Weeders Meeting

January 14, 2020

The Men’s Garden Club, Penn Valley

 

President Lorraine Wallace opened the January meeting at 10:05.  She thanked meeting Chair Karen Shephard and Hostesses Heather Gallagher, Polly Garnett and Melissa Schweiter.

 

Announcements:

 

December Minutes: Nancy Holmes moved to accept the December Minutes; the motion was approved.

 

Treasurer’s Report: Lorraine pronounced the Christmas Sale to be a big success.  The sale itself brought in $2,092, the Dinner Auction $1,000 and the Wreath Workshop $393, for a grand total of$3,485. 

Jackie Burke gave a brief report on the state of our treasury.  Please see the attached Treasurer’s Report.  She also announced that after a last bit of extra effort, we have been granted our Tax Exempt ID Number from the State of PA.

 

The Executive Committee will meet at Lorraine’s home Tuesday, January 21st at 9:30.

 

The Pot Luck Supper will be held, as usual, at Lorraine’s home Thursday evening, January 23rd, at 6:00.  New this year: this will be a true Pot Luck, with no assignments.  BYOB; soft drinks provided.  Bring a friend.

 

Committees:

 

Ronald McDonald House: There will be a meeting at Laura Mitchell’s home Wednesday, January 22nd at 9:30 for the purpose of making flower arrangements.  If anyone attending has a container that can be contributed to the cause, please bring it along with you.

 

Strafford Station has been put to bed for the winter.

 

The Gazebo Garden is also in hibernation.

 

Garden History and Design: Diane McCallister announced that Lynn Gibbons’ garden will be the next to be documented; she expects it to be completed this year.

 

GCA Bulletin: Sonya Driscoll and Regina Wagner have an article in the upcoming issue.

 

Governance: Nancy Holmes says our new Job Description Handbook will be rolled out in February for our input.

 

Horticulture: Michele Bolton’s plant of the month is Cajun’s ‘Lil’ Love’, an African violet whose central leaves are flushed with pink.  Its unique coloring is more marked when grown under lights, and she has discovered a plant light that attaches to any windowsill for this purpose.  It can be purchased on Amazon for $27 and is made by OxyLED.

Monica Church’s helpful hint is that we not rake our beds clean in the fall, but allow some leaves to remain as mulch.

 

Horticulture Workshop held at Alice Doering’s on January 13th was well attended.  Five plants were propagated from cuttings; one, a begonia, was propagated two ways.  She will hold a seed propagation workshop in late February.

 

GCA Freeman Medal: This medal is awarded to a North American native plant worthy of special recognition.  It is the only GCA award given to a plant, not an individual, and this year’s winner, Zamia integrefolia, was proposed by the Weeders own Kim Frisbee from her winter GCA club in Palm Beach.  The Weeders, led by Michele Bolton and Diane McCallister, also nominated a plant, Little Bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’ which, alas, did not win.

 

PCGCA meeting will be held Wednesday, January 15th at 10:00 at RHS Ormiston Mansion.  Nancy Holmes will be a guest at the meeting.

 

Photography: Melissa Bullitt announced GCA will be offering a photography workshop using cell phones.  Sign up is online and they will let us know the date.  Also online is GCA’s photography magazine Focus.

The Weeders photography show will be on March 10th, the deadline for entries being March 3rd.  For convenience, bring your entries to the February meeting.

 

Program Committee: Nancy Holmes announced the first meeting for the 2020-21 year will be held soon.

 

Scholarship Committee: Sonya Driscoll and Regina Wagner are in the process of interviewing candidates.

 

Crazy for Containers: Ellyn Spragins encouraged everyone to participate in this Weeder fundraiser.  The plants are reputed to be of the highest quality and there are many beautiful selections to choose from.  Order forms were handed out and she asked for volunteers to help with pick up when the orders arrive.  Also, we need a driveway for a Weeder delivery/pick up spot.  Once again, the deadline for orders is January 24th.  Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund Weeder Civic, Conservation, Community and Scholarship projects. 

 

Philadelphia Flower Show Preview Party: Lloyd Brown announced there will be a dinner at the Flower Show Preview Party, Friday, February 28th.  If enough Weeders are interested in attending, we could make up a table.

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 10:50.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Lesley Undercofler, Recording Secretary

 

 

After the meeting, Karen Shephard introduced our Speaker, Carolyn Brady, CFD, who has been a floral designer for over 43 years.  Among many awards, achievements and honors, she has owned and operated her own florist shop, worked as a part time designer for Valley Forge Flowers and Walt Disney World Corp. and as a freelance designer.  She presented an amazing program of flower arranging along with information and advice about new products and accessories that will enable us to ditch the now-discredited blocks of green floral foam.