Naples Garden Club celebrates two remarkable women, long-time members and good friends Melinda Earle and Gail Pica. Their friendship began as Provisionals attending a flower arranging class and has lasted for 20 years. Together they have served on numerous committees and have held many leadership positions, including co-chairing a Flower Show together, having “jobs” such as furniture locators, and even overseeing the retiling of the office floor. Melinda and Gail have rich histories with the club.
Gail’s first love is the Flower Show which is evident since she is an accredited Master Judge, advisor for the Flower School, and chaired the school in 2010. She has created entries in all shapes and sizes and describes her arrangements as more modern than traditional. A most memorable moment was her nomination for the Pillar of Pride Award for our district, an award established to provide special recognition for members of purpose, pride, and productivity in Garden Club work.
For 16 years Melinda worked on Flower Show schedule and staging. She taught new trends in Botanical Arts and was Division Chair of Botanical Jewelry and Embellishments at the Garden Club of America Show in Indianapolis. She has also been Chair of Facilities and Operations for NGC, and has been a Floral Design Judge for the Garden Club of America for over 20 years.