1996-1997

1996

Plant Sale: On April 27th the annual plant sale was held in the Bowie Library parking lot on Route 450, Bowie, MD.

Death of Joyce Pelletier: The club lost a friend, Joyce Pelletier, charter member, teacher and landscape architect who had designed the club's community projects. She left her large collection of garden books to the club. The collection of bonsai books was donated to the arboretum. The remaining books, about 200, were sold at a book sale in August. The funds from the sale, $313, were placed in the Joyce Pelletier Memorial fund. Joyce indicated that she would like to have a bench in her memory set in the National Arboretum's Bonsai Pavilion, near the Chinese Penjing collection. Joyce was a volunteer at the Arboretum for many years.

Annual Picnic: The garden club picnic was held on June 15th at the hillside estate of Pat Scheirer.

Death of Warren Robinson: In August, the club lost another very special person, Warren Robinson.

The Rieg Center Greenhouse Project:

At the January meeting, the club approved the agreement with C. Elizabeth Rieg School in Pointer Ridge that would allow the use of their excellent greenhouse. In exchange the club would assist the school with gardening projects around the school. Steve Hall arranged a tour of the greenhouse for members, which took place on January 25th. The school is located at 15542 Peach Walker Drive, Mitchellville, MD. Many seedlings were planted in the greenhouse to get ready for the annual plant sale.

Work continued at the Rieg school greenhouse. Many repairs were initiated and planting continued. Many vegetables were planted along with impatiens that would be used for sale as hanging baskets.

The Greenhouse Committee consisted of: Martha Workman, Charlie Bender, Donna Hayward, Frean Reger, Harold Moline and Charlie Bender. Harriet Feldman and Jessie Smith conducted programs on herbs and flower arranging at the school.

Other members contributed to the greenhouse project by landscaping in front of the school in September. The following members participated the the landscaping effort: Charlotte Grammar, Harriet Feldman, Martha Workman, Eleanor Leshinsky, Donna Hayward, and Jessie Smith.

On July 3rd, the club presented a check for $1400, from plant sale profits and a matching gift, to the special education center at the Rieg School.

Holiday Party: The annual holiday party was held on December 14th at the Rieg Special Education Center, Bowie, MD. Shown are: Neil Potash, Marion Wise, and Irene Hall.

The speakers for 1996 were:

    • 1/30: Don Meyers, MD Dept. of Natural Resources -- Slide show about Tawes Garden, located in Annapolis, MD.

    • 2/27: Harold Moline -- "Composting and Recycling as Methods to Improve Yards and Gardens"

    • 3/26: Rob De Feo, U.S. Park Service -- "Water Gardens"

    • 4/30: Mr. Lee, Boxlee Nursery, Bowie, MD -- "Growing Azaleas, Boxwoods and Native Plants"

    • 5/28: General Discussion -- "Attracting Birds to Your Garden"

    • 7/30: Meeting at Homestead Gardens. Landscape and gardening specialists discuss some of their ideas.

    • 8/27: Book Sale at Bowie City Hall. Sale of books from the collection of the late Joyce Pelletier, member.

    • 9/24: Betsy Christensen, Creative Memories Consultant -- "Creating a Photo Garden Journal"

    • 10/29: Beverly Landymore -- "International Peace Garden Foundation"

    • 11/26: Gary Morehead -- "Use and Advantages of Integrated Pest Management in the Garden"

1997

Magazine Subscription: Last year the Bowie Public Library canceled its subscription to the premier gardening magazine, "Fine Gardening". So the BCGC donated a two-year subscription to the library.

Rieg School Greenhouse: The greenhouse committee met at the Rieg School greenhouse on January 13th to discuss cleanup and the spring planting schedule. In addition to planting many seeds for the plant sale, the club later planted a small vegetable garden in the school courtyard, as well as a pumpkin patch and sunflower patch on the school grounds. Additional landscaping near the front entrance was also discussed. A workshop concerning duties at the greenhouse was held by Frank Rieger on February 27th.

Note: At the Executive Committee Meeting on September 22, 1997, the general consensus was to eliminate any further greenhouse involvement as it is too demanding and there's not enough interest among members. It was announced at the October meeting that there will be no further use of the greenhouse for 1997. The club may assist with educational programs at the greenhouse.

John McKenna is shown assisting the special education students with their garden at the Elizabeth Rieg Special Education Center, May 1997.

Adopt-A-Highway Program: The MD state highway department erected signs to designate 1.2 miles north of MD Rt. 450 as cleanup project for the club. A cleanup session was scheduled at 9 am on the 3rd Saturday in March.

