Location and Time: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: The chrysanthemum is our club flower. It is lovely. We buy fully budded, well-fashioned plants for the landscape, or perhaps a few stems from the florist. Being frugal or curious, attempts are made to grow from a few fresh cuttings. They seem easy enough to grow, but are they? Jessica Hall, owner and operator of Harmony Harvest Farm located in Weyers Cave, Virginia, will join us via Zoom and present a grower’s perspective on these fabulous fall flowers. The chrysanthemum’s long presence in history, the differences between heirlooms and hybrids, and Harmony Harvest’s reasons for deciding to preserve heirlooms through their newly launched The Mum Project, along with a few growing, feeding, and pinching tips, are some of the topics to be covered. Of course, there will be questions. Jess has the experience to answer whatever is on your mind!
Horticulture Topic: A Hidden Edible Treasure
Design Exhibit:Back to School– Design with freedom of choice of design style staged on a 45" high freestanding white pedestal with a 12" square top.
Designers: Sally Moore, Cindy Hansen, Diane Smith, and Jane McClanahan
Hostesses: Coordinator – Paula Moratto Angela DeLuca, Sue Callahan, Jessica Kruse, and Yael Beckman
Board Meeting: Wednesday, September 27, 2023, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library Sustainable Gardening Tip: Control stormwater runoff and reduce erosion by creating a rain garden, swale, or vegetated buffer. Using less water is also an important element of sustainability. Collecting rainwater in a rain barrel is an excellent way to conserve water that can then be used to water your garden.
October 4, 2023
HOW BUGS MAKE THE WORLD GO AROUND
Conservation and Environmental Presentation
Location and Time: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: Your garden can be a refuge of biodiversity, housing many different living things. A vast majority are insects. How do these insects and their relatives make our big world go round? Speaker Dr. Michael Raupp, Professor Emeritus of Entomology and Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland and The Bug Guy of media (television, radio, and magazine) renown explains the parts they play in ecosystem services, in linking members of food webs, and in the pollination of plants and biological control. You will leave with a greater appreciation for the important roles these little life forms – these insects – play in the ecology of your garden.
Horticulture Topic: A Spicy Autumn-Blooming Beauty
Design Exhibit:It's Halloween– Creative Line Design staged in a space that is 18" wide by 18" deep on a black-draped table. Exhibitor to provide staging panel and/or underlay if desired.
Designers: Cathy Gallagher, JoAnn Cook, Carol McNemar, and Paula Moratto
Hostesses: Coordinator – Carol Schoenfeld Nancy Durose, JoAnn Cook, Camille DeVito, and Cathy Gallagher
Board Meeting: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library
Sustainable Gardening Tip: Choose native plants for all seasons (spring and summer flowers, late-blooming fall asters and goldenrods, and winter plants that retain their seeds) when creating landscape beds. Native plants require minimal amounts of water, fertilizer, and pesticides. A variety of plants helps provide a habitat for local wildlife, such as birds, bees, and butterflies.
November 1, 2023
HONORING OUR VETERANS
Civic Achievement Project and Floral Design Worksop
Location and Time: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: Project Co-Chairs Cindy Hansen and Barbara Emden conduct a hands-on workshop where members create over 100 patriotic-themed floral arrangements for veterans. Following the workshop, club members will deliver the arrangements to veterans residing in local assisted living facilities.
Hostesses: Coordinator – Diane Gallow Carol McNemar, Verna Pond, Jane McClanahan, and Carol Morris
Board Meeting: Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library
Sustainable Gardening Tip: For a more sustainable landscape, reduce the area planted in grass with beds of ornamental grasses, low-growing shrubs, or groundcovers. Groundcovers help with erosion control and weed suppression.
December 6, 2023
A CROFTON VILLAGE CHRISTMAS
Civic Beautification Project
Location and Time: Crofton Country Club, 1691 Crofton Parkway, Crofton. Social and business meeting at 11:00 AM followed by lunch at 12:15 PM.
Program: Led by Committee Chair C.J. Salisbury, members decorate several community schools, the Crofton Library, Town Hall, and the Village Green with live green wreaths and festive bows.
After completing the civic project, members enjoy a festive holiday-themed luncheon and live entertainment with the acclaimed Show Stoppers of South County. A 50/50 raffle is in the plans as has been our holiday tradition. All proceeds from the raffle benefit ongoing projects and programs of the Crofton Village Garden Club.
