DISTRICT I

SUMMER 2012

Member of National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc. - Central Atlantic Region - National Garden Clubs, Inc.

District I Presidents Coffee

Saturday, June 16, 10:30 am

Hosted by Shirley Nicolai,

President of National Garden Clubs, Inc., and member of District I garden clubs, at her home 12325 Hatton Point Road Fort Washington, Maryland 20744 RSVP by June 9 at Danielle.Brabazon@gmail.com or 301-754-2291

Directors Notes
Enjoymentof our gardens, our clubs, and our environment
by Danielle Brabazon, Director, District I

Where does the time go? I cannot believe June is upon us! That means our annual President's Coffee is right around the corner! This year we are fortunate to have our Presidents Coffee at the home of Danielle Brabazon National Garden Club Director, District I President Shirley Nicolai. Each club president should have received my invitation to this meeting. I look forward to seeing all of our club presidents (or a clubs representative) on Saturday, June 16th. I invited four special guests to talk to us about the different National Capital Area schools. I look forward to learning more about the schools and possibly making time in my schedule to participate. We have some great events in the works for Fall. We have the District 1 meeting on Thursday, September 13. Watch for more about that meeting in the next edition of The Garden Post. We are hosting

the NCAGCs General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, September 25, which is Yom Kippur. We will need each club to help at that meeting and to prepare refreshments. Also, District I is hosting a Morning of Design with the Council of Accredited Flower Show Judges on Wednesday, October 10. Tanta-Cove Garden Club graciously offered to provide the location for that morning, St. John's Church in Fort Washington, MD. I am looking forward to attending my first Morning of Design! I enjoyed visits with several District I clubs: TantaCove Garden Club, Fergie's Gardeners, Cheverly Garden Club, Mount Airy Clay Breakers Garden Club, and Woodmoor Garden Club. I was honored to be invited to the Gardeners of the Junior League of Washington DC's May Day flower show and to Goddard Garden Club's 50th Anniversary banquet. If there is anything I can do to help your club, please let me know. Im looking forward to the Presidents Coffee.

The Garden Post 2 Summer 2012 Cynthia Chesley, Marian Moreland, Marge Stembel honored at D1 June meeting
Tanta-Cove Garden Clubs Cynthia Chesley received District Is Award of Honor at the annual Awards Meeting held at Behnke Nurseries, Beltsville, MD, in March. Mount Airy Clay Breakers Garden Clubs Marian Moreland received the D1 Directors Perennial Achievement in a Garden Club award, and Woodmoor Garden Clubs Marge Stembel received a Central Atlantic Regions Perennial Bloom Award. Cynthia served the Tanta-Cove Garden Club in many capacities. She was President from 1973-1974, Parliamentarian from 1985-1988, and has chaired 14 committees over the years. In 1985, she was voted Tanta-Cove Garden Club's Most Valuable Member, as she has always been a knowledgeable and helpful member of every committee on which she has served. Cynthia was the driving force behind the publication of the fascinating history book, Along the Potomac Shore, responsible for finding a lost treasure, Broad Creek. This book about Prince George's County is still available. Marian Moreland joined the Mount Airy Clay Breakers Garden Club in 1986 and has served in all offices except Corresponding Secretary. Marian, who saw a need to have a resource to go to for books on gardening, flower arranging and other garden club related information, established a library in her home. She provides a list of everything available to be checked out by club members and willingly serves as the permanent club Librarian. She is active in the club's projects: Caring for the Holloway Garden entrance, creating small floral arrangements for nursing home residents, and working with the After School Care Children's Gardening Project. Marian has shown her innate talents for 25 years by installing the club's incoming officers with dignity and enthusiasm and presenting several programs on flower arranging for her club. She is adamant about club members reducing their carbon footprint and is always giving advice on how members can become more environmentally conscious.
(Awards continue on p3)

Cynthia Chesley (center) holds District Is Award of Honor. Marge Stembel (left) holds her Central Atlantic Regions Perennial Bloom Award, Mount Airy Clay Breakers Garden Clubs Marian Moreland (right) holds her Perennial Achievement in a Garden Club, an award created by the Director of District I. See more photos and info in the Awards Program at: ncadistrict1blogspot.com

Cynthia Heerwagen Chesley has been a member of Tanta-Cove Garden Club since 1968. She is a Landscape Design Council Master Consultant and curated Fern Valley at the US National Arboretum for many years.
National Capital Area Presidents news

The Capital Gardener, Presidents Packets to be distributed electronically

The next copy of The Capital Gardener will be distributed electronically. All clubs should be ready by having "buddy" assignments for members who either don't have access to a computer or need assistance. The next deadline for The Capital Gardener is July 10, 2012. Please send club news and pictures to The Capital Gardeners Editor, Arlene Stewart, at: amstewart4@aol.com We can now do these pictures in glorious, beautiful color. So keep them rolling in to Arlene. Also, the Presidents Packet is electronic and online at ncagardenclubs.org. Click on the mailbox, and it will arrive right before your eyes. With this thought in mind, anyone who would like to inform club presidents and the rest of us of any information, please send your items to Nancy Angelelli at: rangelelli@verizon.net Tell Nancy it is for the Presidents Packet, and she will get it on the website. Flowers, and I will see everyone at your June meetings, Vickie Godwin, President, NCAGC
Sent from my iPad

