Chris Franco of the Gateway Rose Society gave us a great presentation on growing and showing roses. It was very informative with beautiful pictures. As always we had a delicious luncheon by our Hospitality Committee.
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The October meeting was held at Ives Grove Golf Course. It was on annual VIP award Dinner. This year we had CO WINNERS in Bonnie and Mary Ellen. They have been coordinating the Williamsburg Garden for us as well as contributing in a myriad of other ways. They are most deserving of this award. Our speaker was Cindy Rabe of Lake Geneva. She spoke to us about using our Garden to keep Healthy. The dinner was catered by Danny's Meats and enjoyed by all. Fall clean up of the Williamsburg Garden took place on October 16. It was a quick job with many willing hands. Thanks to all our volunteers on the 16th and throughout the summer. It takes a lot of us to keep the garden weed and trash free and well watered. Well, this year Mother Nature took care of the majority of the watering. Here's looking to the next gardening Season.
The Annual August Bus Trip was to Manitowoc and Sheboygen this year. Our members, guests, and new friends toured West of the Lake Gardens, Drove along the Lake at the Mariner's Trail and had a great lunch overlooking the water. The Afternoon comprised of a tour of Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygen.
On a blustery day some of our members arrived at the Williamsburg Garden to plant it for the season. We were lucky enough to be selected for a Thrivent Grant which helped to fund the replacement of the winter killed lavender with all new salvia plants.
The 2nd Annual Shop Hop was a smashing success. Underneath the bus was full and inside the bus was full too! The Shopping was so good that plants had to be held on laps!
We hosted a bus Trip to the Chicago Flower Show at Navy Pier earlier in the month. Carol reports it was a:
"Very enjoyable day walking amongst the smell of fresh soil and flowers especially at this time of year!" The April meeting was held at Gateway in Kenosha. Greenhouse shopping was followed by the general meeting and an excellent talk on "Fertilizers & Plant Disease" by Ali Schultz who is a Horticulture Instructor at the school.
The hospitality committee provided an excellent variety of snacks and a pretty bouquet. Thanks to Mary C, Bonnie S, Julia L and LaVerna P for the lovely table. Susan gave a blessing for the Madri Gras Tea. We were awash in Green, Gold and Purple. We tried some hurricanes and ate too much. It was another successful fun fellowship.
We did not have a formal meeting, but Mary Ellen was installed as the Vice President as she wasn't at the December meeting. Lucky had a guest from Chicago, Jeanne. The food was wonderful! Our March meeting put us in the mood for Spring! Bill Thompson gave a presentation on Day Lilies. Our hostesses made a lovely Spring table and we welcomed several new and prospective members. At his home Bill have 46 garden beds filled with 1600 variety of lily! He said he first got a few from a friend and then it took off from there.
The first record of lilies is in China in the year 2697 BC. They were used for food & medicine. The first written record of the flower in Europe was in 1576. Immigrants brought the bulbs with them to North America. Hybridizing began in the late 1800s. A Wisconsin man, Orlo Stout, was a famous botanist who furthered day lily colors and varieties. Initially, day lily were yellow or orange. Stout bred the first red day lily in 1934. Today, many hybridizer's goal is to bred a blue day lily. Day lily varieties now number over 70,000! Day lily are easy to grow and hardy. They can handle sun (preferred) or shade. Dave says to divide them every 3 to 5 years as they will continue to multiple. |