Curbs & Cobblestones Garden Club June 2015 Minutes
Treasurers Report
Beginning Balance for June 2015: $1557.33
Ways & Means $200.00
Dues: 20.00
Beginning Balance for June 2015: $1777.33
Committees: Stamps & Tabs: No Reports
Membership:
Well all it appears our innovative garden club is acquiring new
members. On deck is a second Delaware resident and pending member
making inquiry to join us ..She is: Nancy Katz 24 White Oak Rd.
Rehoboth Beach, DE. 19971 at
nancypolly@aol.com.
Nancy is formerly from Massachusetts. We welcome Nancy! This bring
our total membership to: 33 [2 out of Country/ Canada; 9 out-of-state; 7
Massachusetts “out of area”; and 15 local.
Ways & Means:
We realized $769 dollars and on June 6th there was a continuance of the
yard sale that realize $199.50 rounded up to $200. The total income
for Curbs Yard Sale was $969.00. Our next Ways and Means fund raising
opportunity will be at our December Flower Show with the 4 wreaths from
Class 1 and the decorated spruce trees in containers from Class 3.
Blue Star Memorial Garden:
Local members of Curbs met at the Blue Star Park on a lovely summer
morning of June 13th. Fifteen attendees of the Commonwealth’s
Community Service team were present to pull weeds and tidy the gardens.
We learned that the small Veteran’s monument garden that was part of
the collaboration for entire Blue Star garden will no longer be able to
be maintained by the Veteran’s organization and our club will now over
see the entire space incorporating the WWI garden with the Blue Star
garden.
Plans now will be undertaken to rehab the slope that
borders the Bridge Street walkway and the WWI Veteran’s garden . Our
next meeting will be on Sat July 11th ( weather permitting) 9:30AM,
first stop at 8:30AM for Community Service will be at the Shedd Park
Gateway to remove the rogue Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). Thank
you Heidi for the mid morning hospitality break which included bottled
water, cut orange wedges accompanied by donut holes. And, Thank you
Andrea and Bruce for the donation of 25 lawn bags to help with the clean
up! Jeanne Rousseau has offered to supply hospitality for the July
meeting.
The Big Year:
Who needs Bird Check List (given out May Yard Sale and Meeting)?
Deadline looming Sept 5th, 2015 closes our Big Year Golden Trowel
Challenge. Email me for download.
Leap into Action National Garden Club President’s Projects “Service in Action”
1. Crown Bees - BeeGap -
I have installed a mason bee house on my property – what about You?
These are friendly non stinging pollinator bees that will help restore
our environment. You know we had the film on Bee Colony Collapse. And
saw how China has to “hand pollinate” their cherry trees! They have no
bees in their country. A SMALL action at every members that has a
garden can make a Big difference. Such as: I am attaching a SHARE
Pollinator Observation Chart - please print out. Chart for the days of
June and the months of /July /Aug/Sept. Please bring them to the
October 13th Meeting . Out of state members please download. Our club
participation will assist in our NGC pollinator projects. Thank you!
2. Protect our Pollinators. See below under #2. Urban Wildflower Garden.
Our Garden Club Blog:
from member Sharon SawyerI've revived the Curbs and Cobblestones Blog,
and I've posted the minutes of the last meeting and the bird spotting
challenge. Now, this is what you have to do to see it.
1. click on this link:
2.
if that doesn't take you directly to the blog, open a new window or a
new tab by clicking on the + sign that you see on the right of the top
of this page, next to your gmail inbox tab.
3. Copy
and
paste it into the bar at the top of the page, then click on it.You
should be able to see the blog. If you still can't, send me an email.
I'll call you and walk you through it.
Sharon -PEI Canada
New City Garden Club Projects: #1 Lowell Transitional Living Center Flower Boxes and Exterior Beautification:
June 23, 2015, I met with Director Jennifer and we discussed updating
the planters with a vertical interest idea submitted by our new member
Dottie Howatt and perhaps scenes painted on flower boxes submitted by
new member Wanda Davis. It appears their suggestions were a hit. I
suggested the Director contact the Vocational school to see if the
student would take on the project of building (3) 60 x 24 metal
trellises to insert in to the flower boxes. If this is not an option
the suggestion to plant a small ornament tree in each box with an under
skirt of shade perennials, that will help balance the vertical design of
the extremely large windows.
As
a NGC Master Landscape Design Consultant I put my knowledge and
experience to use by further suggesting that there unused, sadly lacking
of landscape of the long deep shaded side of the building that runs
along Middlesex Street before reaching the edge of the Center, that also
abuts the parking lot, separated by a high wooden fence be utilized as
the “smoking” area. Not that I encourage the use of smoking, but the
clients stand in front of the building near the entrance while smoking
making it difficult to enter the building without passing through a
cloud of smoke so ... if you can’t fight it, find another solution. I
suggest to use the 80 ft x 4' shaded area as seating by installing two
granite blocks and adding 3 sand containers for butt receptacles. Behind
the granite seating, a row of hosta can be planted which will make
landscape self sustaining. The wooden fence will be repair this week
and stained a natural color. This small action will beatify the street
for the length of 80 feet, keeping and enhancing the large red maple
(with an interesting twisted truck shape) in its center, two 36" granite
blocks on the left and right of the maple and a row of “Patriot” Hosta
bordering the fence. There will also be three sand tubs for the
cigarette buts. At the very far end of this length of green space, next
to the corner of the building there will be a decorated cast iron city
trash bin.
Further I’ve planned to give the clients a few gardening workshops thereby encouraging them to maintain the flower boxes.