The Garden Post

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Whats coming up?
June 3-9, National Garden Week
Celebrate, promote your club, and attract new members (See green boxes, p6)

Summer 2012

Awards (from p2)

Marian has won numerous ribbons for her horticulture and photography and her special raspberry jams at the Prince Georges County Fair. She has also volunteered in Fern Valley at the US National Arboretum. She decorated the windows at the Botanical Gardens for Christmas as well as decorating the Surratt House in Clinton, MD. Marge Stembel has been a member of the Woodmoor Garden Club since 1981. Marge joined the club as the mother of young children while working full time as a Montgomery County school teacher. Within the first year of joining the club she began the clubs annual Plant Sale. The sale morphed into a 41-year old tradition as a neighborhood plant sale and garden walk. Proceeds from the plant sale offset the cost of speakers for the clubs monthly meetings as well as the holiday decorations and Valentine arrangements the club makes for the community. Marge has given numerous presentations to the Woodmoor Garden Cub as well as to teachers in her schools on gardening and on trips of gardens she has toured. She has run various workshops on holiday arrangements and on table arrangements. With one garden 29 years ago, Marge started the community gardens in the neighborhood that now consists of four gardens maintained by the Woodmoor club. She also led the club in gardening at Holy Cross Hospital, a project started 20 years ago that continued until three years ago when the Hospital built an addition. At the March Awards Meeting, District I Director Danielle Brabazon congratulated the three accomplished District I women for their outstanding achievements as represented by their award certificates. Horticulture

Sat, June 9, Behnkes Garden Party Districts I and IV promote our garden clubs
Behnke Nurseries (US Rte 1) Beltsville, MD 20705

Sat, June 16, District 1 Presidents Coffee

NGC President Shirley Nicolais home Access the Presidents Packets online at: www.ncagardenclub.org

Tues, July 10, The Capital Gardener deadline Wed, Aug 22, deadline for nominations for Central Atlantic Regions Perennial Bloom Award Submit nominations to District I Awards Chair
Sally O'Connell: soconnell44@hotmail.com or 10223 Big Rock Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901

Thurs, Sept 13, 10:30a, District 1 Fall Meeting

(See details in the next edition of The Garden Post.)

Tues, Sept 25, NCAGC General Membership Meeting Hosted by District I Each D1 club is
needed to help and to prepare refreshments.

Wed, Oct 10, Morning of Design hosted by D-1 with the Council of Accredited Flower Show Judges, St. John's Episcopal Church, 9801 Livingston
Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

Sun, Oct 28 toTues, Oct 30, Central Atlantic Region Conference, Independence, OH
Register online: www.ncagardenclubs.org

Tues, Nov 13, D-1 Fundraiser at Franklins

Franklins Restaurant, Brewery, and General Store 5123 Baltimore Avenue, (US Rte1) Hyattsville, MD Check the NCAGCs website frequently for updates to calendar items: www.ncagardenclubs.org

Carol Edwards on roses

Carol Edwards, Vice President of Capitol Hill Garden Club, did a wonderful review of roses in this area. You can find it on the Capitol Hill Garden Clubs blog dated February 8 at:
capitolhillgardenclub.blogspot.com

Grenada

The Garden Post Goddard Garden Club celebrates 50 years of memories, friendships
Goddard Garden Club celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a reunion banquet at Sir Walter Raleigh Inn, Greenbelt, MD, on May 19. All but one of the clubs six members were present and were joined by eight former members, four spouses, and three guests including District I Director Danielle Brabazon. Former club president Linda Foote travelled the farthest. She came from Florida to be there. The event proved to be a very special evening of laughs, heartfelt hugs, and memories.

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Club News

Summer 2012 Woodmoor sees green in action at Sidwell Friends Middle School
Members of Woodmoor Garden Club and the Woodmoor neighborhoods Green Team toured Sidwell Friends Green Middle School Building in April to see the newly renovated buildings multiple green technologies in action. An enthusiastic Sidwell Friends volunteer led the tour and provided insight into the Quaker values that led to the transformation of the 50-year old facility into a sustainable, green building. The Woodmore club provides a glimpse below of the cutting edge technologies seen during the tour: Creation of a wetland behind the building to treat wastewater the same as the municipal system while creating habitats for plants and animals. Siting the building to optimize daylight. Conservation of energy required transporting construction materials to and from the site: 78% of building materials were manufactured regionallyreducing the energy required transporting material to the site during construction, and 60% of the waste generated during construction was recycled and, thereby, diverted from landfills. Use of 60% less energy through energy efficiency and passive solar design, including natural ventilation and shading to reduce air conditioning load. A solar panel system on the roof generates 5% of the building's electrical load. Green and cool roofing. As rain passes through the green roof, pollutants are removed, creating cleaner water for reuse or overflow discharge into the municipal storm drain. Cool roofs keep the building from heating up and that reduces demand for air conditioning. Water efficient landscaping with drought resistant plants. To aid community tours, colorful, hand-painted signs made by middle school students were located next to green technologies offering explanation about the technology in a question and answer format. Moreover, students monitor and measure the green systems performances. To arrange a tour or learn more visit: www.sidwell.edu/middle_school/ ms-green-building/index.aspx

