Garden Journaling
by Linda Pyers
Christmas Wreath Workshop:
Each year just after Thanksgiving, CLTTGC members
roll up their sleeves to create wonderfully fragrant
Christmas Wreaths. And it takes all of us.
Before we even meet at the Grange, the wires are ordered,
machines & supplies are pulled out of storage,
ribbons bought, bows made and prospective lush greens
are being scouted out. The rest of us are busily collecting
the orders & money, tallying, preparing refreshments
and publicizing this event.
The three days consist of:
Nov 28, 39, & 30, (Wed-Fri)
Sort & Cut the greens into manageable pieces.
Cut greens into 8” pieces then separate into
boxes.
Make nosegays & fill the 12 can holder.
Machine operators attach nosegays to wreath wires.
Bows are attached.
Wreaths are sorted by orders.
And don’t forget clean-up.
The purpose of this wonderful project is to raise
funds for scholarships (See your Year Book, pg 14,
or Chairperson for more details). This is the club’s
biggest fundraiser, so sign up for at least (1) four
hour shift. Then grab your gloves, pruning shears,
loppers, food to share and come join in.
This year we have a cap of 200 wreaths. On the last
day (after the 200) everyone who has worked a four
hour shift making customer wreaths, can now make one
for themselves for a cost of $3 (or $1 without a bow).
Please be prepared to pay for your personal wreath
at the workshop.
Sign-up sheets for greens and the shift
schedule will be posted on the bulletin board.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
We need to know what greens are available and where
and who will be bring them.
A
Stroll Down ‘Memory
Lane’
with Katherine Lewis
Long time Garden Club member Katherine Lewis shared
memories of her garden club days with Claire Grieve.
Years ago, Carol Kesey, Carmen Carpenter, and Katherine
had fun and were good friends too. Katherine says she
learned from studying Carol and Carmen’s first
place and Best of Show flower arrangements that they
had entered in the fair.
Why did they get first and she did not – she
learned by watching and observing. Katherine won the
very first Crabtree Award. She entered every category
she could, sometimes 16 flower arrangements. Her kids
would say “don’t go in the house, mom is
doing her arrangements”. Katherine laughed – “oh,
they could come in the house to eat and go to the bathroom – well,
you know”.
She won everything she could. She didn’t care
for the miniatures – she always liked tall arrangements.
She seldom entered specimens. She enjoyed creating
flower arrangements. She told of several awards, a
gold plate, and one was in 1992 Best of Show for Masters
Arrangements.
Then she quit entering in the fair. People would comment
to her that they missed her arrangements. That pleased
her but she felt it was time to let someone else do
that.
She was Secretary once, and attended the meetings regularly.
Also she went on some field trips; Erwin would come
with her to something special. He would plant a vegetable
garden and always planted some flowers for her.
At the September, 2007 meeting, Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis
Garden Club presented Katherine with a Penny Pines
Plantation for all her years of supporting the Garden
Club
Garden Thyme
with Claire Grieve, President
Gee what a busy month for our Garden Club – lots
of planning is going on preparing for our wreath making
project, some members are working on their “Books
of Evidence” for Awards, some members have been
busy supporting the KV Kids Youth Garden Club, the
flower arrangers are busy thinking of designs for their “mum” arrangements,
lots of members are collecting items for the opportunity
basket and the Plants & Talents table, table favors
are being created for our Christmas luncheon, and many
members have worked on the clean up of Millberry Park
and Hartley Memorial Garden. We are a very active club
and I’m proud of
us because of that.
During a conversation last year, Gina and I were
discussing how our Garden Club members are like family – “Our
Garden Club Family”. And, you know, we are a
special bunch – supporting each other with our
garden interests and activities and also our personal
lives.
Thanks to all of you for supporting me this last few
weeks.
