August We are looking forward to a wonderful year with amazing speakers and interesting programs.

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1 Greetings Garden Club Members August 1015 Welcome to the garden club year! Susan and I hope that you have had a beautiful and restful summer and that all your gardens exploded in bountiful bloom. We are looking forward to a wonderful year with amazing speakers and interesting programs. As we told you in the spring newsletter, we have a significant projected operating budget deficit for ($3,400). We appear to be spending well above our income! We do have a surplus in our operating budget of $18,600 but that will not last long at the rate we are spending. Just two budget items currently use all of our dues rent and programs together cost $6,000 per year! In the spring, Susan and I asked Margaret Pulito (Strategic Planning) to look at our options. Our first effort has been to look at ways to reduce spending. As reported in the spring newsletter, we focused on the cost of our meeting space. Under Margaret s leadership, we contacted 12 potential alternative meeting sites. Margaret made up a list of all the club s needs in terms of a meeting space. Some of the alternative sites were not interested in renting space and others could not meet our needs. We have fond one place that provides all our needs in terms of space and parking and that promises to guarantee our desired meeting dates the first Thursday of the month. This space is St. John s Episcopal Church at 679 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. This space is available for $225 per meeting. We are currently paying $375 at Westminster Church. If we chose to move to St. John s, we will save $1,200 per year. That savings will not eliminate our current deficit but it will reduce it significantly and allow us to put off the day that we have to increase our annual dues. We have spoken to the new minister at Westminster, expressing our complete satisfaction with the meeting facilities at Westminster, explaining our budget problems and our concerns about our inability to lock in our preferred meeting dates. She promised to take our concerns to the Board of Trustees and get back to us with their response but so far we have no indication that Westminster is willing to offer adjustments to meeting our concerns. THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL. We propose to bring this decision (moving to a new location) to all club members for a discussion and vote at our October 8 th meeting. We have a contract with Westminster for , so any change will not occur before September Because we have an expensive and, we hope, popular speaker for our September 10 meeting (Kerry Ann Mendez), we have decided to hold the discussion and vote at the October 8 th meeting. The September business meeting is usually long with committee chairs reporting on their plans for the upcoming year. We will ask our committee chairs to do their best to keep their reports short and concise. Susan and I would like to thank the members of the West Hartford Garden Club for their hard work and support this past year. Joan Martin and Susan Petty-Bailer Co-Presidents, West Hartford Garden Club

2 The West Hartford Garden Club Plant Sale Coming - May 21, 2016 Member-grown plants Mostly perennials We need your help. Check your garden, and make a note any plants that need dividing. Over the winter, when you have cabin fever, think about making name tags to include the plant name, color, sun or shade and if possible a drawing or picture of the plants you wish to donate. The tags will be extremely helpful for our plant sale team. Watch our web site and/or newsletters for further details. Thank you in advance for helping to make our May, 2016 sale successful! Petals N Wings to delight the senses. We may think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it s our garden that is really nurturing us. ~ Jenny Uglow Strategic Planning Garden Club Members, The Strategic Planning Committee would like to propose two amendment changes to the CONSTITUTION BY-LAWS. The Garden Club members will be asked to vote on these amendments at the October 8, 2015 General Meeting. 1. ARTICLE III Dues, SECTION 2 shall read: Dues will be payable from September 1 until October 15. The second sentence is deleted: A member whose dues are not paid by October 15 shall automatically forfeit membership and shall be so notified. 2. ARTICLE IV Membership, SECTION 6 shall read: A person who is not currently a member of the West Hartford Garden Club may be offered an Honorary membership for a period not to exceed two years. The invitation will be based on a majority vote by the Executive Board of the Club. The above revision becomes SECTION 6. The current SECTION 6 is renumbered as SECTION 7. Margaret B. Pulito, Chairperson Hosted with the West Hartford Garden Club, all funds raised will help support a new outdoor patio space at the museum. Six rarely seen dresses from the museum's collection from the 1840s to the 1920s will be on display. Each will inspire a floral arrangement that complements the elegant table settings. Refreshments will include savory and sweet morsels and tea both hot and cold. After tea, Tracy Weed will give a brief presentation on Fashion from Victorians to Flappers. Tickets are $20 per person. At Noah Webster September 3 2 pm For Tickets: Call or, use the link below

3 Beer, Roses & Wine At Butler McCook With Cheryl Fine Chloe Clips Billie Reese In the roses Barbara Cloonan, June rain Pat Duncan Pruning the Roses Two Janets A friendly chat Gardening Delights all ages Family enjoying Results of Our Efforts Meg in May Elsie & Pat Dress up the Pond Linda Berry and Ann Painter In the Heat of July

