On December 2nd, ladies of the garden club traveled to Athens to enjoy a buffet-style Christmas dinner at the Athens Country Club.

Hostess Carol Blakely and Wanda McCreary had a private room reserved for the group where gifts were exchanged and new memories were made.

Those celebrating an early Christmas were Dot Raney, Pat McBride, Martha Hardwick, Mary Williams, Sara Taylor, Lou Gossett, Virginia Ashcroft, Shirley Hornbeck, Jean Dean, Dixie McLean, Iva Williams, Billie Barker, Dixie Taylor, Wanda McCreary and Carol Blakely.

December garden tip: Re-blooming Poinsettias: Maintain and water the plant until March or May. The plant may be leggy and bare and should be cut down to 4-6 inch stems and kept at temperatures of 60- 70F. New growth will emerge within a few weeks. Repot the plant in fresh soil.

In mid-May, place the plant outside in partial shade, protected from the afternoon sun. Start feeding it every 2-3 weeks with a well-balanced soluble houseplant fertilizer.

In the fall, bring your poinsettias back indoors. Poinsettias need long periods of uninterrupted darkness at night, at least 14 hours long, followed by 10 hours of bright light for a period of 6-10 weeks starting in late September. Keep it in a room you don't use in the evening or place it in a black plastic bag or box for the 14-hour dark period.

Remove it for the 10- hour bright light period.

Water when soil surface is dry and drain any excess.

Don't let your plant stand in water.