See you in the garden,
Claire
An Invitation from the District Director
by Gina-Belle Smith
We had a great District meeting. Thank you to
all who made it successful! North Lake Garden
Club hosted the event wonderfully! The ice-breaker
game we played went over very well. Many of us
met new gardeners. The District Presidents & Chairmen
had very interesting reports to share. Our speaker,
Dwight Holford, spoke on Water issues and shared his
knowledge and experience. A few reminders: Deadlines
for awards are Dec. 1st, Jan 10th, Jan 15th. And "Let's
Go Native" $50,000 Grant Program deadline is Nov.
15th. Check your Golden Garden's Magazine for
interesting articles and information to share. The
CGCI website has a new look...www.CaliforniaGardenClubs.org.
If you have ideas or concerns, I want to hear from
you. Email or call me, gardenbunny0@yahoo.com,
707-964-3798.
Look forward to seeing you soon,
District Director,
GinaBelle Smith
See Diane Neilson, Membership Chair, for your California
Garden Club, Inc. membership card. Carry this card
with you for discounts at participating business.
New
Meeting Times:
Effective for our November meeting.
Social Time: 12 / Flower Roll Call: 12:30 / Meeting:
1-2pm
(Workshop will be 10am-12noon; Programs will be 2-3pm)
Please correct Year Book (pg9). No correction needed
for Bylaws.
These changes are an act of the Executive Board.
Garden
Club Affiliates:
National Garden Clubs, Inc.
(www.gardenclub.org)
National President: Barbara May
Pacific Region
Director: Jeanette Pruin
(JBandRJPruin@comcast.net)
California Garden Club, Inc.
(www.CaliforniaGardenClubs.org)
President: Robin Pokorski
Mendo-Lake District Garden Club
District Director: Gina-Belle Smith
(www.MendoLakeDistrict.org)
Newsletter
Chairperson / Editor Linda Pyers
Deadline for articles is the last day of each month,
but sooner is better.
Gift Basket Drawing Opportunity
Please bring gently used items and unwanted gifts to
donate for our gift basket. Hand crafted items by
our talented members are welcome. Money raised from
the drawing supports the newsletter. Holiday Theme.
Awards
Workshop
with Jo Shaul & Mary Secord
Jo Shaul and Mary Secord put a lot of work into their
presentation for the Awards Workshop. They came prepared
with applications and walked the group through the
process.
Jo & Mary also shared a ‘Sample board & books’ at
the Oct club meeting. There is still time to meet the
2007 Awards deadline. Some of the award categories
are:
YEARBOOK AWARD
CLUB NEWSLETTER
PUBLICATIONS
WEBSITE AWARD
PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD (Individuals)
THE BLUE RIBBON CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Sometimes
a Book of Evidence is required. The book is a brief,
neat and concise
compilation of facts and information explaining what
your project/activity is and how it was accomplished. Note:
the Awards Year is January 1 to December 31.
For more information: Contact Jo Shaul and Mary Secord,
or www. californiagardenclub.org
Just
a reminder: Plant Sale
Thou the plant sale isn’t until Spring, Oct & Nov
are the best times to divide perennials. Put divisions
in clean (no old can labels) one gallon containers.
Label & mark color. Cooler
temperatures and fall rains make for easier maintenance
and quick plant establishment before going dormant.
In this way the plants will have a head start getting
good root systems going and when starting to grow again
in spring, will be in excellent condition. Let the
Plant Sale committee know if you need 1 gallon containers.
Doris Ellsworth.
Christmas Luncheon
Dec 10th, Sicily’s Restaurant,
(new location at the airport) at 11:30 am.
The cost is $15.
The meal choices are the following:
Spaghetti w/meat balls or sausage
Spaghetti w/marinara sauce (no meat)
Chicken Alfredo
Caesar Salad
Caesar Chicken Salad.
The sign-up list has already been posted. Donna Isley
is
Chairing this event. Please note this year we will
be gifting
our KV Youth Garden Program. See wish list posted on
the bulletin board.
CLTTGC
Penny Pines:
#38, #39 In Honor of Lila Dowell & in Memory of
Robert S Dowell.
#40 In Memory of Susan Blue.