4 PROGRAMS FALL 2015 Invite a Friend ($10 guest fee applies) Share the Experience Except where otherwise noted, all meetings are held at Westminster Presbyterian Church 2080 Boulevard, West Hartford SEPTEMBER 10 Thursday, 12:00 noon The Right-size Flower Garden: Exceptional Plants and Design Solutions for Aging and Time-pressed Gardeners Speaker: Kerry Ann Mendez Our speaker, a garden designer, author and lecturer, is dedicated to teaching the art of low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping. She will focus on time-saving gardening techniques, workhorse plants and sustainable practices. Her gardening books will be on sale at the meeting. Program: Margot Egan Flower arrangement: Martha Keener OCTOBER 8 Thursday, 12:00 noon Bonsai: Illusion versus Reality Speaker: Todd Hansen If you can grow a house plant, you can grow Bonsai. The award winning owner of Sanctuary Bonsai in East Hartford will demystify the ancient art of horticultural Bonsai with an introduction which will include information from design theory to container horticulture. Program: Margot Egan Flower arrangement: Martha Keener OCTOBER 29 Floral Designs Speaker: Michael Derouin Thursday, 12:00 noon Michael Derouin, the winner of the CT Designer of the Year Award in 2001, is the Director of Floral Design at McArdles in Greenwich, CT. He will share his knowledge, talent and enthusiasm by demonstrating three floral designs. Program: Monica Fay Flower arrangement: Lynn B. Horne

5 GARDENS AS LEARNING TOOLS SOME POSITIVE RESULTS ACHIEVED FROM JUNIOR GARDENER PROGRAMS. Academic. (stimulates curiosity) Environmental. (gain a better understanding of our ecosystem) Health... (awareness of good food behavior) Political.. (the schoolyard as a visible community asset) Social.. (increased sense of belonging, self-esteem, and compassion) Creative juices flow under the leadership of Liz Cloud, Karen Rider, and their fabulous team! Join us in a very warm welcome to our newest member, Donna Hollinshead. She is a nature enthusiast and will be joining our Conservation Committee. Given her love of nature, this will be a perfect fit. We look forward to working with her. Noah s Garden is flourishing! Have a look. Garden Therapy The Tradition Continues.. July Joly has been leading the Garden Therapy Committee for several years. She is extremely committed to the flower arranging programs and therapy gardens for the elderly at West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation, A.E. Plant and Hughes Health & Rehabilitation. There are numerous publications outlining the benefits our seniors receive from these programs, including: physiological health improved body mass index better appetites hand grip strength healthy sleep lower stress levels improved self-esteem Plenty of goodies for the kitchen This committee s work is very gratifying. ~ The first designed gardens date back to 2000 BC in Mesopotamia, where horticulture was used to calm the senses. Conservation Theme Think Globally, Act Locally extends into Check our Web Calendar for the popular Reduce, Reuse, Recycle events held at our monthly meetings. Contributions will be cheerfully accepted. Contact Julie jmpslp@comcast.net or Madeleine madzh@comcast.net Proceeds benefit our club programs. RIDE the GARDEN EXPRESS You never have to miss a meeting! If you need a ride to a monthly meeting, call Chloe Horton. She is coordinating the "Garden Express" so that every member has an opportunity to attend our meetings. Her phone number is and her is hnutcracker@aol.com Please don't wait until the last minute to call; she needs time to make the arrangements.

6 WEST HARTFORD GARDEN CLUB MASTER CALENDAR Updated: August 23, 2015 DATE DAY TIME WHAT WHERE CONTACT & COMMENTS AUGUST 8/26/2015 Wednesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Noah Webster Jamie Wein, Toni Battistini SEPTEMBER 9/1/2015 Wednesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Butler-McCook Cheryl Fine 9/8/2015 Tuesday 9:00 AM Board Meeting Marj Johnson's Marj Johnson; 9/9/2015 Wednesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Noah Webster Jamie Wein, Toni Battistini 9/10/2015 Thursday 12:00 Open Meeting Westminster Susan Petty-Bailer or Joan noon Presbyterian Martin 9/15/2015 Tuesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Butler-McCook Cheryl Fine 9/23/2015 Wednesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Noah Webster Jamie Wein, Toni Battistini 9/29/2015 Tuesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Butler-McCook Cheryl Fine OCTOBER 10/5/2015 Monday 9:00 AM Board Meeting Lynn B. Horne's Lynn B. Horne; 10/7/2015 Wednesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Noah Webster Jamie Wein, Toni Battistini 10/8/2015 Thursday 12:00 Open Meeting Westminster Susan Petty-Bailer noon Presbyterian 10/7/2015 Wednesday 1:00 PM Succulent Noah Webster Pat Duncan - Bring pumpkin Workshop or gourd 10/9/2015 Thursday 2:30 PM Flower Arranging Noah Webster Study Group 10/13/2015 Tuesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Butler-McCook Cheryl Fine 10/21/2015 Wednesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Noah Webster Jamie Wein, Toni Battistini 10/26/2015 Monday 9:00 AM Board Meeting Julie Przybycien Julie Przybycien; Joan Martin 10/27/2015 Tuesday 9:00 AM Garden Work Day Butler-McCook Cheryl Fine Dig up Cannas 10/29/2015 Thursday 11:00 AM New Members Westminster Susan Petty-Bailer and Joan Mtg. Presbyterian Open Meeting Westminster Presbyterian 10/29/2015 Thursday 12:00 noon NOVEMBER 11/6/2015 Thursday 2:30 PM Flower Arranging Study Martin Joan Martin chairs Noah Webster Marj Johnson 11/30/2015 Monday 9:00 AM Board Meeting Tina Merz Tina Merz DECEMBER 12/3/2015 Thursday 11:45 AM Holiday Luncheon Rachael Desmond Succulent Workshop October 7, pm Noah Webster Rachael Desmond; Susan Petty-Bailer Maureen Fitzpatrick, from the Stamford Garden Club, aka sister of Pat Duncan, will hold a class in the art of arranging succulents. Plants will be supplied for a $35.00 fee; you will need to bring a pumpkin or gourd to use as your container. A discussion on class participation will be held at our September 10 meeting.

