It was a "Victorian" day for the garden club ladies on the first Wednesday of the month, March 5th. The gardeners traveled to Mabank to have lunch at "The Victorian Lady Tea Room."

With the first day of spring coming this month, activity planner Dixie Taylor presented a short program on "Bluebirds and Bluebonnets," these being a Texas and "Victorian" era springtime favorite.

Doing research for the program I learned many things about what was fashionable among the Victorian era ladies. Much to my surprise, a lady's wealth was measured by the stuffed bird (the bluebird being one of them) and feathers that was attached to her hats.

An interesting fact about the bluebird is, the annual Audubon bird count in the State of Texas reveals there are more bluebirds in the Wills Point area than anywhere else in the state. The Texas State Legislature declared Wills Point the "Bluebird Capital of Texas" on February 7, 1995. Each April since 1993 Wills Point has hosted a "Bluebird Festival."

Facts about the bluebonnet: It was adopted as the official "State Flower" by the Texas Legislature in 1901. Did you know they are great fertilizers? Their roots produce pure, clean, natural fertilizers rich in nitrogen and can yield 100 pounds of nitogen per acre. This is great for tomatoes so if you have bluebonnets on your property you might consider planting your tomatoes near them.

Dixie gave each garden club member a box of Wildflower Seed mix which contained a mixture of seventeen different kinds of wildflower seeds and also a book on "Bluebirds in Texas."

Those who traveled to Mabank were Carol Bridges, Jean Dean, Lou Gossett, Martha Hardwick, Doris Langston, Pat McBride, Wanda McCreary, Linda Owen, Jannie Parker, Bobbie Sparks, Anna Mae Williams, Mary Williams, Murlene Wommack and Dixie Taylor.