#41 In Memory of Milton Kespohl.
Green Thumbs Up to
1. Jo Saul & Mary Secord for the Awards Workshop.
It was very informative and well presented. Thanks
for the many hours that went in on your preparation.
2. Sharon Thorne for informing us about “Cultivating
Heirloom Seeds”. See her article on pg 13 in
Golden Gardens (Nov/Dec 07). Also, “Learn to
Love the Vegetable”, pg 17.
3. Jo Douville for all her work managing the raffles & the
silent auction. And a BIG THANKS to those participating.
4. CLTTGC for a great attendance at the CGCI Dist mtg.
We had 14 members there. Thanks Doris Ellsworth for
handling the Plants & Talent Table. Congratulations
to the raffle winners. Thank You to the North Shore
Garden Club! They hosted an enjoyable meeting.
5. Jerry Shaul for the wonderful stories he has been
sharing with us in each newsletter. Thanks for educating
us with a flair.
6. Barabra Fain & participants for making all the
lovely Christmas bows.
7. Thelma Dangel for acquiring a $400 Grant from “Thrivent
for Lutherans” for Civic Beautification.
8. Mary Secord, Jo & Jerry Shaul, Heide Thomason,
Claire Grieve & Linda Pyers for the work they did
at Harley Memorial Garden. We got to enjoy a warm sunny
day outside among the beautiful fall leaves.
9. The Wild Flower Park work party, Jo Shaul, Ann Blue,
Barbara Swanson, Claire Grieve, Heide Thomason, Jo
Douville, Leslie Jones.
10. June Beto for donating two picnic tables to KV
Youth Garden Club
November Calendar
6 Lake Kabatin Arrangers-11am
11 Veterans Day.
20 Paper making Workshop-10am.
Club Meeting-new time.
22 Happy Thanksgiving.
28-30 Wreath Making Workshop
Tues/Thur –2-3pm KV Youth Garden.
Composting /
Ecological Gardening
by Andrea Anderson
Years before humans ever began gardening, nature’s
flora and fauna not only survived but flourished. For
this reason, I look to nature for my knowledge and
wisdom, as a gardener. I believe we must get back to
basics and back to nature.
When planting a garden, you must first determine
what type of soil you need and then what type of soil
you have. Heavy soils contain a greater amount of clay
and are best for plants that naturally live on or near
water sources. Light soil contains a greater amount
of sand which is best for desert dwelling plants such
as cactus and succulents. Medium soil is what the average
gardener considers “good soil” and is best
for the majority of garden plant life.
Compost is made from a variety of organic matter,
both brown and green, and is added to the soil after
the decomposition of organic matter has taken place.
Green mulch is any fresh green non-seeding plant material
which is worked into the soil before decomposition
takes place. Brown mulch is usually brown non seeding
plant material which is applied to the surface of the
soil in layers and left there for it to break down
on its own which takes much longer.
Another way to keep your plants healthy is to maintain
proper PH level within the soil. If the PH level is
too high or too low, it can make a plant vulnerable
to disease and damage by locking up or burning nutrients.
The neutral or best PH level for most plants is 7.
Nature also provides its own built-in pesticides
and herbicides. That is why we should all learn how
to companion plant. This means putting plants with
built in pesticides and herbicides near plants which
lack these defenses.
So, as you can see, there are many ways to keep your
plants both healthy and happy doing it nature’s
way.
Christmas Wreath—Bow
making workshop
by Barbara Fain
Eighteen people turned out to make bows for our Christmas
Wreaths. We have 210 bows ready to go.
Poppy
Love
by Jerry Shaul
When I first returned to Lake County I had this mysterious
desire to landscape our yard with masses of California
Golden Poppies. As a child in Lake County it was the
only poppy and although it was never used in the home
landscape it did beautify the hills and fields, hmmm---“as
a child in Lake County” that tweaked something
pleasant in my subconscious. It seemed to prosper in
the lean volcanic soils and the warm dry summers. As
a cut flower it wilted badly in Mom’s wildflower
bouquet. Although the experts say that propagation
of this golden beauty is as easy as falling off a log,
I found that after four years and one pound of seed
one lonely but eager poppy plant miraculously appeared.
