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January-February 2012
N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E C H A P E L H I L L G A R D E N C L U B
CLIPPINGS
Chapel Hill Garden Club January General Meeting
North Carolina Botanical Garden Education Center
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
9:30 am Meet and Greet coffee time
10:00 am Meeting begins with Featured Speaker, Frank Hyman
Anatomy of a Cottage Garden: Ways to Save Your Back, Your Budget, Your Time, and Your Planet
Trained at NC State University under the late JC Raulston, Frank is an award‐winning garden designer. He has cre‐ated beautiful and sustainable gardens in Durham for 19 years as the owner of Cottage Garden Landscaping. In ad‐dition to hundreds of gardens created for homeowners, Frank has also created gardens for city parks, group homes, elementary schools (edible gardens and playgrounds), a senior center, a farmer’s market, restaurants and offices. He’s designed gardens that are dramatic, colorful, edible, fragrant, drought‐hardy, deer‐resistant, low‐maintenance, organic and just plain pretty.
Frank is entertaining, inspiring, knowledgeable, and speaks from actual experience with a "common sense" ap‐proach to gardening. He has given presentations at Duke Gardens, JC Raulston Arboretum, UNC‐G, the McLaughlin Garden (voted prettiest public garden in Maine) as well as garden clubs across the region. A garden writer for 20 years, Frank's articles appear in Horticulture, Urban Farm, Fine Gardening, the NYT, Independent Weekly, the N&O, and Carolina Gardener Magazine. Would you like to spend more time enjoying your garden than feeling enslaved by it? In this lecture you’ll learn about getting rid of leaves that don’t need bagging, making great compost that doesn’t need turning and smart ways to hook up rain barrels so they really work (and also function as water gardens—no kidding). And just for fun, you’ll learn how to minimize weeds and maximize the flowers that are such an important design element of a Cottage Garden. At the end of the lecture, you will have the tools you need to become a Liberated Gar‐dener! FrankHyman.com liberatedgardener.net [email protected]
Note the date of the meeting: January 31 not January 24th as reported in the yearbook.
Thank you to everyone who purchased bulbs from the 2011 Bloomin' Bucks Catalogue. The 2011 fundraiser has now been completed but will re-start in January when the summer catalogue is open for retail sales. A reminder will be placed in the Newsletter when the new catalogue is available.
Tony Avent, renowned international plant explorer, freelance garden writer, lecturer, student of the late J C Raulston, and owner of Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanical Garden is coming to stretch our sense of what is possible to grow successfully in this region. If you have a passion for the newest, the best, the rarest, the strangest, the most garden‐worthy perennials, then you do not want to miss this lecture! Tony served more than 20 years as horticultural director of the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. After retirement, he established the modern mecca of plant collecting, Plant Delights Nursery, at his home in Juniper Level near Raleigh. Started in 1988, income from the 2.5 acre Plant Delights Nursery allows Tony to conduct his research and breeding activities, the main‐tenance of the display gardens, and his garden outreach programs. Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, currently a 5‐acre display garden with over 17,000 different plants, is where new plants are tri‐aled and displayed. The botanical garden not only functions as a display area, but doubles as a research and development facility. New plants from seed exchanges, plants from breeding pro‐grams, and plants from Tony's expeditions are evaluated for their garden worthiness, their adaptability to the climate of the Southeastern US, and their ability to peacefully co‐exist with our natives. Other plant breed‐ers and explorers from around the country collaborate with Tony to introduce and market their new plants. Tony's lecture draws on insights gained from his travels through the fields and forests of this country, Mexico and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia as well as discoveries uncovered in his own backyard. He will leave you breathless as he explores with us the under‐appreciated na‐tives and outstanding new plants that are now available for you to grow right here in "the South‐ern Part of Heaven". This lecture will tempt you to break out of the ordinary and try planting something delectably exciting. For example: This unusual selection of the European Acanthus mollis comes via a gardener in Tasmania. The bold‐textured, dark green leaves with deeply scal‐loped edges are highlighted by an irregular border that emerges creamy gold, then changes to white as the leaves mature. The older leaves eventually lose most of the coloration. When the 3' wide deer‐resistant clumps mature, they are topped with 5' tall spikes of true pink flowers...simply stunning! Acanthus 'Tasmanian Angel' must have some sun to survive...also a rich, moist soil is preferred. http://www.plantdelights.com/ Bring your questions, your notepads, and join us for this entertaining, informative program. As always, we encourage members to share lunch after the meeting. This year we are "doing lunch" at The Atrium. http://crooksatriumcafe.com/ Please register for this event by emailing Christine Ellestad [email protected] with your full name and the full names of your guests. • This program is FREE FOR EVERYONE.
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Chapel Hill Garden Club February General Meeting
North Carolina Botanical Garden Education Center
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
9:30 am Meet and Greet coffee time
10:00 am Meeting begins with Featured Speaker, Tony Avent
Plants to Delight and Plants to Excite
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Christine Ellestad Program Chair 929 3013 home
A note from Gill Roberts Ways and Means Chair
TherewillbeNOrefreshmentsservedduringtheFebruaryMeet&GreetpriortoTonyAvent’sProgram.
