JANUARY 23, 2008 MEETING

Our program consisted of Installation of 2008 Officers
and
REVIEW OF 2008 Programs, By-laws, and Garden Club information by
Diane Hughes, Director of District X

The February 27, 2008 meeting was canceled due to an ice/snow storm.

February  Flower of the Month:  VIOLET

The March 26, 2008, meeting was held at Curt’s Family Restaurant, National Pike,
Markleysburg, Pa. 

Tables centerpieces were created by:  Shirley Gearing, Linda Gearing, Deborah Frazee, and Mary Martina.

Our PROGRAM:  MECHANICS OF FLORAL DESIGN was given by Diane Hughes and Angie Raitano.

Diane Hughes and Angie Raitano

MARCH ACTIVITIES:
Great Meadows Garden Club was invited to be on KDKA TV’s PITTSBURGH TODAY LIVE Show at the Pittsburgh Home Show on Friday, March 14, 2008; a busload of 29 GMGC participants accepted:

Kristine Sorensen, show host, with Rania Harris doing a food demo.

March Flower of the Month:  TULIPS

April 23, 2008 luncheon/meeting

An enjoyable afternoon was had by many at our April 23, 2008 luncheon/meeting.
Table arrangement creators were:  Marian Jarina, Linda Kapalko, and Carole Dulla.

May 27, 2008 MEETING

SUMMIT INN RESORT, Farmington, Pa.

A patriotic theme was featured for our table settings
made by Janet Knight, Linda Glover, Bonnie Hager, Dorothy Yeager,
and Donna Sprandle.

Speaker Bill Gallagher, from HOME DEPOT in Uniontown, Pa., spoke of local civic projects in which he (with Home Depot) has participated.  He also touched on subjects such as soil, soil testing, and composting.		Bill brought two beautiful floral arrangements donated by Home Depot for door prizes; happy recipients were Janet Knight and soon-to-be-new-member Vera Painley.

Janet Knight, Ways & Means Committee Chairperson, reported on our many projects during May:

OPERATION WILDFLOWER: began at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 1st at Fort Necessity National Battlefield Visitors Center, where GMGC hosted a welcoming of coffee/tea/sweet rolls for about 75 participants.  After a thoroughly informative 1-1/2 hour talk/slide presentation about south-western Pennsylvania’s wildflowers given by Bonnie Isaac (from Carnegie Museum of Natural History), we then carpooled across Route 40 (National Highway) to devour the bag lunches awaiting us at St. Joan of Arc Church’s outdoor pavilion in the crisp country air.

UNIONTOWN MALL – PLANT SALE, Friday, May 9…..warm, dry, and wonderful:   About 20 members showed up at different intervals to deliver their garden’s contributions or help with sales at our 1st Uniontown Mall pre-Mother’s Day Flower Sale of perennial flowers, shrubs, freshly-made annuals set into lovely Mother’s Day baskets, and table centerpieces (9:30a.m.-6:30p.m.):

(Left to Right) Vera Painley, Carol Dulla, Patti Hamilton, visitor Carol Johnson (Connie’s sister), Connie Strohm, Darlene Duall, Wilma Wilson, Nancy Sproul, Sonnie Cesarino, Scarlet Baxter, and Linda Capuzzi (President).  Missing from photo are Linda Glover (Vice President), Janet Knight (our most honorable bow maker), and Donna Sprandle (taking photo).

WILLING WORKERS: (Left to Right) Wilma Wilson, Linda Glover (Vice Pres.),
Linda Capuzzi (President), Scarlet Baxter, Donna Sprandle, and Linda Kapalko.

BUS TRIP – MAY MARKET, Friday, May 16:

Forty-six travelers (members and friends) filled a BUDGET LINES bus to attend a cold, rainy day in Mellon Park to check out the Eco-Friendly Garden Fair and the 40+ vendors selling their shrubs, hanging baskets, perennial plants, gardening gadgets, jewelry, art work, and antique flea market finds.  As a matter of fact, it was so rainy and my hands were so cold that I couldn’t  even hold my umbrella and snap a photo.

ANNUAL PLANT SALE – Braddock’s Flea Market, Route 4, Farmington, Pa., Saturday, May 24:  photos from our biggest fund raiser…..setting up at 6:30 a.m. until Clearance Sale beginning around 11 a.m. until all plants were gone at 1 p.m.

