Club members may obtain additional details and view photos about the items listed here by
contacting the club historian.
Meetings were held in the multi-purpose room at Bowie City Hall, Kenhill
Drive, Bowie, MD at 7:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month.
1990
Membership: There were now 72 members in the club.
Educational Programs for Seniors: Several club members made a contribution to the Bowie senior citizens by
conducting educational programs on different aspects of gardening.
New Club Historian: In February, Fran Ayres accepted the assignment of Club Historian.
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| Field Trip: In March, 16 members and guests went on a field trip to London Town House
& Gardens to attend the 18th Century Tavern Day celebration. Those attending
(L to R): Bob Smith, Jonas Bassen, John McKenna, Warren Robinson,
Kay Robinson, Ed Henriksen, Lillian Bassen, Evelyn Svoboda, Friend
of Jonas Bassen, Eleanor Leshinsky, Ethel Long, Jessie Smith,
Bobbie Winterson, friend of Lillian Bassen's. |
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Plant Sale: The annual club plant sale was held on April 28 at the Grace Lutheran Church.
The club made a net profit of about $500, the best ever. |
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Bowie High School
Memorial Garden: On May 20, about 14 members of the club joined with the Bowie High School
Memorial Garden Committee to refurbish the memorial garden at the high school.
This garden was established in 1984 and is dedicated to students who have
died. The club joined with the students to have an underground irrigation system
installed (by Total Lawn Care of Crofton), transplanted old plants and added
many new plants and shrubs. On July 16th the Bowie City Council honored
the BCGC for their efforts in the beautification of the city.
Field Trip: On June 22, ten members and guest went on a field trip to the Beltsville
Agricultural Research Service Center.
The new officers and committee members where elected:
| President: |
John McKenna |
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1st V.P. , Programs: |
Jonas Bassen |
| 2nd V.P., Membership: |
Kent Winterson |
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3rd V.P., Plant Exchange: |
Charles Bender |
| 4th V.P., Public Relations: |
Evelyn Svoboda |
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Treasurer: |
Harriet Feldman |
| Secretary: |
Jeanne Ballinger |
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Field Trips: |
Jessie Smith, Pat Harbeson, Joyce Pelletier |
| Historian: |
Fran Ayres |
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Newsletter: |
Jonas Bassen |
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Field Trip: In July, a field trip to the National
Arboretum was held. Show above are Glennis Curlen and husband, Bob and
Jessie Smith, Lee and Pat Harbeson.
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Picnic: The club's 3rd annual picnic was held on August 25, 1990, at Watkins Regional
Park.
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Workshops for Seniors: During October, Harriet Feldman conducted three workshops on various uses of
herbs for cooking, potpourri, and for wreaths for the seniors at Bowie City
Hall.
Fox Greenhouse: Eugene and Muriel Fox donated the use of their greenhouse for preparing
plants for the annual plant sale.
Community Service Day: On October 13, the club was well represented at the
beautification project, landscaping Bowie City Hall. Over 100
chrysanthemums, and 300 bulbs were planted, along with azaleas, trees and other
shrubs.
House Tour: The Crofton Garden Club held a house tour and boutique as a fund raiser on
December 9. The funds were used for various beautification projects in Crofton.
The speakers in 1990 were:
| - 1/30: Janet Walker, Curator of the National Herb Garden at the U.S.
National Arboretum -- "Herbs, Their Many Uses"
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| - 2/27: James Sullivan, President of the Bowie Bonsai Society -- "How
to Get Started onBonsai"
Steve
Hall -- "Seed Germination & Transplanting Vegetables and
Flowers"
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| - 3/27: Charles Hanners -- "All About Azaleas"
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| - 4/24: Robert Stewart, PG County Urban Agricultural Agent -- "Success
with Vegetables"
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| - 5/29: Albert Ford, Consulting Rosarian to the MD Rose Society --
"Rose Culture"
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| - 6/29: Harold Moline -- "Gardening for All Ages and Seasons"
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| - 7/31: Robert De Feo, Production Manager, U.S. Botanic Garden --
"Aquatic Gardening: Getting Started and Maintenance of Small Garden
Pools"
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| - 9/25: Carol Kagan and Judy Cmero, PG County Herb Society --"Varied
Uses of Herbs"
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| - 10/30: Jerry Odland -- "Role of Bees in Ensuring Productive
Crops" and "Beekeeping as a Hobby".