January 2012
Life is Good
A Reflection - Stepheny Houghtlin
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Clippings
Perhaps you are familiar with Charleston Gardens, a business that is a source for classic
garden furniture and furnishings. They placed a striking two page advertisement in one of my
favorite magazines; Claire Murray’s La Vie Claire, the art of living a creative life. The ad features a full page photograph of a cherub statue nestled in a shaded garden with filtered sunlight around
her. She has placed a finger to her lips as if she is calling for silence. Looking at this small vi-
gnette quiets my hurried life. The quote at the bottom of the page says, Life is good…gardening makes it better. Though I know this statement to be true, I would like to rewrite the line to say, Life is good…garden club makes it better. Earlier this week at the Christmas Tea, I stood with others in
the walled garden at the Tiedeman’s home. I had come out to admire the Christmas tree deco-
rated for the birds. Heidi Sawyer Clark, the inspiration once again for this marvelous sight, gave
several ladies strands of red yard to place on the tree. This charming tree, the garden itself, from
the entrance gate to the brick pattern underfoot, the stunning Camilla, the vines climbing the
house, the sound of water in the fountain, all combined to quiet our spirits as we stood in the
warm air smiling at one another, wordless, drinking it all in.
I will take this lovely moment into the New Year, knowing we have several months of cold
weather ahead. I’m glad I don’t have to wait for garden club to stir itself from winter. We wel-
come our new members on January 17 at the home of Karen Lazarus, we have a field trip on the
24th, and our general meeting on January 31st with Frank Hyman. (Look for details in this issue of
the newsletter) Though I look forward to a quiet beginning to the New Year, I have garden club
to look forward to, which will enrich my life as it always does.
You’ve heard the expression, jump right in; the water is fine? Make a New Year resolution
that you are going to jump right into garden club in 2012. Send me an e-mail with your ideas,
what you might do to get involved with your time and talent. We need a communications person
who would keep the membership group list and send out the e-mails and newsletters… a job I
currently hold and long to turn over. Get involved with the Spring Garden Tour; you’ll be glad
you did. As we begin the New Year, I hope you agree: life is good, garden club makes it better.
SHARING TABLE....What is it?
The garden club's sharing table was created for the members to bring in garden related items that other members could pur-chase if they wanted them. The cost is decided by the purchaser, but should be reasonable for the items obtained. Items could include perennials that have been divided from one's garden, plants, seeds, gardening books etc. There is a container on the sharing table to put your payment into...strictly honorary. This monthly income is put into the club's checking account.
Community Service Updates and Opportunities Vicki Scott & Sue Tiedeman
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CHGC Treasurer’s Report December 1, 2011…….Darlene Pomroy Balance in checking account on October 1: $18,262.10 Income in October & November: Dues $420.00 Sharing table $21.00 Candy sale $487.00 Sale of arrangements/Oct. program $181.50 Floral workshop $846.46 Moss workshop $245.00 TOTAL INCOME = $2,200.96 Expenses in October & November: President $19.00 Programs $1100.00 Historian $48.64 Hospitality $62.37 Memorials $100.00 State dues $96.00 Newsletter $36.78 SEEDS $14.36 Stratford House $78.82 Downtown planter $233.01 Freedom House $66.69 Floral workshop $654.40 TOTAL EXPENSES = $2,510.07 Balance in checking account on December 1,2011 = $17,952.99
Habitat benefits from the Club’s Community Service Efforts For at least five years, the garden club has given garden tools to new Habitat homeowners in Orange County. Phoe‐nix Place, which is located off Rogers Road, is Orange County Habitat’s newest community. Thus far the garden club has pro‐vided a starter set of garden tools to 23 homeowners in Phoenix Place. In a recent email from Sharron Reid, Family Services Director with Habitat, wrote, “In a time when people seem to be less concerned about others, your club has given and con‐tinues to give so much. Therefore, I would like to offer a sincere thanks from Habitat to the Garden Club for the excellent service they have provided for our homeowners. My prayer is that God will bless each of you and your love ones with good health and safety throughout this holiday season.” In the spring we will be providing tools for 6 additional homes. We continue to provide the homeowners with new tools but can also supplement with clean, used tools in good working order. Phoenix Place is also looking for shovels and other garden tools for their community garden as well as lawnmowers. They are hoping to get lawnmowers in good working order that homeowners can share. If you are downsizing or have something you would like to donate, please contact Peggy Pratt, Sue Tiedeman, or Vicki Scott.
ARE YOU A NEW MEMBER?
THEN YOU ARE INVITED TO A
NEW MEMBERS COFFEE
JANUARY 17, 2012 1:30-3:00 PM
AT THE HOME OF
KAREN LAZARUS 235 Mt. Bolis Road
Chapel Hill, NC
The Executive Board looks forward to spending a few hours with our New Members to ‘meet and greet’ and talk Garden Club
Please RSVP to Stepheny Houghtlin [email protected] or 403-0264
Our preview visits continue for the 2012 Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour with a peek at three more gardens – each one might contain ideas for our own gardens.