DID SOMEONE SAY “CHEAP PLANTS”……ON SALE?????!!!!!!!!!!!!

An abundance of Hosta plants and Day Lilies were donated by GMGC members.

Dorothy Yeager making a sale (10:45 a.m.) In the background are willing workers Janet Knight, Vera Painley, Linda Capuzzi, Connie Strohm, Darlene Duall, and Linda Glover (hidden by customers).

 Click here for May Flower of the Month

JUNE 25th, 2008 MEETING

SUMMIT INN RESORT, Farmington, Pa.

Installation of New Members by Geri DiCenzo and Barb DeCarlo:


Daisies (our Club flower) were presented to New Members: 
Laura Tebbit, Donna Green, Vera Painley, and Dana Pinney  

Garrett Graham, a Farmington resident/recipient of our Great Meadows Garden Club $500 Scholarship for his Freshman and Sophomore years at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va., gave a presentation on his major:  Landscape Architecture.  He spoke of his many projects and brought a fantastic portfolio display of some of the actual projects and buildings that he has helped design and implement.  GMGC voted to continue his scholarship donation.

JULY 23, 2008 MEETING

GARDEN TOURS OF MARIE SCHVARCZKOPF’S & JANE HARRIS’S GARDENS with catered LUNCH/MEETING at SCARLET BAXTER’S HOME.

Tuesday, July 22, was preparation day for the catered luncheon at Scarlet Baxter’s home in Farmington on July 23rd; five of us gathered there for lunch/arranging freshly-cut flower from our gardens for the next day. 

“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.”

All plans for our two garden tours were rained out.  When Scarlet awoke on Wednesday, July 23, to pouring rain, she knew Plan B was underway.  She and her husband left their home with all of our centerpieces and hurried down to the Canaan Church of the Brethern on Canaan Church Road, Gibbon Glade, Pa. to turn on the lights, sweep the walks after the storms, and await her committee before everyone arrived at 10:30 AM.  Lo and behold, she had all the table arrangements placed when we arrived.  Thanks to Dorothy Yeager and the rest of the Telephone Committee for all their calls to notify everyone of the change to Plan B.

TABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR JULY 23rd MEETING:  Linda Capuzzi (President), Linda Glover (Vice Pres.), Janet Knight, Donna Sprandle, and Scarlet Baxter

A very appetizing brunch was served by servants
while “Mrs. Blennerhasset” served our beverages.

After the walking tour, we rode in a horse-drawn wagon around the 179 acre estate.

(Click to enlarge)
As I walked the grounds after the wagon ride, I found these markers very
interesting about the “Famous Persons Who Traveled By Blennerhassett Island.” 
(This does not necessarily mean they stepped “onto” the island…..
just floated past it; keyword is “by”.)

(Click to enlarge)

AUGUST 27, 2008 MEETING
ANNUAL PICNIC, WHARTON TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL PARK

A chilly and breezy day of showers was the weather we were dealt for our annual GMGC covered-dish picnic, but it didn’t keep us from our eating fest of about 40 dishes of either salads or desserts:

Janet Knight on left side of picnic table; Scarlet Baxter, Carole Dulla, Bonnie Hager, Linda Glover, and Geri DiCenzo on right side of table (front to back).		LEFT TO RIGHT:  Connie Strohm, Donna Green, Linda Gearing, Nancy Rossi, and Peggy Bonomo on left of table; Susan Brimo-Cox on right.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 MEETING
STONE HOUSE INN, National Road, Farmington, Pa.

Using the PITTSBURGH STEELER theme, the Tables Committee topped the tables with mums, daisies, goalposts, and Steeler scarves; treasurer’s table was decked out with a Terrible Towel and tailgating goodies.

 
Creators were:  Sandy Kulp, Scarlet Baxter, Marie Rush,
and Darla Wasko.

PROGRAM:  PLANNING YOUR HORTICULTURE ENTRY FOR THE JULY 2009 FLOWER SHOW, presented by our newest member, Laura Tebbit.