Later I learned about plant acclimation and that commercial
seeds come from far away places. If I had known then
what I know now I would have used seed from locally
grown plants. After using this knowledge I’m
happy to report that I’ve created a poppy-lation
explosion--every seed results in a miracle to behold. “Masses
of Golden Poppies---as a child--Golden Beauty”
I remember now! It was one of those spring into summer
days. The sound of children laughing---Gloria was teasing
and chasing me. I bolted and flew down the grassy slope.
My bare feet skimmed through the masses of poppies,
OOPS! I was falling and there was the fragrance of
crushed poppies. Then as promised the bashful, bruised
and embarrassed boy was being kissed by Gloria. OH!
Come on Jospehine, don’t get excited, it was
just “Poppy Love”.
Ann Blue won the silent
action & now owns this
beautiful Angel.
Two WINNERS !!! Helaine Christensen & Nancy Bailey
both were raffle winners.
Let us be grateful to people
who make us happy;
They are the charming gardeners who make our souls
blossom.
Marcel Proust
See Master Gardener, Linda Waterstraat
for 2008 Master Gardener Calendars
No contenders for
the hollyhock contest this year. Apparently it take
two years before new blooms appear after seeding.
Sunshine News
by Nancy Bailey
10/15/07 -Get Well/Recovery to Carol Brabrook.
10/28/07 -Get Well Esther Grieve
Please keep Nancy or Claire informed. Also, Nancy
needs cards.
Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis
Garden Club
The club meets at 12:30 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the
month.
Scott’s Valley Women’s Club House
2298 Hendricks Road
Lakeport, CA 95453
Forget-Me-Nots
Lake Kabatin Redbud Arrangers:
Nov 6 / 11am. Theme: Mum Show.
Christmas Wreath Orders: deadline Nov 6th
Co-Chaired by Jan Kespohl & Joanne Jameson.
“Let’s Go Native” - deadline Nov
15th.
Civic Development Grant Program
(See Aug/Sep 07 Golden Garden Magazine)
Nov. 20th Meeting: NOTE: New Meeting Times.
10am Paper Making Workshop: by C Deter & A Anderson.
(material cost is $5.00 & bring your lunch)
12:00 Social Time (Hostesses: D Isley, J Kespohl, L
Pyers)
12:30-Flower Roll Call.
1pm- Regular meeting.
Just for fun-bring your homemade turkeys.
Christmas Luncheon Sign Up:
Chaired by Donna Isley.
Gift Basket Drawing:
Chaired by Jo Douville.
Please bring holiday/garden donations for basket raffle.
Look for the new Silent Auction donation.
Plants & Talents Table
Chaired by Doris Ellsworth.
Please help—bring items & plants to sell.
Youth Garden Club: Tuesday & Thursdays / 2-3pm,
Kelseyville Elementary.
Wreath Making Workshop: Nov 28, 29 & 30 / 8am.
Co-Chaired by J Jameson & J Kespohl
Bachelor Valley Grange, Government St, Upper Lake
(potluck, beverages will be provided)
Lake Kabatin Redbud Arrangers:
Dec 4 / 11am Theme: Holiday, style of your choice.
Christmas Luncheon:
Chaired by Donna Isley.
Dec 10 / 11:30am, Sicily’s Steak House Restaurant
(located at airport on Highland Springs Rd, Lakeport)
Garden Therapy:
Chaired by Joanne Jameson.
Dec 11 / 10:30am Clearlake
Dec 20 / 10:30am Lucerne.
No December Meeting: Merry Christmas
See you at the luncheon.
The woods are full of fairies;
The sea is full of fish,
The trees are full of golden leaves,
Let’s make an autumn wish.
Anon.
Cultivate Kindness,
Share Your Garden. |
