Williamsburg Area Council of Garden Clubs September 1, 2016 Newsletter. WACGC website:

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1 Williamsburg Area Council of Garden Clubs September 1, 2016 Newsletter WACGC website: President s Corner Are you as happy as I am to see September arrive this morning? I am so very pleased that these upcoming fall months will allow us to be outside to enjoy fall colors and cooler temperatures. We can look forward to fall gardening and the numerous fall events on our calendars. To those of you who have been traveling, welcome back to Virginia! Our fall WACGC general meeting is coming up this month on Friday, September 23, Please see Carmen s article for the details of the program! All club members are welcome! The Council has been asked again to hostess the upcoming Tidewater District fall meeting scheduled to be held at the Colonial Heritage Clubhouse on Monday, October 24, As the hostess Council, we will provide the centerpieces for the luncheon tables. Loy Holt is still serving as TD president and we want to support her in this role. We can do that if each of our twelve clubs will provide a pumpkin filled with a fresh design of fall flowers as the centerpiece. Please bring your pumpkin to the Clubhouse by 9:30am. Each table will seat 8 people. These centerpieces will be won by attendees of the district meeting! I am so thrilled about the Veteran s Memorial Marker that the WACGC is dedicating on Friday, November 11, 2016, at 1:30pm in Bicentennial Park! Make sure this date and time are on your calendar. (See page 2 of this newsletter for details.) I recently sent a letter to all of our member club presidents with the update on the Memorial project. The letter explains how individuals and clubs may contribute to this ongoing project and to the dedication ceremony. If you have any questions regarding the project or donations, please call me at or ggknowles@cox.net Happy Fall Gardening! Glenda Hospice House Club members will be on site planting pansies at Hospice House on Tuesday, November 1, at 9am. The rain date will be Friday, November 4 th. Please send your club s donation toward the purchase of these pansies to our treasurer, Ellen Schiavone. We are so privileged to support the Hospice House with our donations for the plants and the hands on opportunity to install them! Their smiling pansy faces greet those who enter! Ellen s address is: 3505 Hollingsworth, Dollie Marshall, Chairman WACGC September Board Meeting Date: Friday, September 9, 2016 Time: 9:30 a.m. Coffee 10:00 a.m. Meeting Place: Towne Bank, 5216 Monticello Avenue, New Town WACGC Newsletter Sep 2016, page 2

2 WACGC September General Meeting All Garden Club Members Welcome Date: Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 (Note, the date of the meeting has been changed so it will not conflict with a Tidewater District event. ALSO, note the meeting will start at 9:30am) Time: 9:00 a.m. Registration and Coffee 9:30 a.m. Meeting and Program* Place: Ford s Colony Swim and Tennis Club** Host: Kingsmill and Ford s Colony Garden Clubs *Program: Barbara Ellis, former publications director at the American Horticultural Society and author of "Chesapeake Gardening &Landscaping: the Essential Green Guide," will be our speaker. The title of her presentation is Six Principles for Moving Your Garden Toward Sustainability. She will discuss how creating a greener yard and garden does not have to involve making life-altering changes. In this talk, Barbara Ellis will discuss a range of options from simple steps to ambitious projects that gardeners and homeowners can take to create beautiful, more sustainable gardens and landscapes that are attractive and healthy for humans, wildlife, pets, and the environment as a whole including the Chesapeake Bay and all its tributaries. Signed copies of her book will be available for sale in a smaller room outside the large meeting room. **Directions: Use one of the following two ways to enter Ford s Colony and reach the Swim and Tennis Club: 1. From Centerville Rd., turn in at the low brick wall marked Ford s Colony. Stop at the Manchester Gate Entrance Security Building to receive a vehicle Visitor s Pass. Continue to the stop sign; turn right onto St. Andrews. Take first left into the Swim and Tennis Club parking lot. (Note: If the parking lot adjacent to the Swim & Tennis Club is full, you can park in the Community Services Building Parking Lot. Simply retrace your route of entry into Ford s Colony by leaving the Swim & Tennis Club parking lot, turning right on St. Andrews, taking a left on Manchester Drive and turning left into the Community Services Building Parking Lot.) 2. From 199W, take the Longhill Road exit; turn left onto Longhill Road, drive past intersection with Old Town Road until you reach Ford Colony Drive Entrance on your left about 2 miles. (Do not use Williamsburg West Entrance as this is a resident-only card access entrance); turn left into Ford s Colony and take first left onto John Pott Drive. Stop at the Security Gate to receive a vehicle Visitor s Pass. Continue on John Pott to the end, and bear right onto Edinburgh Drive. At the end of Edinburgh, turn left onto St. Andrews, and follow it until you see Swim and Tennis Club on your right. (Note: If the parking lot immediately adjacent to the Swim & Tennis Club is full, you can park in the Community Services Building Parking Lot. Simply exit the Swim & Tennis Club parking lot, turning right on St. Andrews, then taking a left on Manchester Drive. On Manchester Drive, on your left will be a sign for the Community Services Building, turn left into the Community Services Building Parking Lot.) Carmen Hegge-Kleiser Veterans Memorial Marker Site Williamsburg American Veterans continue to be recognized and honored all across America. Williamsburg is no exception. Mark your calendars for Friday, November 11, 1:30pm, when the Veterans Memorial Site within Bicentennial Park will be dedicated. The Memorial Site planning committee has worked in cooperation with the City of Williamsburg staff to plan the establishment of the site within the Bicentennial Park, located behind the DeWitt Wallace Museum, between Court Street and Newport Avenue. The site is being funded by the Council of Garden Clubs and the City of Williamsburg. A Blue Star Memorial Marker will be the centerpiece of WACGC Newsletter Sep 2016, page 3

