Azalea Trumpet Summer Fall 2017

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1 Azalea Trumpet Summer Fall 2017 Celebrating Our Heritage While Continuing the Legacy My Dearest Azaleas, Oh, how the summer has flown by! Since I began my wonderful adventure on April 20 th at Callaway Gardens at the GCG Convention, I have been very busy. My Amazing Azaleas have been the best in assisting me and stepping up when called upon. Molly Kimler, District Director The first honor was an invite to visit Rocky Branch Elementary School in Watkinsville. Shawna McGrath has done a fabulous job teaching the students at RBES the importance of taking care of the land. A few weeks later, I was invited to a morning brunch with the Watkinsville Garden Club. I had the honor of presenting this club with three NGC Overall awards. They were awarded the NGC Youth Leadership Award, the Horticulture Award, and the Butterfly Award. With these awards, they also received $ Next spring, I hope to visit other garden clubs to present awards. The summer offered other wonderful opportunities for garden club members to set goals for the coming year. On June 27 th, the Leadership Workshop was held in Athens at the GCG Headquarters with 72 in attendance, and August 4 th, an Awesome Awards workshop was held in Union Point with 62 in attendance. Everyone that attended these workshops left with so much knowledge and many new ideas for their club. August also took Barbara Horner, Azalea District Cherokee Garden Library Liaison, and me to Atlanta to tour the Cherokee Garden Library at the Atlanta History Center. This museum is truly a Georgia treasure and a must-see experience for all garden club members. Additionally, Janet Massey, AD CWP Chairmen and I recently attended the Community Wildlife Project workshop in Forsyth. I would encourage all clubs to apply for the CWP Backyard, Hummingbird Haven, and Nesting/Roosting Structures Certifications. There is also a new Community Wildlife Project application for people living in an apartment, townhouse or condominium. Tapping into this niche would be a great way to recruit new members and start new clubs. Let s get to work, Garden Club Members! 1

2 The Wild & Wonderful Experience Camp at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center was attended by 19 campers, nine of whom were from the Azalea District. These children will always remember the three wonderful days spent learning about ways to take care of our earth. We will be planting the Georgia State Parks Yellow this fall! Clubs have signed up to plant daffodils in all of Georgia s state parks. Thank you to the Azalea District for purchasing 250 additional sunlight sensation daffodil bulbs. Each park in our district will have 50 bulbs to plant. Another upcoming project opportunity for local clubs for 2018 will be to plant a native tree or plant in a public place of honor to commemorate the 90 th Anniversary of The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. This could be done as an Arbor Day Project or during Garden Week. I hope all local clubs will choose to participate in celebrating GCG s 90 th anniversary with a special tree planting. Finally, I m very excited the Azalea District will host the President s Workshop: Plant America, Tri-Refresher November 13-14, 2017 at the Garden Club of Georgia Headquarters in Athens. This workshop is open to ALL members and garden club friends On August 15 th, the Azalea District Board Meeting was hosted by the Iris Garden Club in Washington. The meeting, which was held at the Washington Woman s Club, was very well-attended, featuring beautifully decorated tables, lovely favors and delicious food. Thank you to ladies of the Iris Garden Club for hosting my first board meeting as director. Mark your calendars! On October 17 th, join us in Jewel for the Azalea District Fall Meeting. This year s theme is Over the River and Through the Woods A Planting We Will Go. Our meeting will be hosted by the following garden clubs: Louisville, Midville, Sharon-Raytown, Warrington, Thomson s Pine Needle Garden Club, and Waynesville s Burkeland Garden Club. The speaker for this event is Chris McCorkle of McCorkle Nurseries. Come in casual dress and enjoy a great day learning and fellowship. I am so thrilled to be leading the Azalea District as we Celebrate Our Heritage While Continuing the Legacy. Let s embrace the vision of our founders--twelve ladies in Athens, Georgia--following their lead to continue the garden club by inviting a friend, a new neighbor, or anyone interested in beautification, conservation and education to join our cause and become a garden club member. As a team, we can spread the garden club message and continue to grow our organization into the future. 2

3 Azalea District District Director: District Co-Director: Recording Secretary: Corresponding Secretary: Treasurer: Assistant Treasurer: Parliamentarian: Chaplain: Editor, Azalea Trumpet: Molly Kimler Carolyn Childers Pat R. Johnson Janet Massey Julia Davie Marilyn McDonnell Doris Blalock Mary S. Byrd Ruth Hartzog FIREWISE ON THE FARM FIELD DAY September 26, :30 am 12:00 noon Evergreen Garden Club, in Monroe, GA, has partnered with local fire departments, Walton Soil and Conservation District and various other organizations to present a public education event for farmers, landowners and home owners with demonstrations, lectures, and exhibits. Each year, wildland fires consume hundreds of homes across our state. Studies show as many as 80% of the homes and farm buildings could have been saved if the owner has followed simple fire-safe practices. This field day focuses on steps you can take to develop your defensible spaces around your farm buildings and home to reduce the spread of fire. Evergreen Garden Club will be manning a booth and advising people to mulch their garden, keeping straw away from their homes foundation and other safety tips. Pictured L R: Elaine Burrus, Dotty Zazworsky, EGC member Lorraine Payne and Dan Bennett, Walton EMC 3