Special Note: $40.00 per person. Guests are welcome.
Hostesses: Coordinator – Patty More Faye Tolliver, Karen Frost, Linda Childs, and Diane Smith Board Meeting: Wednesday, December 27, 2023, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library
January 3, 2024
FOR THE LOVE OF BIRDS
Conservation/Environmental Presentation and Workshop
Location and Time: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: Local Wild Birds Unlimited shop owner and bird enthusiast, Kate Neall brings her passion for all things birds to the Fellowship Hall as she shares her interest and knowledge with members. Such observations as the different species of wild birds most likely seen in local backyards along with their feeding habits will be discussed, leading to why one feeder design would be more popular and appropriate for one bird species versus another. Different types of feeding cages/stations and where birds prefer to dine – al fresco penthouse or floor-level patio – will be explained, as well as the importance of suet, the classic winter energy bar, in a bird’s diet. Kate will demonstrate by using common pantry supplies, how members can make their own. Members will have the opportunity to make and take home a sample that “suets” their backyard visitors. Now that’s real fat to chew on!
Horticulture Topic: Mulch Madness – Types of Mulch and How to Use Them in Your Landscape
Design Exhibit:Happy New Year– Petite Design with freedom of style not to exceed 8" in width, depth, and height. Staged on a black-draped table.
Designers: Jessica Kruse, Littany Hollerbach, Susan Callahan, and Laura Austin
Hostesses/Host: Coordinator – Shirley Levendoski Carol Buhr, C.J. Salisbury, Paulette Heward, and Paul Heward
Board Meeting: Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library Sustainable Gardening Tip: Mulching is an excellent way to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weeds. Organic mulches, such as shredded leaves or wood chips, can also improve soil health as they decompose.
February 7, 2024
FLOWER SHOW PRIMER
Floral Design/Horticulture Workshop
LocationandTime: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: Sally Moore, Crofton Village Garden Club Past President and Flower Show Committee Lead Co-Chair will distribute and discuss the schedule for our Standard Flower Show that will take place in May, commemorating Crofton's 60th Anniversary. Members will be given instructions on registering, conditioning, and staging their horticulture and design exhibits.
Horticulture Topic: Unwanted Garden Guests
Design Exhibit:Valentine's Day– Petite Design with freedom of style not to exceed 5" in width, depth, and height. Staged on one-quarter of a white-draped elevated 76" round tabletop with red ribbon delineating space.
Designers: Patty More, Paulette Heward, Glenna Kidd, and Rena Pogue
Hostesses/Host: Coordinator – Cindy Hansen Rosa Johnson, Sally Moore, Glenna Kidd, and Laura Austin
Board Meeting: Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library Sustainable Gardening Tip: Create a healthy compost pile that reuses food waste, grass clippings, yard waste, and other natural ingredients to make a nutrient and mineral-rich compost that can be added to garden soil to increase productivity and health of the soil.
March 6, 2024
BEAVERS AS A KEYSTONE SPECIES
Conservation and Environmental Presentation
LocationandTime: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: Just what is a ‘keystone species’? What does that term mean, especially in the context of environmental conservation? What are the consequences of its loss and how does that loss become evident to us? Should we all just “Leave it to Beaver” or do something about it? Speaker Claudia Donegan, Director of the Center for Habitat Restoration Conservation, Chesapeake and Coastal Service at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will share with us the role this rodent played in shaping America’s landscapes and how it can help us restore it.
Horticulture Topic: Mistakes that Keep Your African Violet from Blooming
Board Meeting: Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library Sustainable Gardening Tip: Pesticides can harm beneficial insects and wildlife, so it is best to use natural pest control methods. Planting companion plants, using physical barriers, and releasing beneficial insects are all effective ways to control pests naturally.
April 3, 2023
MEET RACHEL CARSON: A SPECIAL LIVING HISTORY PRESENTATION
Conservation and Environmental Presentation
LocationandTime: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program: Crofton’s beginnings and the emergence of a powerful social movement run like water, alongside one another in the writing, research, and publications of one Rachel Carson. Who was this witness for nature? How did she evolve to become the most respected science writer in America and a “courageous woman who helped redefine the way humans look at their place in nature”?–Time. Meet Rachel in a special living history presentation by Colleen Webster, Professor of English, Harford Community College and Master Naturalist (Harford County). Colleen portrays Rachel Carson in this intimate performance, bringing to life her character, her research and legacy, and her connection and research here in Maryland with the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, just 20 minutes down the road.