3 the site along with two benches and low maintenance plantings. The site will be handicap accessible and will allow visitors to easily enter the Memorial site. The marker will be visible from the street. Local officials, military representatives, and local veterans will take part in the dedication ceremony. VFGC president, Janice Clem and Blue Star Marker chairman, Barbara Hollister will be attending. All garden club members are welcome to attend. Anyone that would like to make a donation in memory of a loved one having served in the military can do so by sending a check, payable to WACGC, to Ellen Schiavone, WACGC Treasurer, at 3505 Hollingsworth, Williamsburg, VA Names of those veterans will be recorded in a Veterans Memorial Memory Book and your donation acknowledged. Funds will perpetuate the maintenance of the marker. The Council of Garden Clubs and the City of Williamsburg are proud to establish this site as a local memorial to all those who have defended our country, are currently serving, and for those who will serve in the future, on Veterans Day Rose Marie Crocco, WACGC Board member Arbor Day Please mark your calendar for our 2017 Arbor Day Awards Ceremony and Reception to be held Friday, March 10, 2017, at the Williamsburg Community Building, 401 N. Boundary Street in Williamsburg. Now is the time to take photographs of potential nominees. Nomination Forms have gone out to Arbor Day Committee representatives and to our Garden Club Presidents for distribution to their membership. Please note the November 1st deadline for submission of Nomination Forms. Our Committee will have its first meeting on Tuesday, September 13th, at 1:30 pm in the Towne Bank Monticello Avenue Branch meeting room upstairs. If you have questions, please contact Arbor Day Chairman Ellen Schiavone, or Co-Chairman Geneva Hunt, or Ellen Schiavone, Arbor Day Chairman Reduce, Reuse, Recyle: The Micro Gardener While searching the Internet, I found Anne Gibson s website, The Micro Gardener, who is a cancer survivor and created the site to help you grow good health to feel the satisfaction and enjoy the rewards of growing, cooking and eating life-giving, healing foods. What impressed me was Anne s depth of knowledge on a wide variety of topics, including reuse for uncycled broken pots. The article Crocks as Drainage lists ideas for reusing pottery shards, but I especially enjoyed this tip: Like many gardeners I used to add a layer of crocks, shards or gravel to the bottom of pots thinking this would help with drainage, but there is scientific evidence that the practice of adding larger pieces actually slows down the water rather than helping it flow the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Placing 4-to-5 inch broken terra-cotta shards on the surface not only adds a protective moisture barrier but also keeps out those pesky squirrels and birds. (Squirrels will move smaller crock pieces but keeps out those pesky squirrels and birds. (Squirrels will move smaller crock pieces, so size is important here!) Want to know more? Go to Robinette Ross, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Chairman WACGC Newsletter Sep 2016, page 4

