2006

The officers and committee members as of January 2006 were as follows:

President  Barbara Eberstein   1st V.P. , Programs Jesse Terres
3rd V.P., Membership Tamah Sminkey   4th V.P., Plant Exchange  Pat Cone
2nd V.P., Public Relations Denise Cross   Treasurer Pat Clunies
Secretary Charles Einolf   Field Trips  Harold Moline
Historian Annie Chelliah   Newsletter Georgann Wade, Claudia West, Connie Carter
Community Programs Marion Payne   Hospitality Rose & John Arslanian
Sunshine Harriet Feldman    Garden Tours  Kent Winterson

As of April 2006, Donald Sminkey became the Newsletter Editor and in May became the Webmaster for the club's new website at http://www.bcgardenclub.org .

Rieg School Greenhouse: Since the BCGC does not have the resources required to maintain the greenhouse, the club decided in January to decline involvement in the project.

Field Trips:

bulletThe BCGC members attended the annual Philadelphia Flower Show on March 6. The theme for this show was "Enchanted Spring, a Tribute to Mother Nature." Go to the Photo page and then view the photo album on the SNAPFISH website
bulletThe Hammond-Harwood House Secret Garden Tour in Annapolis, MD, was held on Sunday, June 4th.
bulletClub members attended a special, behind-the-scenes tour of Homestead Gardens on September 24th.
 
L. to R.: Gene Sumi, tour director; Rich Dodson; Susan Piatt; Ellen Brous; Barbara Eberstein. Rich Dodson and Ellen Brous inside the large greenhouse

 

Jonas L. Bassen passed away on March 31st. Jonas was one of the founding fathers of the BCGC back in 1984 and was awarded an Honorary Life Membership to club for his many years of devoted service to the club. He was a dedicated mentor to anyone interested in learning more about gardening.

 

22nd Annual Plant Sale: The sale was held on April 29th in the parking lot at St. Matthews Methodist Church on Route 450, Bowie, MD.

 

Donation: At the May 30th meeting the club voted to donate $500 to support recovery efforts at Bowie's sister city, D'iberville, Mississippi.

Annual Club Picnic: The picnic was held at Highbridge Park, Bowie, MD, on June 10.

Adopt-A-Highway Program: Cleanups of Route 197 continued during this year in March, May, and November. In May, 2006, the club  voted unanimously to renew its 2-year contract with the State Adopt-A-Highway program.

Open Garden Tours:

bulletJoan Walker opened her garden for a tour on April 30. Her home is on Beechtree Lane, Bowie.
bulletJean and Joel Magram opened their Train Garden on Majestic Lane, Bowie, to the BCGC on October 7th.

BCGC Members Honored at Beautification Awards Ceremony: The Eleventh Annual City of Bowie Beautification Awards ceremony was held on September 28, 2006 at the Bowie Senior Center. This year’s sponsors were the Bowie-Crofton Garden Club, Franks Garden Center, Giant Food at Free State Shopping Center, and the Patuxent Nursery. The following BCGC members received awards: Dorothy & Ed Bice -- 1-Star Maintenance; Dorothea Eddy -- 3-Star Maintenance; Kristine Ferreira --Distinguished Pool Garden; Robert and Shirley Freidline – 3-Star Maintenance; Anita Reyes – 2-Star Maintenance; Diana Towmey – 2-Star Maintenance.

Annual Holiday Party: The party this year was held on December 10th at St. Matthew's Methodist Church. Go to the Photo page, then view a great photo album of the Holiday Party.

 Some of the speakers for 2006 were:

bullet1/31: Harold Moline, BCGC member --"Planning Your Perennial Garden"; Jesse Terres -- "Exhibition Chrysanthemums & Tomatoes"
bullet2/28: No record found
bullet3/28: Martha Simon Pindale, Horticulturist -- "The 20 Long Blooming Perennials" & "20 Annuals You Can't Live Without"
bullet4/25: Gene Sumi, Education Coordinator of Homestead Gardens -- "Companion Planting:
bullet5/30: Charlotte Allison -- "Growing and Caring for Roses in Maryland"
bullet7/25: Professor Jack Sullivan, Director of the Department of Natural Resource Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland -- "Green Roofs and Roof Gardens"
bullet8/29: Yarrow, a certified Feng Shui Practitioner -- a talk on the use of color in your garden and creating moods in spaces beneficial for relaxation and rejuvenation.
 