Laura made an excellent, informative presentation for our preparation for GMGC’s July 2009 Flower Show at Summit Inn, Farmington, Pa.  She distributed a 4-page handout with information on bulb planting, perennials for fall or spring planting, suggestions on plants to grow indoors from cuttings taken this fall, houseplants to grow, plants to add to our gardens in the spring, cutting and conditioning the plants before showing, suggested seeds to start indoors this winter and to sow outside in spring, and most importantly, the botanical names.

SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES:

On September 11, 2008, at one o’clock, twelve GMGC members attended a 70th Anniversary celebration for the Brownsville Garden Club, held at Allie’s Vintage Tea Room on Main Street, Beallsville, Pa.  About 50 guests attended a wonderfully homemade 5-course luncheon.  The Brownsville Garden Club was established in January 1938 with Mrs. Harriet Taylor elected as the club’s first president and Olive Snell was elected vice president.  Honorary member Lorene Klingensmith was acknowledged and received a plaque for her 70 years of service.

DISTRICT X ANNUAL MEETING:  September 15, 2008,
Summit Inn, Farmington, Pa.

Twenty-three Great Meadows Garden Club members attended and participated.

A farewell to Diane Hughes who has served four years (2 terms) as District X Director.


Linda Capuzzi, GMGC president, is thanking Diane Hughes for her work in District X and presented her with a Brighton bracelet and earrings.

Installation by Dorothy Yard of incoming District X Officers:

 Haddie Weber (Treasurer), Iris Cisarik (Secretary), Mary Jane Martucci (Assistant Director) and Mary Finley (Director), all being inducted for the next two-year term by Doris Yard (President, GCFP).

 Janet Knight and Darlene Duall selling gently used jewelry with
Angela Raitano and Marlene Leslie as prospective customers.

OCTOBER ACTIVITIES: 

OCTOBER 22, 2008:   FALL FASHION SHOW/LUNCHEON

Used with permission of Uniontown Herald-Standard Newspaper
(Click photo to enlarge)

Two hundred eleven guests (211) filled the Summit Inn garden room in Farmington, Pa. to enjoy the themed luncheon/fashion show of Phyllis’ Fashions worn by Phyllis’s three lovely models.  Over $4000 was made, our biggest successful fundraiser from ticket sales, special item auctions, Chinese Auctions, & 50/50 raffle, and 10% given back from Phyllis’s Fashion sales for the day.

Some of the fabulously decorated tables represented at our fall event are pictured below:

Vera Painly & Geri DiCenzo at their Steeler theme table alongside Carole Doola & Bonnie Fazenbaker.

Barb DeCarlo beside her “wine country” theme

Linda Kapalko & Marian Jarina’s Halloween theme.		Cyndi Ekas and Cindy Cicconi’s party theme

Marlene Leslie’s haunting Halloween theme.		Linda Capuzzi’s Back-to-School theme.

Special Auction items, including a Heinz Ward and James Farrior
autographed Super Bowl Steeler football.


Barb Holland standing beside the Kentucky Derby themed table.

Thursday, October 16, 2008:

Five GMGC members had fun gardening at Wharton School. They were not able to finish the beds because the remainder of the plants did not arrive until later that afternoon.  Celeste Yaras, Junior Gardening Committee Chair, has tried to incorporate as many "Native Plants" as possible in these designs.  One of the beds planted was titled ANIMALS and contained plants such as CATmint, LAMBS ear, HENS and CHICKENS, etc.  The other five beds were planted with a theme of the five senses.  The SMELL bed had very fragrant plants and herbs. The TOUCH bed had plants such as Lambs Ear that had a distinctive feel to them.

Marlene Leslie, and Sandy Kulp

Left to Right:  Scarlet Baxter and Celeste Yaras, chair.

October Flower of the Month - CALENDULA

NOVEMBER 19, 2008 Meeting:
Curt’s Family Restaurant, Markleysburg

LEFT TO RIGHT:  Janet Knight gives her Ways and Means report from the Themed Luncheon / Fashion Show on October 22nd . where we netted over $4,000.00.   Shirley Flosnik reads her correspondence she was mailed since the last meeting.

Celeste Yaras, Chairman of the Junior Gardening Committee,
prepared and presented a special education exhibit
regarding this project at our GMGC regular monthly
meeting November 19, 2008.

Junior Gardening – 2008

The Junior Gardening committee focused its efforts this year on completing the design and planting of six raised beds in front of the Wharton Elementary School in Farmington, Pa. to be used as outdoor classrooms.