4 Holly Hills Garden Club - Fresh Holiday Greens Sale Holly Hills Garden Club is once again offering Holiday Greens which will be picked fresh and ready for pickup just before Grand Illumination Weekend. This year we are adding Cedar with blueberries and an assortment of pine cones to our usual offerings of English Boxwood, Decorative Holly, Leland Cyprus and Magnolia in generously packed grocery bags for $7 per bag. A large combination bag of mixed greens (all the above) is available for $12. The deadline for ordering is Wednesday, November 23rd and pick up will be on Friday, December 2nd. To order, contact Judy Eastep at or jteastep@aol.com. Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs 2017 Calendar for Sale Thank you to those club presidents who responded to my request for a general idea of the number of 2017 Vision of Beauty calendars your clubs would like. The calendars have been ordered. As in the past, they feature full-color photos of designs of different types and the price remains $6.00 each. I encourage each club member to buy at least one calendar. They make terrific gifts. Calendars previously requested will be available at the September WACGC Board meeting and the WACGC General meeting and, of course, I will have extra calendars for others. Betty Smith, Tidewater District, VFGC, Calendar Chairman Tidewater District Quilts in the Garden and Floral Tapestry Design Luncheon Jim and Connie Thompson are set to speak to the Tidewater District, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs along with Frances Thrash on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at the Princess Anne County Club in Virginia Beach. The Thompsons will be showing some of their antique quilts and they will also be discussing how quilts relate to our gardens. Mrs. Thrash will be demonstrating three Tapestry Floral Designs after lunch. Garden club members will also display some of their favorite quilts. Cost of the luncheon and program is $ You can contact Loy Holt at loy14@aol.com for tickets. Last day to get tickets is September 10. If you missed the similar program in 2015 for the Council, you will not want to miss this one! Tidewater District Meeting Program: Charlene and Amber of Fairfield Flowers in Virginia Beach will present our program at the Fall District Meeting on Monday, October 24, 2016 at the Colonial Heritage Clubhouse in Williamsburg. Both are certified floral designers. Charlene and Amber will construct five floral designs for the fall and upcoming holiday seasons. They love to show the latest trends and styles in floral design and illustrate many of the National Garden Club designs required in standard flower shows from traditional to creative. Registration should go to Judy Casone, Registrar, 160 Old Carriage Way, Williamsburg, VA 23188, and must be received by October 14. The cost of the meal is $20.00 with checks payable to Tidewater District. Anyone with special dietary requirements should contact Loy Holt (loy14@aol.com) before October 14. The menu is: Fall Harvest Salad: Mixed greens, apples, cranberries, walnuts and feta cheese served with balsamic vinaigrette dressing; Lemon and Thyme Grilled Chicken Breast, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and a Vegetable Medley; Freshly baked rolls; Raspberry Sorbet; Coffee and Tea. Coffee station will be available at 9:00am. A wine bar will be open to make a purchase in the restaurant. All club members are invited to attend. Loy Holt, Tidewater District President

5 WACGC Newsletter Sep 2016, page 5 Invitation from the Herb Society The Colonial Triangle Unit of the Herb Society will feature a presentation, Landscaping for Pollinators by Denise Greene at its open meeting on Tuesday, October 11. Ms. Greene, the owner of Sassafras Farm in Hayes, VA, will inspire you with ways to incorporate native plants into your landscape in a common-sense way. She will take a closer look at the planting conditions most often faced in Tidewater and suggest native trees, shrubs and perennials that thrive in those places, thus making your garden more successful, less maintenance intensive, and friendlier to wildlife and the environment in general. Ms. Greene, an expert in native plants, is a vendor at the Williamsburg Farmers Market, and has been a key-note speaker at many local venues, including the CNU and CW Symposiums. Her presentation will feature Mountain Mint, Pycanthemum Michx, named a Notable Native Herb in The meeting will be held at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 7479 Richmond Rd., in Norge beginning at 1pm and is free of charge. For more information, contact Sally Sissel at Williamsburg Botanical Garden Program September 2: JAZZ IN THE GARDEN 6 8pm. Bring a chair and enjoy music in the garden! Musical quartet wine, beer available for purchase. Great way to start off the holiday weekend. September 17: WORMS AND THEIR USES. Freedom Park Interpretive Center, 10:00am, open to the public. Local worm farmer, Ron Crum, will tell you all you need to know about raising worms. Ron has over 400,000 worms in his worm farms and is eager to share his knowledge with the public. This event is part of the Learn and Grow Educational Series sponsored by the Williamsburg Botanical Garden. The program is free, although a $5.00 donation to help the Garden grow is appreciated. For more information, contact Ron at or him at roncrum@yahoo.com. Williamsburg Farmer s Market in Merchants Square Williamsburg Farmer s Market will be open every Saturday in September, 8:00am until noon. In this producer-only market you will find produce, fruit, fish, artisan cheeses, meats, pasta, cut flowers and handmade soaps. The market includes live music, chef demonstrations and exhibits. Tracy Herner, Market Manage, Dates To Remember Fri., Sept. 2, 6-8pm Fri., Sept 9, 9:30am Tues., Sept. 13, 1:30pm Sat., Sept. 17, 10am Thurs. Sept 22 Fri., Sept. 23, 9am Mon., Oct.24 Tues., Nov. 1 Tues., Nov. 1, 9am Fri., Nov. 4, 9am Fri., Nov. 11, 1:30pm Sat., Dec. 3 Fri., March 10, 2017 Jazz in the Garden, Williamsburg Botanical Garden WACGC Board Meeting, Towne Bank Arbor Day Committee Meeting, Towne Bank Worms and Their Uses, Williamsburg Botanical Garden Tidewater District Luncheon, Princess Anne C.C. Va. Beach WACGC Gen. Meeting, Ford s Colony Swim and Tennis Club Tidewater District Meeting, Colonial Heritage Clubhouse Deadline to submit Arbor Day nomination forms Hospice House Pansy Planting. Rain Date for Hospice House Pansy Planting Dedication of the Veterans Memorial Marker Green Spring Garden Club Christmas Homes Tour Arbor Day Awards Ceremony and Reception Deadline for the October 1, 2016 newsletter is September 27. Send information to mj.fel@cox.net or 2916 Nathaniel s Run, Williamsburg or call Janie Fellowes at