The Abbey garden at 735 Gimghoul Rd is in the magical Gimghoul neighborhood where gardens spill out to the sidewalk for the pleasure of every passerby. In the front border, among the pastel palette of blooms and foliage, is perennial wallflower, Erysimum linifolium ‘Bowles mauve.’ This pretty spring bloomer is well worth growing for its flowers and blue-grey foliage. It needs well-drained alkaline soil (add lime), and some light shade. Though a short-lived perennial, cuttings root easily for continued flowering.
To reach the next garden we drive through the historic Greenwood neighborhood east of town to discover the Hershey garden at 219 Stagecoach Rd. The steep hillside location contains an amazing home and garden where terraces and slopes are planted with a wide variety of trees and shrubs. A patio kitchen, swimming pool and a gazebo each inhabit a separate terrace in the hillside. Not to be missed are the blooming white tree peonies,Paeonia suffruticosa truly a plant aristocrat in any garden. These elegant perennials have been known in China for centuries and are now found in gardens worldwide. The woody shrub-like plants need excellent drainage, partial sun and are drought tolerant once established. Our third garden peek takes us north of Chapel Hill to the Hoke garden at 102 Stoneridge Dr. The four acre property has two areas to visit – we can take wooded paths through blooming native buck-eyes, American beech trees and wildflowers and spy occasional art glass objects here and there. This area contrasts with the developed gardens around the home where trees, shrubs and perennials thrive. Of note are the very large white loropetalums planted to screen the driveway in front. Most of us know the popular purple-leaved cultivar but the white fringe flower may not be so familiar. Loropetalum chinense is an underused dependable shrub that can reach 10’-15’ tall or more. We might consider a
Spring Garden Tour Sneak Peek By Nina Forsyth, OCMG
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Photos: Anne Wood Humphries
Field Trip to Atlantic Avenue Orchid
and Garden Tuesday, January 24th
Plan to join us on a trip to Atlantic Avenue Orchid and Garden where we will see the 2000 square foot orchid and tropical plants green house which will be ready for the Jan orchid open house. In addition we will enjoy refreshments, a tour of bird supplies, bushes and trees and spring readiness information. www.atlanticavenuegarden.com We will have a “dutch” lunch at the State Farmer's Market Restaurant. www.realbiscuits.com A short walk (or ride) from there will take us to Market Imports – over 2 acres of home, garden, and architectural supplies mak-ing it the largest in the triangle. www.market-imports.com
We will meet at the Botanical Garden at 9:00 am
To register for this event please send your name, email address and phone number to [email protected]
Carla Chamblee, Field Trip Chair
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Clippings
ADDITIONS to YEARBOOK: ELENA McKAY 81515 ALEXANDER CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517 969-2695 [email protected] CATHY PRIMACK 111 BRASWELL RD. CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 933-0471 619-1008 C [email protected]
CHRISTINE BEH 510 FEARRINGTON POST PITTSBORO, NC 27312 642-0074 444-1994 C [email protected] MARTY HUNTER 5 ALDERSHOT COURT CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517 765-5279 619-3477 C [email protected]
KAY IRISH 673 FEARRINGTON POST PITTSBORO, NC 27312 542-7566 518-265-0050 C [email protected] BRENDA LAZARUS 22008 TURNER CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517 929-2015 259-2172 C [email protected] SALLY LEINICKE 18007 HYDE CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517 537-8816 260-7270 C [email protected] ELAINE VAN VALKEN-BURGH 6 OAKWOOD DR. CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517 240-5175 [email protected]
Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour April 14-15 (Coming up soon!)
The 9th Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour is just around the corner. The Tour Committee has been at work for some months now. Publicity has been sent out, photos have been taken, the Tour ticket is nearly ready to go to press (and ALL ads in the ticket book have been sold! Already!), unique plants have been identified, and the host gardens are now resting for the winter. But wait! We still have much to do. We will have posters and postcards to place with friends and stores in the community. We will have signs to place around town. We will have tickets to sell.
We need EVERYONE to help in some way. Look around at the Garden Club meetings for more information and be sure to look at our web-site www.chapelhillgardentour.net. Carol Chandler, Tour Chair
Welcome New Members Ladies in Red
Enjoying the
Holiday Tea
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Garden Club Members can be Donors too!
The following items were mailed to many local Friends of the Tour in hopes that they might consider adding our cause to their charitable giving for the year. If you would like to be a donor as well, your contributions would be most appreciated. Just print out this form on bottom right, fill in and send with your check to CHGC, PO Box 10054, Chapel Hill 275515 by January 15 to be listed in ticket
b h
The Chapel Hill Garden Club P.O. Box 10054 Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Gus St. John, Editor
The Holiday Courtyard