The beds are planted with perennials to provide three season interest with an emphasis on plant material native to Pennsylvania. Each bed has a different theme, one is dedicated to animal names, and the other five are dedicated to the five senses, i.e. sight, smell, sound, taste and touch.  The basic factors considered in selecting plants to use were; zone, Pa. native size, bloom time, light requirement, interest and compatibility with the bed’s theme. Complete documentation of the landscape plans, plants used with their common and botanical names, requirements and native or non-native status is recorded in excel software. This living document will track material added or removed from the beds.

The installed beds provide a plethora of opportunities for educational activities conducted outdoors. To that end, the committee developed a large reference binder for teacher and Garden Club member use in conducting educational programs.  Suggested curriculums are included in the binder. All of the lessons in the curriculum fit within existing mandated National Science Education Standards (NSES). Many of the activities integrate social studies, art, language arts, and math components. The source of this information was found at http://www.weedinvasion.org/weed_home.php which is amazing free resource.

DECEMBER  17, 2008
HOLIDAY PARTY - NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT – JOSEPH ROOM

 
Beautiful Early American Village buildings adorned our tables (prepared by Officers).

  Thirty-nine members plus four guests attended our Christmas luncheon.  The Christmas party was GREAT…..the food, the decorations, and especially the COMPANY!

OFFICERS TABLE (L to R):  Darlene Duall, Secretary;
Shirley Flosnik, Corresponding Secretary; Linda Glover, Vice President;
Linda Capuzzi, President; Kathy Gerke, Treasurer;
Vera Painley, Assistant Treasurer; and guest Sarah VandeVisse.
 

Next we had our annual Gift Wrapping Contest with a chance to win in three categories:

Congrats are in order for:  Denise Rosenberger’s wrapping won for PRETTIEST.

Celeste Yaras won for MOST CREATIVE with a gumdrop tree atop a drum with drumsticks.

Each winner received a Christmas Poinsettia plant.

Great Meadows Garden Club 2008 Projects

2008 CLUB PROJECTS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2008

• Annual Planting (22nd year) at Point Lookout, National Pike - Route 40, Farmington, PA
• Annual planting (23rd year ) at Wharton Township Park and Municipal Building, Farmington, PA
• Annual Planting (16th year) Veterans War memorial at the Wharton Township Municipal Building, Farmington, PA
• Annual planting (17th year) Ohiopyle Community Center, Ohiopyle, PA
• Annual Planting (16th year) Mountain Area Senior Citizens Center, National Pike - Route 40, Farmington, PA
• Junior Gardening - planted six outside gardens for Wharton Elementary School in Farmington, Pa.  These gardens contain 50% native plants (common to southwestern Pennsylvania) and are a source of outside classroom learning.
• Planted a tree at Wharton Elementary School for Arbor Day.
• Participated and contributed to the Wildflower Walk at Fort Necessity’s Educational and Interpretive Center by taking part in the walk and providing coffee/tea/cold drinks/sweet rolls and a lunch site.
• GMGC Blue Star Memorial Project resulted in legislation that designated this site as BLUE STAR POINT LOOKOUT, on Route 40 just west of Summit Inn Resort.
• Realized a membership increase of 4.
• Held two (2) public plant sales (perennials from GMGC members’ gardens).  These sales provide an opportunity to promote garden objectives.
• Participated in National Garden Week by delivering flower arrangements to the five (5) area post offices.

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 DONATIONS FOR 2008
$500 to "Caring Peoples Ministries" on the Mountain,
headquartered in Markleysburg, Pa.
 
Members also donated toys which were distributed to needy children for Christmas.

$68 to Penny Pines Project 

Contributed $100 to cover postage of mailing personal items to our Veterans

Paid for a tree as part of the replanting project to support the Wharton Township Park, Farmington, Pa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 FUND RAISING PROJECTS
Annual Plant Sales
(Uniontown Mall -- Mother’s Day weekend)
(Braddock’s Field – Memorial Day weekend)
 
Sale of Great Meadows Garden Club Cookbooks
(2004 - 2008)
 
Theme Party and Fashion Show
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 SCHOLARSHIPS
A $500.00 scholarship was awarded to a
student majoring in landscape architecture.
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December Flower-of-the-Month -- NARCISSUS