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8 In Fall 2016, the Rose and Dahlia Garden Club, in Athens, GA, members Freida Fair, Kitty Kellogg, Sara Marbutt and Janet Patterson planted two large pots at the entrance to St. Mary s Hospital, in a garden dedicated to veterans. In Spring 2017, the pots were freshened with spring annuals and perennials. Participating were President-elect Ina Hopkins (L), President Janet Patterson (R) and Freida Fair, not pictured. Those pots have flourished with bountiful sunshine and sufficient water. 8

9 In June the Town & Country Garden Club, Sandersville, held a floral workshop allowing some of the members who were not comfortable with design to work with a mentor to make an arrangement of their choice. Even though our numbers were small that day, we all learned something from each other. Pictured with their designs are: Marilyn Daniel, Glenda Harrell, Laura McAbee, & Anne Smith. Not pictured: Charlotte Thompson. PLEASE MAKE A NOTE THERE WILL BE NO COUNTRY STORE AT THE DISTRICT MEETING, OCTOBER 17, 2017, IN JEWELL, GA. THIS YEAR. WE ARE ASKING EACH CLUB TO MAKE A DONATION OF $25.00, OR BRING A GIFT BASKET (VALUED AT $50.00), TO BE AUCTIONED AT THE MEETING. 9 Thank you, Molly Kimler, Azalea District Director

10 Meet Charolette Thompson, Chairman of Ways & Means/ Merchandising and the Youth Sculpture Contest. Charolette lives in Sandersville, and has been active in the Town & Country Garden Club since 2005, was President in 2006 and is the current President. She also served the Azalea District under Jane Hersey as District Calendar Chair, State Calendar Chair and the Azalea District Recording Secretary At the end of her second term her husband Ted, became Rotary District Governor and she decided to give up holding District and State Offices to travel with him. After her travels were finished Charolette wanted to become active in the GCG. She attended the last board meeting and was asked by Molly Kimler to serve on the District level and she accepted with pleasure. She and her husband Ted have one daughter Wendy (Ralph) Acosta and a handsome grandson Logan, who is a Sophomore at Valdosta State studying Art Education. 10

11 Made with: Coffee creamer jar, old buttons, cardboard, biscuit tube ends, toilet paper tubes, Styrofoam balls, old felt scraps, wire and cardstock. 11

12 Gray Garden Club Celebrates National Garden Week The Gray Garden Club celebrated National Garden Week by submitting an article to the local newspaper, Jones County News, giving the purpose of National Garden Week. Gray Mayor Steven Tengen and Jones County Board Chair Chris Weidner signed the Proclamation at the Gray Garden Club meeting. Also in celebration of National Garden Week, Members placed flowers in public buildings and churches, maintained Carol s Park in Gray, which is kept by Keep Jones Beautiful, enjoyed a trip to Pearson Peach Farm and Lane Peach Packing and purchased peaches, placed signs at the Gray Garden Club s Depot garden spot in Gray and the Round Oak Ancestor s Memory Park in Round Oak, hosted a Day Lily Display at the W. E. Knox Civic Center in Gray, where growers were able to display their favorite Day Lily, and honored a deceased loyal member by planting her favorite flower, a peony, in the Depot garden spot in Gray, with members of her family in attendance. 12

13 Nancy Hart Garden Club flower design and table settings workshop On August 2, the Nancy Hart Garden Club was very fortunate to have Celia Brown, a Flower Show Judge with the National Garden Clubs, Inc. present a class to an enthusiastic group on mass flower design and table settings to many of our members and their guests. Celia is also a member of North Georgia Council of Flower Show Judges and is an N.G.C. Inc. accredited landscape design consultant. Celia gave us an in-depth class on form, design and arrangement. After her discussion and demonstration of her own creation of a beautiful floral arrangement, each participant was able to create their own design, with Celia s expert help. After each design was completed we all had the opportunity to view and discuss each design, which were all done with much creativity and individuality as was taught during the class. We all learned so much and will be able to use this information in our home décor. We are so grateful for Celia s time and help in making this a wonderful day of learning more about making arrangements with design and beauty. She also teaches a complete class of floral design and arrangements at the State Botanical Gardens in Athens. 13

