The President s Letter

Transcription

1 Official Newsletter of Marathon Garden Club Marathon, Florida April, 2018 Volume 21 No. 4 The President s Letter Dear Members, Just a quick note to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Our board meeting on April 11th will be for planning next year s Calendar so if you want to be involved, please come. Newly refinished gates are up and look great. We are still working on a rental agent for the future. If anyone can help with that, let me know. The Spring luncheon is on April 20th, but it may be sold out. If you want to go, call Dale Chorebanian ( ) and see what is available. A lot of you will be leaving the Keys soon and we wish you safe travels and a wonderful summer. See you on your return. Scarlett Duffy Come Grow with Us Second Vice President s Report THANK YOU! Thank you for joining the Field Trips this Winter: The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory; the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden; West Martello Tower - home of the Key West Garden Club, and MOTE's Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Research and Restoration. Your participation made the events most enjoyable as we shared our common interests in nature in and around the Keys. I am exploring ideas for next year and would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you and travel safely! Janet Oechsle ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> MARK YOUR CALENDAR Wed., Apr. 11, 10:30 MGC Board Mtg. Mon. Apr. 16, 10 - noon: Floral Design Workshop - Cnmil@msn.com Friday, Apr. 20, noon Spring Luncheon at Faro Blanco $25 - Call Dale Sat., Apr noon Plant Clinic at Home Depot by MGC Master Gardeners Apr FFGC Annual Convention & State Flower Show, St. Augustine, FL May 7 FFGC District XII Spring Meeting at U. of Miami (see page 3) Table of Contents Calendar of Events... 1 Gift Shop Report. 2 FFGC District Meeting 3 March Event Photos... 6 MGC Floral Design Workshop... 5 Flower Show Judges School 5 MGC Game Day Photo... 2 MGC Officers... 5 Membership Report... 2 Many Thanks To everyone who helped us spread a load of mulch, on March 8th. We didn t think we could move 1

2 Scholarship Report Our current scholarship information regarding applications has been announced at the high school & local newspapers. The application is also available online at the high school website. The deadline to submit an application is April 30th. One of our current recipients shown on the right was highlighted in a recent article. (See post in the MGC lobby.) Thanks to all members of the Marathon Garden Club for their fundraising efforts and generous donations that provide scholarships to support our local students in higher education. Barbara Wright & Arlene Keeney Membership Report We enrolled 3 new members at the March meeting and one since. New member, Pat Agius, from Saratoga Springs, NY and Marathon was the lucky winner of the paddle board! Ann Lugbill Rhoads and Brewster Rhoads, from Big Pine Key return to their Ohio home during the summer. Their interests include Fall Festival, Native plants, fruiting trees & plants and community projects. (No photo of Brewster yet) Peggy Jayme from Islamorada spends summers in Pittsburg. She is interested in helping with the nursery & grounds, gift shop and house & garden tour. We now have a photo of Joanna Dole, one of our contributing artists, who joined in February. Thanks to all the members who have paid their dues! If you have not paid, you can drop your check off at the Club during Gift Shop hours or mail it to Marathon Garden P O B , Marathon, FL We had 61 people and raised $1220. Club, 2

3 Make Check Payable to Marathon Garden Club; Mail to Marathon Garden Club, P.O. Box , Marathon, FL for receipt by April 17, 2018 FFGC 2019 Calendars will be Available for Purchase If you have items to contribute to our raffle basket, please contact Scarlett Duffy or Nancy Miller. You can drop them off at the Garden Club Gift Shop by April 13, with a note for MGC Raffle Basket or contact them by [neilscarlett@yahoo.com or Cnmil@msn.com]. 3