#2 The Urban Wildflower garden. Location:
at Markos Mediterranean Grill on the top of the Thorndike Rotary, Known
as the Lord Overpass, adjacent to the Train Station. In support our
NGC president Sandy Robinson's projects.. Reestablishing wild green
space by returning back to nature, to support our pollinator habitat can
be manageable and interesting if done correctly, especially in city
and urban areas, limiting the need to constantly mow every blade of
grass! I am asking members to collect wild flower seeds including
marigolds! So we can broadcast the seeds along the slope. This is a
good project even for our out of state members to participate by sending
or drop off or bring t0 the meeting any wild flower seeds that they can
part with. Imagine with me, the Thorndike Rotary slope a blaze with
wildflowers... a permaculture of the violet hues of lupines, deep gold
of black eye susans, the orange of common day lilies, yellow of
buttercups and goldenrod, the white of field daisies, red and white
clover, the pinks of the blossoming milkweed, the delicate pattern of
Queen Anne’s lace, the bell shaped campion all alight with butterflies
and bumblebees.
Members Moment for July:
comes from Sharon Sawyer (PEI/Canada), she writes In PEI, our bat
population has been decimated by white nose disease. It was first
reported on the Island only two years ago, and we have absolutely zero
bats left. Our property borders a small brook, and the mosquitoes and
black flies this year are terrible. Usually, it wasn't so bad because
the bats ate so many of them. I always enjoyed watching them flying
around the yard near the woods at night. The world needs less lawn and
more wild space, in keeping with our NGC pollinator program she offers
White Nose Syndrome of Bats. (attached) please feel free to comment.
Awards:
Along with the 6 NGC awards we picked up at the National Garden Cub
convention in Kentucky, I have applied for the GCFMA Section III C,
Norma Zettler “For the Love of Birds”Award due for July 1. The award
is described as: A certificate of Merit and a copy of Norma’s Birds
booklet (delight ful compendium of poems and bird facts) to be presented
at the Fall Conference. The award is given to a club or individual
educating the public about the “love of birds” The project can be a
program for the community, a series of club programs; a program or
project for children; or the creation of a local garden that encourages
birds. Our Big Year Project certainly applies!
June Strawberry Festival:
The first of the many 10th Anniversary Club Celebrations on June 20th, a
fine summer day for the Strawberries 'n Arts Festival was enjoyed by
hundreds on the Westford Commons. Members spotted among the grounds
were Heidi, Susan, Jeanne Rousseau and Bonni. The strawberry shortcake
was scrumptious! The vendor stalls were exceptional. Entertainment
included bag pipers, Celtic dancers, barbershop quartet, and iron worker
with anvil and irons preforming a “lost” craft demonstration. For
those members out of state, as promised a special token will be sent you
as part of our club’s celebration. Watch your mail! The admission was
free and the club reimbursed the cost of Strawberry Shortcake with some
from of receipt or brochure from the festival. Truly a good time was
had by All!
The next 10th Anniversary celebratory event: will be Saturday, AUGUST 8, 2015 11 AM Design
Program and Luncheon at the Littles’ Residence home in Westborough.
This design program will be in preparation for our Flower Show in
December. RSVP to Bonni as head count will be required. Everyone to
meet at 10:00 AM as 279 Wentworth as carpooling and tandem will be
necessary. Limited parking. NEWS: our member Bonni Jaross from
California will be joining us in August!
December Flower Show:
Notice for all out of state members the schedule was written to
accommodate all members. I hope you will consider entering by sighing
up for
Class 1 Season’s Greetings 2 entries available
A 10” fresh wreath
(provided by Committee or chose your own fresh wreath and the club will
reimburse with receipt). Exhibitors’ choice of holiday design using
fresh and/or dried plant material. Will not be returned as it will
become Ways & Means: offered for sale to the public. Ship to 279
Wentworth Ave Lowell, MA 01852
Class 2 Spirit of Giving 2 entries available
A wrapped shoe or dress box.
Exhibitors’ choice of holiday design using fresh and/or dried plant
material. Easily shipped to 279 Wentworth Ave Lowell, MA 01852
Class 5 Not a creature was stirring…not even a mouse! 4 entries available
A small holiday design
not to exceed 8” square using fresh and/or dried plant material.
Displayed in a white niche 10” x 10” x 10” w/ white backboard. Ship
to 279 Wentworth Ave Lowell, MA 01852.
Shipped
Entries will be handled and exhibited in their best display, by 2 flower
show judges as if it were their own design. Please do not be concerned
about damage in shipping. All will be perfect!
Summer Meeting Dates Mark Your Calendar:
July: Meeting
will be held at the Blue Star Park on Saturday July 11th, @ 9:30 AM.
(Weather permitting) Jeanne Rousseau has offered to do hospitality.
Someone.. please bring your Garden Shed Key – mine is among the missing!
Discussion:
Shelter landscaping agenda; consider Bud vase program for shelter?
Need ideas for the upcoming Golden Trowel Challenge.
August: Aug 8th 11:AM
Andrea and Bruce to host Luncheon and Design Program in Westborough Ca
pooling necessary meet at Bonni’s leave prompt at 10 AM. Meeting
Discussion on Flower Show and preliminary schedules distributed, tasks
assigned.
August 22nd Blue Star Park @ 8:30 AM. (weather permitting). Hospitality-Bonni
Discussion on Gold Star project.
Note from Sharon: I have not been successful in uploading the article on white nose syndrome in bats that Bonni attached to the email she sent us. I'll keep trying!
