbuckle.

Tree Tales: Unlocking the Secrets of Healthy Trees will be presented by Dallas AgriLife’s new Extension Horticulture Agent, Anne Le Senne at our monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. at Sunnyvale Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. Afterwards, a delicious lunch will be served by the Oct. Hospitality Committee, which will be led by Sylvia Carter. We hope you can join us!

Our first summer symposium (craft activity) is June 10 and art teacher/artist Beverly Richey is the leader. Join us to make these darling wind chimes out of found objects. YOU can bring old or new things to create your chimes. Beverly has gathered some things from Antique stores or Canton but if you have spare items, please bring them! We bet most of us have plenty of appropriate objects in our garages!

Beverly says you’ll need to bring the base/beginning piece for sure. Beverly has provided examples of “found items” and some pics of completed wind chimes (from Pinterest, good source for examples). She wanted you to have a head start and be prepared.

Want more information? Reach out to VP Programs Georgeann Moss at gemoss3@gmail.com

You don’t have to be a member to attend! But you’ll certainly want to become a member after you attend!!!

Wondering what the “Latest Trends in Floral Design” are? Join us for a very special guest speaker on Tuesday, April 8 at 10:00 a.m. Certified Floral Designer (CFD) Wendy Osburn, an instructor for the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M in College Station will share her unique perspective on what’s hot and what’s not!

The meeting will be held at Sunnyvale Town Hall. You don’t have to be a member to attend and there is no charge to attend! Stay after the meeting for a delicious lunch provided by the Hospitality Team.

On Tuesday, March 11, Sunnyvale Garden Club will present “Daylillies: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” by Malcolm Avaritt, president of the Daylily Growers of Dallas. Malcolm is also an Ellis County Master Gardener. He’s been growing my own vegetables since age 8 and growing daylilies since 1998. These beautiful, drought resistant flowers also help control erosion.
Join us at Sunnyvale Town Hall at 10 a.m. Immediately following the program is a delicious, free lunch provided by the SGC Hospitality Committee.

Sunnyvale Garden Club invites you to join us at our Feb. 11 meeting at 10 a.m. at Town Hall for a presentation on “The Benefit of Trees in the Urban Environment” Our speaker will be Ryan Weesner, the urban forestry coordinator with Texas Trees Foundation. Guests are welcome to stay for a delicious lunch prepared by the SGC Hospitality Team!