Yarrow Yarrow considered this entrance as too "busy"
This entrance is considered "unwelcoming" An entrance with good Feng Shui elements.

 

bullet9/26: Dr. Rob Griesbach, a plant geneticist -- "Colors in the Garden"
bullet10/31: Dr. John Lea-Cox, Associate Professor, Nursery and Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture -- "Managing Water and Nutrients in the Urban Environment -- What We Can Do to Help the Bay"
bullet11/28: Mike Dudderar of Homestead Gardens -- "Fountains and Other Hardscaping Plans"

2007

The officers and committee members as of January 2007 were as follows:

President  Barbara Eberstein   1st V.P. , Programs Phyllis LaBorwit
3rd V.P., Membership Tamah Sminkey   4th V.P., Plant Exchange  Joan Walker
2nd V.P., Public Relations Dorothy Bice   Treasurer Pat Clunies
Secretary Kathy Leavitt   Field Trips Ellen Brous
Historian Beatriz Soper   Newsletter & Webmaster Donald Sminkey
Plant Sale Pat Clunies & Gaye Williams   Hospitality Eleanor & Charles Leshinsky
Sunshine Harriet Feldman    Garden Tours  Kent Winterson

Membership:  As of February 8, the club had 113 members who have paid their dues.

Member Passed Away: We lost member Rosemary Moore in February.

Jonas Bassen Memorial Tree and Plaque: A Memorial sourwood tree and Plaque were acknowledged at the Arbor Day Festivities on April 14th at Acorn Hill Park, Bowie, MD.

23rd Annual Plant Sale: The sale was held on April 28th in the parking lot at St. Matthews Methodist Church on Route 450, Bowie, MD.

Adopt-A-Highway Program: Cleanups of Route 197 continued during this year in March, May, and September.

Annual Club Picnic: The picnic this year was held on June 16th at Highbridge Park in Bowie, MD. Go to the Photo page, then view a great album on the SNAPFISH website. Many members are identified by name.

Field Trips:

bullet

Philadelphia Flower Show, March 5th. Go to the Photo page, then view a great album on the SNAPFISH website.

Open Garden Tours:

bulletMay 5th at the home of Harold Moline, Winchester Lane, Bowie, MD.
bulletMay 5th at the home of Billie Page, Windover Turn, Bowie, MD
bulletJuly 1 at the home of Ellen Brous, Beverly Beach, MD

Holiday Party:

 The speakers for 2007 were:

bullet1/30:  Eric Butler, orchid grower. Many great orchid specimens for sale. Go to the Photo page, then view an album of pictures taken at this meeting on the SNAPFISH website.
bullet2/27: Question and Answer session.
bullet3/27: Elaine Isman from Patuxent Nursery -- "Container Gardening"
bullet4/24: Rich Anacker, Maryland Department of Agriculture Plant Disease Specialist -- "Scouting for Diseases in the Landscape, and Control Strategies"
bullet5/29: Michelle and Pat Dundas, Bee Keepers -- "The Vanishing Honey bee; an Overview of the Importance of the Honeybee in Our Lives"
bullet7/31: A tour of the Research Greenhouses at the University of Maryland. Shaun Faulkner , the Controlled Environments Facilities Manager was the guide and Sheila Brown, Executive Coordinator, Office of the Associate Dean, also toured with the group. 
bullet8/28: The speaker was Lynne Meyer, a landscape designer and contractor specializing in residential garden planning, drainage solutions and creative woody and herbaceous planting designs.
bullet9/25: A slide show: Flowering Shrubs for a Carefree Garden. The speaker was Anne Brooks who drew from her many years as a gardener, floral designer, and speaker at Brookside Gardens.
bullet10/30: Biannual Question and Answer session. Annual Halloween party.
bullet11/27: Gloria Kinsley, BCGC -- How to make holiday decorations from vines, twigs, berries, herbs, feathers, etc.

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Copyright June 2005 by The Bowie-Crofton Garden Club. This page or any part of it may only be reproduced with permission of the author.