The memorabilia table set by President Christine Hambach has some correspondence and notes both to and from several of those who could not attend. (See more photos at: ncadistrict1.blogspot.com)

A silent, continuous, 17-minute, big-screen slide show provided quick glimpses through five decades of activities and accomplishments. A rose ceremony highlighted the evenings program. One-by-one, each woman there was presented with a white rose tied with a sheer ribbon bow with streamers while something meaningful was said about her and her involvement with the club. Club President Christine Dorothy Jeanne Aiken Hambach was surprised with a receives her rose with bouquet of pink roses and long, a smile. appreciative, enthusiastic, applause for her leadership and friendship through nearly two decades as the clubs President.

The Garden Post

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Club News continued MAY DAY

Summer 2012

Gardeners of the Junior League of Washington DC presented May Day, a small standard flower show, at the Sumner Village Community Center in Bethesda on May 1.
See more MAY DAY flower show photos at: www.ncadistrict1.blogspot.com

Louvette Aspiotis won Best in Show in the Design Division for her May Day Meadow Picnic for Two.

Sandi Birdsongs Paeonia caucasica won Best in Show in the Horticulture Division.

Cheverly Garden Clubs April speaker Don Hyatt took the club on a travelogue through Appalachian Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia and to northern California during his talk on native azaleas and native plants in those states. He is recognized as a national authority on azaleas and rhododendrons and as a specialist on native azaleas. He has served on the national boards of both the Azalea Society of America and the American Rhododendron Society. He is currently focusing on the preservation of hard-to-find native azalea species and natural azalea hybrids in the wild. Mr. Hyatt is also an artist and has been painting botanical illustrations for nearly 40 years.

He brought several of his azalea watercolor prints to the clubs meeting for door prizes. An assortment of his botanical prints can be found for sale at Arbor House.

Capitol Hill Garden Club President Elvira Sisolak invited all members of NCAGC clubs to join her club on April 14 for a private tour of the manor house at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. The club and their guests toured the historic former home of Michael and Belinda Straight and their gardens designed by Beatrix Farrand, designer of the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks. The group got inspiration from the small vignette demonstration townhouse gardens, the whimsical architecture in the organic vegetable garden, and the cherry trees and early bloomers in the perennial beds. The visitors could hike the woodland trails and could shop the Garden Market where local growers sell shrubs, native plants, ornamental grasses and other unusual perennials and annuals. Information on Green Spring Gardens can be found at: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring The Capitol Hill Garden Club received several awards in the Spring, including the Edith Bittinger Environmental Improvement Award for the transformation of the streetscape in the 100 block of 7th Street NE, which was Elvira Sisolak's President's Project. The award came with a check for $100.

The G arden Post

Summer 2012

Club News continued Tanta-Cove holds a flower Eastland Gardens Flower show and has a speaker Club publishes its book flower show and program L-O-V-E
A small standard flower show held in February at the home of Rosemary Weller

Images of America: Eastland Gardens by Eastland Gardens Flower Club Eastern Gardens Flower Club spent two years of effort on their recently published book to share their hidden and historic community through photographs and oral histories that tell about the families, merchants, redevelopment, churches, and more in this pictorial publication. Copies are available for purchase at Arbor House.

Virginia Corum wins a blue in the You Light Up My Life design division in the L-O-V-E show.

In February, Tanta-Cove Garden Club had a program on Protecting Our Community Through Gardens: Rain Gardening presented by landscape designer Cheryl Corson at club member Rosemary Wellers home. All the while, the club was also holding its small standard flower show, L-O-V-E, in various rooms of Rosemarys house.

Youre invited to a Garden Party

to benefit Friends of Brookside Gardens

Districts I and IV to host promotional table at Behnke Nurseries Garden Party, June 9, during National Garden Week
National Capital Area Garden Clubs represented by Districts I and IV will be raising funds with the NGCAs bright green tote bags to Save the Azaleas and promoting the benefits of belonging to a garden club. Well be informing interested people of what garden clubs have to offer and collecting names and contact information from those interested in joining a National Capital Area Garden Club. District I will be assisting District IV Director Bette Davis who has the lead for this event this year. If you would like to help at the NCAGCs table, please contact Danielle.

June 9, 9a - 4:30p
Behnke Nurseries, Beltsville
Free Admission - Talks Demonstrations - Food - Plant Swaps Raffles - Door Prizes Get on Behnke Nurseries email list to receive their special promotions, coupons, deals, and notices of their speakers, special events, and programs: www.behnkes.com