President's Letter April 2016

Dear Friends,

It is not yet April;  the Magnolia soulangeana is already in bloom, and my daylilies are 7” tall.  Have we really dodged winter so successfully?  And what does it mean for this growing season, you may ask?  Suzy Hartford has submitted an article this month that attempts to answer that question.

Garden Club life is moving forward at an accelerated rate as well, it seems.  Within a couple of weeks we will vote on new members, we will vote on our top Charitable Project selection for this year, and we will plant all our seeds for both our gardens and the Flower Show.  So even without snow, we will nonetheless see a flurry – of activity.

If you have not yet entered the Flower Show advance entry classes – that is everything except horticulture – you really must do so now.  A couple of spaces are still available in Photography.  We still need entrants in two classes in Floral Design.  Botanical Arts has space available in jewelry and embellishment classes at the moment.  This is your opportunity to shine, Ladies!  Please sign up and help make our show the best it can be.  The Flower Show Committee has worked very hard, and the venue, design, and event will be tremendous.  Judges are coming from as far away as Honolulu (speaking of which – have you offered to house any of them?  Please do;  Martha Marsh will be happy to sign you up).  Let’s make ourselves very proud!  We deserve it!

April’s program is going to be a blockbuster!  Page Dickey, our speaker, is a charming lady with an astounding wealth of knowledge and a gentle wit.  She is one of the founders of the Garden Conservancy.  She has written and edited numerous books on garden design, living in our gardens, garden designers, and even pets in the garden, all of which are delightful.  Last year she was awarded a prestigious honorary membership in the Garden Club of America.  She speaks all over the country on various garden topics.  For our club, her talk will emphasize the relationship between our homes and our gardens, and what makes them both so inextricably powerful in our lives.  PLEASE NOTE that the venue for this program has been changed to The Country Club, and please sign up NOW to enjoy a wonderful lunch and program.  Appletree Books will be present to sell some of Page’s books as well.  Your guests are welcome to join us also;  just make sure to reserve space.

A number of other important opportunities arise in the second half of April, as well.  April 22 marks the 46th anniversary of Earth Day.  I recall vividly joining fellow high school students to dig dump trucks, dead cats, and centuries of trash from the bed of the Santa Fe River that first year, and each year since Earth Day for me has included doing a good environmental deed.  We really should do one every day, but please do one on April 22.

We then celebrate the 134th Arbor Day on April 29, the next weekend.  Please plant a tree in honor of a friend or family member, and in hopes that your tree will stand proud in another 134 years.  Take an hour to walk your property and consider the health of your trees – do they need pruning?  Are their roots and trunks protected from mowers and string trimmers?  Are they crying out for a hug?  If they are, then hug them!  I hug mine all the time, and they don’t seem to mind.

And enjoy the spring, the weather, the scent of the earth, the vivid colors of new foliage, the joy of living in the beauty of northeast Ohio.  We are a lucky group.  Smile!
                      

 Robin