14 Azalea District Wild & Wonderful Campers 2017 Our 10th Anniversary of the Wild &Wonderful Experience Camp was magnificent! This GCGsponsored environmental education camp is held annually in cooperation with the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Georgia. Nineteen very energetic campers hiked, fished, did a stream study, saw Jupiter and Saturn and created flower designs. Container gardens were made with a special emphasis on "Plant America." An Enviroscape called Lay of the Land was used to demonstrate the effects of soil erosion and pollutants on ground water and the earth. Bee Master Bill Owens presented an informative PowerPoint on bees, answering many questions as to why pollinators are needed in our environment. Bluegrass musicians Johnny Roquemore and John Nipper provided wonderful camp music. Our Plant America theme was carried out by planting eight red, white and blue planters for Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center as in appreciation of their partnership over the years. Your GCG Chairmen and counselors, Molly Kimler, Susan Turner, Linda Cobb, Diane and Banny Harbin all enjoyed sharing their knowledge and talents with campers. We are appreciative to all our Azalea District sponsors for this camp. Supporting a child for camp or making a donation for supplies and program materials helps to keep this camp alive. Nine campers from Bogart, Gray, Macon, Social Circle, Union Point, and Watkinsville represented our own Azalea District. Mark your calendars for the next camp, which will be held July 8-10, Be on the lookout for a child that you, your club, council or your district would like to sponsor. Registration will open March 1, 2018 for rising 5th and 6th grade campers. 14

15 L to R: Ruth Tonsing, Peggy Glover, Betty Davis, Jane Hersey, Molly Kimler, Brenda Holder and Linda Owens Several Azalea District members attended the Garden Bench Dedication Ceremony at the State Botanical Garden in Athens. The Bench is honoring Magnolia District as the winner of the Native Plant Competition. Barbara Bourque, former Native Plant Chairman, gave the welcome and acknowledgements. Martha Price, Immediate Past Garden Club of President, dedicated the bench and Willie Maxwell, Immediate Past Magnolia District Director, accepted the Bench and Certificate of Appreciation. Refreshments were served in the Terrace Room Of the GCG State Headquarters and were furnished and served by Barbara Bourque and Martha Price. 15

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21 Members of the Cherokee Rose Garden Club in Augusta. Working In the yard of the Charlie Norwood VA Fisher House in Augusta. This is an on-going project of the Club 21

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23 Watkinsville Garden Club received many awards including three National Garden Club awards and a Deep South Award. Mollie Kimler, Azalea District Director, was an invited guest at the club s June 1, 2017 meeting held at the home of Al and Phyllis Rother, Bishop, GA. After giving a brief overview of what her job entails, she surprised club members and announced the club received three National Garden Club awards that were given at the National Garden Club Convention held May 18-20, in Richmond, VA. Mollie presented the Certificates on behalf of Jane Hersey, President of Garden Club of Georgia, who was not able to be present. Treasurer, Dean Fenley, President, Gloria Crews, Violet Dawe, Sarah Bell and Shawna McGrath graciously received the special awards. Shawna McGrath, club member, and the energetic third grade teacher at Rocky Branch Elementary School in Oconee County, received the Junior Garden Club Leadership Award Overall Winner from National Garden Clubs. The club has many active members who assist Ms. McGrath in the Gardening with a Purpose and Cooking with a Purpose after-school clubs throughout the school year. The club also received the Butterfly Award Overall Winner with a $ check and the Horticulture Achievement By a Junior and/or Intermediate Garden Club Award Overall Winner with a $50.00 check. The club also received a Deep South Garden Club lst place Award for Butterfly Conservation 23 and 2 nd place Deep South Award for School Grounds improvement.

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27 Azalea District Calendar District Meetings: October 17, 2017 Jewell Charlotte White October 24, 2018 Hartwell Peggy Tucker District Board Meeting (3 rd Tuesday Feb and Aug) February 20, 2018 Watkinsville Watkinsville GC Gloria Crews August 21, 2018 Milledgeville Council February 19, 2019 Social Circle Gateways GC Molly & Carolyn Plant America Symposium and Tri-Refresher November 13-14, 2017 Athens Native Plant Symposium November 17, 2017 Athens Deep South Garden Clubs Convention March 18 21, 2017 Memphis South Georgia Native Plant Symposium March 28, 2017 Tifton Georgia State Convention April 10 12, 2017 Macon GCG 90 th Birthday Celebration April 11 12, 2017 Macon Garden Week in Georgia April 15 21, 2017 National Garden Club Convention May 21 24, 2017 Philadelphia, PA National Garden Week June 3 9,