Special Note: Limited seating is available. Guests and non-club members may reserve a seat prior to the presentation at a nominal fee. Club members attend for free.
Design Exhibit:Spring Has Sprung– Petite Design with freedom of style not to exceed 8" in width, depth, and height. Staged on a white elevated bookshelf provided by the Design coordinator.
Designers: Camille DeVito, Gail Schulz, Lynne Malley, and Rosa Johnson
Board Meeting: Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library Sustainable Gardening Tip: As an alternative to chemical fertilizers, leave grass clippings on your lawn to provide the soil with many nutrients.
May 1, 2024
THE LUSTY MONTH OF MAY IS HERE!
Floral Design Demonstration and Workshop
LocationandTime: Fellowship Hall, 1651 Ardsley Place, Crofton. Social at 9:00 AM followed by business meeting at 9:30 AM.
Program:Gail Brooks, CVGC Emeritus member, AHS member, and lifelong learner through floral design exhibit and judging classes, brings a wealth of horticultural experience to the CVGC table. From having her first Ikebana class at the base of Mt. Fuji, Japan to her further education in floral arrangements while a member of the Virginia Beach Garden Club, she has accrued knowledge all along the way. And, when growing up, fresh flowers in the home were always a must. Drawing from this experience, she will guide members through the process of assembling a unique May Day basket using fresh greens and seasonal flowers. Members will participate in a hands-on workshop creating their own joyful and abundant floral designs.
Special Note: Fresh floral material, ribbons, and baskets are to be supplied by participating members. An information sheet will be provided in April with details on suitable spring flowers and vine/branch material to collect and bring.
Horticulture Topic: No Mow May
Design Exhibit:Mother's Day – A Tray for One to be staged in a space that is18" wide by 18" deep on a black-draped table.
Designers: Marcia Richard, Angela DeLuca, Karen Frost, and Rosa Johnson
Hostesses: Coordinator – Barbara Emden Gail Schulz, Jessica Kruse, Rena Pogue, and Don Pogue
Board Meeting: Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library Sustainable Gardening Tip: Maryland has a great diversity of wildlife. Providing adequate food, water, and shelter can increase the number and variety of species that visit your yard. Local wildlife relies on native plants for food and shelter.
June 5, 2024
FRANCISCAN MONASTERY GARDEN TOUR
U.S. World Garden Tour
Location and Time: Mini Motor Coach departs the Crofton Commuter Lot at 9:00 AM and travels to the Franciscan Monastery Garden, 1400 Quincy Street, NE, Washington, DC. Departs the garden at 2:00 PM. Returns to the commuter lot at approximately 3:00 PM.
Program:The Franciscan Monastery Garden, once named one of the best-kept secrets in Washington, DC, is our June destination. Join us as we visit at the best time of year to tour its beautiful rose garden filled with over 1,000 hybrid teas, floribunda, and climbing roses. We will take a guided tour of both the upper and lower gardens featuring beautiful statuary, herb gardens, perennials, shrubs, and greenery, and then a special side trip to see the farm and the 1915 greenhouse behind the Monastery. Our guide for this tour will be expert docent and guide team leader Patricia Cunniff, who has been leading tours of the Monastery gardens for over a decade.
Following the tour and time on our own, we will gather in Angel Park for a picnic lunch. Lunch plans are either/or. For those who want to BYO, feel free to do so. For others who prefer a boxed lunch, a pre-ordered lunch will be available.
Special Note: The Mini Motor Coach is 36 person capacity. The charge per person is dependent on the number of passengers. With modest donations to the Monastery and Garden Guild for our tour and the bus, plan on a ticket price of $36 (full bus), $58 max. Boxed lunches will be approximately $15. Details to Menu options will be given prior to the order.
Hostesses: Coordinator – Marcia Richard Diane Stovel, Kathy Puhak, Doris Smith, and Sandy Robertson Board Meeting: Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 1:30 PM, Crofton Library