4 Minutes General Membership Meeting - March 16, 2018 The general Membership meeting of the Marathon Garden Club was called to order by the President, Scarlett Duffy at 1:00 pm. President Duffy called on Chaplain Janie Byland for the Invocation. Janie read an excerpt from an essay by John Ray, a 17 th -century lepidopterist: "You ask what is the use of butterflies? I reply to adorn the world and delight the eyes of men; to brighten the countryside like so many golden jewels. Scarlett thanked the greeters, Linda Bryson and Patti Trefry and hostesses, Dale Chorebanian and Jackie Sparber. Scarlett reminded all that it was the last day to bid in the Silent Art Auction, donated in support of the MGC and the final day to buy raffle tickets for the standup paddle board. Winners for both the Silent Auction and Paddleboard Raffle would be announced following the meeting. Scarlett called on Recording Secretary, Sarah Lytle, who asked if there were any changes or corrections to the minutes from the February 16 th meeting as ed to all members in the recent Seeds for Thought newsletter. As there were no changes, Sande Neiditz made a motion to accept the minutes, which was seconded by Patricia McGrath. All voted in favor of the motion and the minutes were approved. Retiring Membership Chair Donna Barnes and incoming Membership Chair Patty Molnar reported that currently there are 142 MGC members. Two guests were recognized and three new Club members were welcomed: Pat Agius, Ann Lugbill Rhoads and Brewster Rhoads. Scarlett welcomed all Club members, new and long-standing, to participate in all MGC activities, including special events and weekly work parties in the gardens and nursery. For Treasurer Loyal Eldridge, Scarlett reported that all is good with the Club s finances. She went on to say that at their March 7th meeting, the MGC Board voted to discontinue the Club s wind storm insurance policy, opting instead to self-insure against future wind storm damage. MGC will continue to carry property, liability and flood insurance. Following the wind storm damage to the Clubhouse roof in Hurricane Irma, MGC was unable to collect insurance because of the policy s high deductible. Starting in May with the next fiscal year, the Club will put aside $7,500 annually to pay for future wind storm repairs. Scarlett noted that repairs to the Club s roof were just finished, and that the gate is expected to be repaired soon. The newly re-landscaped garden still needs to grow. Second Vice President Janet Oechsle reported that the field trip to the new, $7 Million Mote Marine Lab facility on Summerland Key is scheduled for March 20th. The lab s director, Dr. David Vaughan, will lead the tour starting at 10:00. Significant others are welcome to join and following the tour, lunch is scheduled at Boondocks. Janet said she has focused the field trips in the Lower Keys this season, and welcomes suggestions for next year s field trips. Nancy Miller and Pat Greeley will conduct a third Floral Design workshop on Monday, April 16 th, starting at 10:00. About a dozen members participated in the March workshop, and their handsome and whimsical creations were on display throughout the Club building. Please contact Nancy or Pat if you are interested in signing up for the April workshop. Scarlett commented that both leaders have tremendous experience and are great instructors. The workshops are highly recommended for all levels. Scarlett continued by encouraging all who are able to attend the Gardens Tour in the Redlands; an was recently sent to all members with details. Scarlett reported that the enormous load of mulch, recently delivered, has been spread throughout the Club s gardens thanks to the help of many members. In coming months, new shrubs and smaller plants will be brought in to add to the new specimen plantings. She also noted that the March 3 rd Game Day was a very successful first effort and great fun for all who attended. The plan now is to make this an annual event with the next Game Day probably to be scheduled for February The total raised during Game Day was $1,220, with the proceeds going toward Club maintenance and improvements. Proceeds from today s Silent Art Auction and from the Paddleboard Raffle will also be allocated for maintenance and improvements. Scarlett continued, stating that Gift Shop Chairman Bonnie Eldridge has announced a 30% off sale on this meeting day and continuing through the next few weeks until the Shop closes for the season on April 13 th. First Vice President Dale Chorebanian is taking reservations for the April lunch meeting to be held at Faro Blanco on April 20 th. The lunch will be a buffet, and costs $25/person. Please reserve with Dale by April 13 th, or reserve at the Gift Shop desk. With no further business, Dale introduced the day s speaker, Beryn Hardy, a local biologist who has spent many years studying butterflies in the Keys. Her slide presentation featured common butterflies found locally and the nectar and host plants which provide essential food for successful butterfly propagation. She stressed the value of acquirng butterfly host plants from native plant nurseries or propagate from seeds. It is best to avoid establishing commercially grown plants that have been treated with insecticides which, in turn, will prevent butterflies from reproducing 4

5 Become a Flower Show Judge - Flower Show School to begin in Fall We are excited to announce that the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and National Garden Club has approved a (Judges) Flower Show School (in south Florida) beginning in November. The School will be co-sponsored by Flower Show Judges in District XI (Broward County) and District XII (Monroe & Miami-Dade Counties). Two courses are planned to be held in Fort Lauderdale and 2 in Miami. We are fortunate to have outstanding instructors contracted to teach these courses. Flower Show School is, not only, the pathway to become a Nationally Accredited Flower Show Judge, but also a way to expand your knowledge of floral design, horticulture, educational exhibits and other special exhibits and learn about flower shows, in general. Pat Greeley and Nancy Miller started on this journey in 2000 and are both Master National Flower Show Judges the only two in Marathon. Join us, here s your opportunity! Below is the list of dates and instructors: Course 1 - November 12-14, 2018 At Ft. Lauderdale Garden Club Horticulture - Darlene Newell (from WV) Design - Parke Finold Flower Show Procedure - Darllene Newell Course 2 - March 11-13, 2019 At East Ridge Village, Cutler Bay Horticulture - Jan Griffin Design - Janice Hamlin Flower Show Procedure - Janice Hamlin Course 3 - November 11-13, 2019 Probably at Ft. Lauderdale GC Horticulture - Marie Harrison Design - Gina Jogan Flower Show Procedure - one of the above Course 4 - March 16-18, 2020 At East Ridge Village, Cutler Bay Horticulture - Jan Griffin Design - Janice Hamlin Flower Show Procedure - Janice Hamlin A brochure/registration form for Course 1 will 5 MGC Officers & Directors President: Scarlett Duffy First Vice President: Dale Chorebanian Second Vice President: Janet Oechsle Third Vice President: Anne Reams Recording Secretary: Sarah Lytle Corresponding Secretary: Toni Appell Treasurer: Loyal Eldridge Assistant Treasurer: Carl Miller Directors: Donna Barnes, Jackie Sauer, Sandra Swantek & Patti Trefrey be available later this month. Nancy Miller Cnmil@msn.com Floral Design Workshop Nancy Miller is planning an informal floral design workshop on Monday, April 16 from 10 - noon. Some of you signed up at the March meeting. If you have not signed up, and would like to join us, please send an to Nancy: Cnmil@msn.com. Bring a small bunch of flowers, a container, a scissors or snipers and newspaper to cover your table. Oasis and some greens will be provided. There is no charge for MGC members; however, advance registration is required. Thanks, Janet We had 3 delightful road trips this year. On the most recent one, Janet arranged for us to tour the Mote Marine Labs for coral restoration, guided by Dr. David Vaughn. It was fantastic and enjoyed by

6 Game Day & March Meeting Photos by Arlene Keeney Who Won the Jackpot? Lyn Paterson (below) Janet O. Beautiful 6 Cupcakes Icant orkidi MARATHON GARDEN CLUB Mailing Address: P. O. Box Marathon, FL Phone: Member of National Garden Clubs, Inc. & Deep South Region Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. & District XII **************************** Newsletter Editor, Nancy Miller or Hostess, Jackie Sparber gave Nancy Miller this magnificent orchid.