Message from President Nancy Griffin
It has been a long snowy cold winter, and I am ready for spring. I walk through my garden looking for signs new life. Some of my irises are up and I have seen a few daffodils starting to come up.
Thank you to all the folks that contributed to our raffle last month. We took in $19.00. Every little bit helps to buy flowers for the uptown planting. We will have another raffle this month. I will bring some more t-shirts. If you have something to add, please bring it along.
Our March program will be a good one. Sheila Craig will share her knowledge of African violets with us. Sheila asks that everyone who wishes to start a violet from a cutting bring a small pot for planting. Bring your favorite violet for show and tell and any books or information you have to share.
March Meeting Agenda:
Budget for up town planting report.
Report from folks working on future programs.
Clean up the uptown gardens and a work session at Brandy Springs in April.
Field Trip plans for March?? Lunch meeting March??
Program: African Violets, presented by Sheila Craig
I have posted some slides of our uptown planting on my blog. HYPERLINK "http://www.yarnottercreek.blogspot.com/" http://www.yarnottercreek.blogspot.com/ I am working on getting photos from last summer posted on line also. Nancy Griffin HYPERLINK "mailto:ottercreek@mac.com" ottercreek@mac.com HYPERLINK "mailto:ottercreek@mac.com"
March 2009 Minutes
Monday February 9, 2009 meeting was called to order by President Nancy Griffin at 7:10 pm.
Monica Ondrusko motioned to accept the minutes as presented in our newsletter. Rita Ryburn seconded the motion. Motion was accepted.
Treasurer’s Report was presented by Alan Haskell. Alan reported that the uptown planting costs for 2007 and 2008 were very similar. Alan suggested that the club further our uptown planning to include a newspaper article to increase our donation totals.
Cheryl Reis motioned that the Treasurer’s Report be approved. Rita Ryburn seconded the Motion. Alan added that the check for the church would be mailed soon for 2008 for the use of the Meeting Room.
It was reported that the budget committee would meet soon to discuss 2009 budget as soon as everyone on the committee is available.
Nancy Griffin announced that raffle tickets are available for our door prizes. The tickets are $1.00 each and will go to the general fund. There will be 3 tickets drawn tonight. Jack Theiss and Nancy Griffin furnished the prizes for this meeting.
Nancy also announced that the club members interested in going to Phipps Conservatory Orchid Show field trip will meet February 28, at the church. The cost of the show is $10.00. We will meet at 9:00 am for departure. Call Nancy Griffin for more details.
Arbor Day report will be presented in March.
Raffle prizes include T-shirts, Burt’s Bee products and a mystery book. Winners were Monica Ondrusko, Alice Haskell and Diana Jackal. The mystery book was a garden book that discussed plants sorted by their bloom color. It was donated by Jack Theiss.
Jack Theiss motioned for the meeting to be adjourned. Alice Haskell seconded. Meeting adjourned.
Alice Haskell introduced our speaker for the evening, David Yoder from New Day Farms. He explained he is a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture, farmer. His farm is in the Greenville/Fredonia area. He takes payment in spring for harvest from April 1 to November 1. He explained his organic methods of farming. He recommended that members read “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. Alice will put information about his farm and subscription to veggie co-op in next month’s newsletter.
Diana Jackal, Acting Secretary
Book Review, by Alice Haskell
Tottering in My Garden, a garden memoir by Midge Ellis Keeble, is one woman’s gardening journey through three successive homes and gardens in and around Toronto. Keeble’s style is personal and quite humorous. She discusses her successes, helpful neighbors and talented professionals, as well as
her gardening failures, unhelpful neighbors and not so talented professionals, with delightful charm. Soil preparation is well-covered and in addition to various plants, grafting and more, she also talked about the importance of being mindful of your house and surrounding property when planning your garden. While there were times during reading I wished Keeble would talk more about gardening and a bit less about the building of their house when they moved to the country, her stories were so hilarious that I forgave her.
This paperback book is mine, so anyone who would like an enjoyable, quick read about Midge Keeble’s forty years of gardening is welcome to borrow it.
Phipps Conservatory Trip
Whether admiring the orchids or Chihuly glass sculptures, the group of eight or so club members had a lovely and educational day at Phipps. After touring, everyone enjoyed a tasty lunch together in the cafeteria. A quick stop at a nearby Whole Foods grocery store, where folks shopped for delicacies not easily found at home, concluded this informal Mercer Garden Club trip.
Calendar for March
9 Mercer Garden Club March Meeting 7:00 p.m., United Methodist Church, Mercer.
Following the business meeting, a program on African violets will be presented by Sheila Craig. Bring a small flower pot if you wish to start a violet from a cutting.
17 Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.
The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.
Henry Van Dyke
For winter’s rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins.
Algernon Charles Swinburne
There’s a dear little plant
That grows in our isle,
‘Twas St. Patrick himself
Sure that set it;
And the sun on his labour
With pleasure did smile,
And with dew from his eye
Often wet it.
It thrives through the bog,
through the brake,
through the mireland;
And he called it the dear
little shamrock of Ireland---
The sweet little shamrock,
the dear little shamrock,
The sweet little, green little,
shamrock of Ireland!
Andrew Cherry
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