7 Fine Arts and Flowers Arrangement by Mary Mulcahy Herbert Draper The Lament for Icarus, 1898 Thank you Mary, for representing the West Hartford Garden Club with a magnificent floral interpretation of this masterpiece! Arrangement by Tina Collias Arrangement by Anita Herbst Arrangement by Mystery Designer Georgia O'Keeffe D.H. Lawrence Pine Tree, 1929 Milton AveryThe Green Settee, 1943 Marc ChagallAutumn in the Village, Membership Awards In appreciation for your years of service and dedication to The West Hartford Garden Club! Thirty years: Carolyn Lind. Carolyn originally joined in 1983 but dropped her membership in 1992 to sail around the world. She rejoined in 1994 and has been a member since. Carolyn Chaired Hospitality, Flower Arrangements and Butler McCook. In addition she has worked on: Conservation, Hort Study, Junior Gardeners, Civic Projects, as well as participating (sometimes as a chair) in our garden tours and flower shows. Twenty-five years: Barbara Cloonan. Barbara joined in December She chaired Flower Arrangements, Program, Hospitality, Hort Study, and the 1996 Flower Show and also worked on: Civic Projects, Garden therapy, Flower Arranging Study Group, Newsletter, Butler-McCook, Strategic Planning, and Nominating Committees. She also entered arrangements in Atheneum events and participated in WHGC garden tours, plant marts, and flower shows. Twenty-five years: Margaret Gould. Peg joined in 1990 and became an Associate in She has been chair of Awards, Program, and Junior Gardeners. She has worked on the following committees: Conservation and Hospitality. She also participated in the garden tours and a Club flower show. Nominating Committee Try something new ---as the year progresses, think about attending a few of our standing committee activities and/or board meetings. It s a great way to become better acquainted with the gals in our club. It will also help you to decide which position you would like to volunteer for in Greens Workshop Keep a watchful eye on our web site calendar for the ever popular December Greens Workshop. This class fills up fast!

8 WOW, Can t wait for you to see what Ellen Guest has been up to?? Click on this link GARDEN THERAPY Then type your password and Voila Civic Projects Many favorable comments were received at our Celebrate Booth in June on the lovely plantings at the West Hartford Town Hall rear entrance. Celebrate West Hartford 2014 Fantastic Helpers The next time you visit the center, drop by the site and see what a lovely job the WHGC Civic Projects Committee did. Many thanks to Betty Payton, Jean Grandy and to everyone on the committee. Your efforts leave a positive impression on all who visit Town Hall! 2015 Flower-Left Available Right Spoken for! NICE TO HAVE A MAN TO HELP Lucky Planter Winner Plantings consisted of ten Yellow Ribbon Arborvitae, two Hinoki Cypress (for their dark green color), two Dawyck purple European Beech (again for their color), six dwarf globe- shaped blue Spruce, ten pink Supreme Carpet Roses, and multiples of Carex (chartreuse green) Japanese Sedge grass, and Purple Super Tunia petunias. The project was submitted for an award with Federated! Darn, Thought we won the lottery- got a bill instead! Mr. Lubin You want us to set up at what time!!! SOME VERY SHADY GIRLS Cool with or without Glasses The butterfly counts not months, but moments, and has time enough ~Rabindranath Tagore Cheerful Greeters!! Our Ambassador

9 152 Wood Pond Road West Hartford, CT Our Purpose To stimulate interest and creative activity in the art of gardening; To enhance the beauty of our community; To contribute to civic improvement; To work for the conservation of native plants and wildlife.