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| - 11/27: Robert Cole, Orchid Hybridizer -- "Orchid Addiction"
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1991
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Fox Greenhouse: In January, the club started it's library of gardening books, thanks to the
generosity of Charles Hanners. Muriel Fox offered a greenhouse to store the
books, and she became the first librarian. Work on the greenhouse progressed in
February. Bob De Feo organized the interior arrangement. Jessie Smith, Harriet
Feldman, Muriel Fox, Bill Curlen and Charles Bender cleaned the greenhouse
glass. The chief construction worker was Steve Hall, who built a seed
germination rack equipped with fluorescent lights on which the seed trays
rested. Charles Bender, Steve Hall and Jonas Bassen planted many seeds on
February 15.
Shown here hard at work are Charlie Bender, Muriel Fox,
John McKenna and
Harriet Feldman.
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New Name for Newsletter: In February the club's newsletter name was selected to be "The
Bowie-Crofton Gardener". The name was suggested by Francis
Moyer.
Merkle Wildlife Center Visitor's Center: On March 17, several members joined 30 others to assist in landscaping and
pruning perennials/shrubs around the Merkle Wildlife Center Visitor's Center.
Plant Sale: The club's annual plant sale was held on April 27 at the Grace Lutheran Church
on Belair Drive, Bowie, MD, and on May 4 at the Free State Mall in Bowie. The
net profit from these sales was about $685.
Bowie Entrance Landscaping: In May Jessie Smith and Joyce Pelletier, members of the Bowie Beautification
Committee, assisted in landscaping at the entrance to Bowie at Route 197 and
Kenhill drive. They planted a Chinese Fringe tree, and a low growing juniper.
They also added three annuals in a patriotic motif -- red geraniums, white
vincas and blue ageratums.
The newly elected officers and committee members in May were:
| President: |
Artuhur Auer |
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1st V.P. , Programs: |
Jonas Bassen |
| 2nd V.P., Membership: |
Steve Hall |
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3rd V.P., Plant Exchange: |
Charles Bender |
| 4th V.P., Publicity: |
Evelyn Svoboda |
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Treasurer: |
Harriet Feldman |
| Secretary: |
Jeanne Ballinger |
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Field Trips: |
John McKenna |
| Historian: |
Fran Ayres |
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Newsletter: |
Pat Scheirer |
| Greenhouse: |
Jonas Bassen |
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Sunshine: |
Jessie Smith |
Picnic: The 4th annual picnic was held on August 24 at Watkins Regional Park.
Death of Carl R. Johnson: The club mourned the loss of this member,
who died in November.
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Holiday Party: The annual Christmas party was held on December 15 at the YMCA in Bowie. 47
member attended. It was described by one member as the "best party
ever."
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The speakers this year were:
| - 1/29: Dr. Theodore Dudley, Research Botanist at the National arboretum --
"Plant Exploration in China"
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| - 2/26: Dr. Marc Cathey, Director of the U.S. National Arboretum -- "New
Natural Nice for the 1990's". The club's largest audience, over 100 people,
attended. The talk was video taped.
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| - 3/26: Charles Hanners -- "The Wonder of Seeds"
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| - 4/30: Paul Reilly, Nursery Manager, Homestead Gardens -- "Organic
Gardening For Beginners"
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| - 5/28: Clayton Werner, Design Judge in the PG County Beautification Contest,
Former County Extension Agent -- "Basics in Landscape Design"
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| - 6/25: Dr. Ethel Dutky, Plant Pathologist at U. of MD Extension Service --
"Diseases of Fruits and Vegetables in the Home Garden"
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| - 7/30: Harold Moline -- "How to Increase Plants Without Expense, by
Propagation"
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| - 9/24: Nicole Stewart, Horticulturist for the Maryland Park and Planning
Commission -- "Trials and Tribulations of Fall Planting"
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| - 10/29: William Kuhl, Owner of McLean Nurseries in Baltimore -- "The Many
Uses of Hollies in Landscaping"
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| - 11/26: Jane Gates, librarian at the National Agricultural Library in
Beltsville -- "Great American Gardening Books"
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