A photo from the Bowie Blade News, April 10, 1997

Members of the Bowie-Crofton Garden Club held their second cleanup and planting day Saturday on Route 197. The club has "adopted" the highway from route 450 to Rockledge Elementary School as a community service project. The project will include maintaining the perennial garden, pictured above, started by club member, Harold Moline, along the Whitehall section of the road. Standing from left are volunteers D. J. Campbell, Lois Workman, Club President Martha Workman, Steve Hall, Harold Moline, Evelyn Svoboda, Beverly Landymore (kneeling)., Harriet Feldman, and Marianne Klatt are seated at front.

Plant Sale: The annual plant sale was held on April 26th on the parking lot of the Bowie High School and Library.

Club Workshops: The first spring workshop was held at Pat Cone's on May 17th. Composting was a lively topic of discussion. A second workshop was held on plant propagation.

Adopt-A-Highway Program: Cleanups of Route 197 were completed on June 14, September 13, and November 8. Many bags of trash were collected.

Open Garden Program: Many members opened their gardens for visitors during the last two Saturdays in June: Paula Jarvis, Phyllis LaBorwit, * Glenn & Connie Rankin, Jesse Terres, *Jane & Bill Grubb, Harold Moliine, Kent Winterson, *Tony & Jane Velentzas, Charles Bender, *Dottie & Skip Creamer, Sherry & Carl Glass, *Alan King, Jonas Bassen, Pat Cone, Margret Huddleston, *Carol Murdock, *Michael & Priscilla Mayfield. Those with an asterisk before their names were winners of the 1996 Bowie Beautification Contest.

Annual Club Picnic: The picnic was held on July 19th at Highbridge Park in Bowie.

The officers and committee members as of June were as follows:

President: Kent Winterson

1st V.P. , Programs: Glennis Curlen

2nd V.P., Membership: Phyllis LaBorwit

3rd V.P., Plant Exchange: Scott Felter

4th V.P., Public Relations: Sherry Glass

Treasurer: Marianne Klatt

Secretary: Beverly M. Landymore

Field Trips: John McKenna

Historian / Library: Eleanor Leshinsky

Newsletter: Harold Moline

Gardening Information Services: Jonas Bassen

Sunshine: Jessie Smith

Social Activities: Frances Moyer

V.P. Special Projects: Kent Winterson

Community Projects: Post Office Landscaping was completed on August 13th and Jessie Smith led a work session on August 23rd at the Bowie High School Memory Garden. Mrs. Pat Brooks, principal of BHS, was eager to complete the project prior to the start of the new school year.

Shown here is a photo from the Bowie Blade-News of September 25, 1997. The caption reads: Bowie High School recently had an earth-moving experience. A joint effort between Belair Mobil, the Bowie-Crofton Garden Club and the Good Earth Landscaping Company, the high school designed a new memorial garden. Pictured here are Steve Wilson, representative of the Good Earth Landscaping Company; Jim Sood and Ronnie Robeson, Mobil representatives; Jessie Smith, Garden Club volunteer; teachers Catherine Klase and George Brinton; Student Government Association representatives Collette Thomas, Jon Eastman, Shannon Blackman and Scott Fitzgerald; and Principal Pat Brooks.

Membership: In September, there were 79 paid up members.

Reception for Jonas and Lillian Bassen: In lieu of the business meeting on September 30, 1997, a reception was held to honor Jonas and Lillian Bassen (shown here with Richard Dodson), who were moving to Baltimore. Jonas, a charter member of the club, was presented with a plaque by President Winterson, acknowledging his many years of service to the club. Jessie Smith presented a flower arrangement to Lillian.

Dues Increase: Individual -- $10; Family -- $12; Junior -- $2.

Results of Garden Club Questionnaire, October 1997

Member Education: 36.5%

Community Service: 24.2%

Garden Club Fundraisers: 18.1%

Garden Club Scholarship: 13.8%

Other: 4.4%

The Executive Committee was inclined to believe that members do not want to undertake any further community service projects that involve physical labor. Further work on the opinions of club members is required to fully interpret the results of the survey.

Award: On November 11th, the club received an award from the Citizens Concerned for a Cleaner County.

Holiday Party: December 14th at the Bowie City Hall.

Some of the speakers for 1997 were:

    • 1/28: Phyllis LaBorwit -- "Tour of Highlands Gardens in England and Scotland"

  • 2/25: Frank Reger -- "Garden Location and Soil Preparation; Seed Selection and Planting; Transplanting of Seedlings; General Summer Maintenance; Cover Crop Selection; Winterizing the Garden.

    • 3/25: Jessie Smith and Donna Hayward -- "Hints on the Art of Pruning"

    • 5/27: Randy Best, Horticulturalist at Behnke Nurseries -- "Day lilies - Planting, Care and Varieties"

    • 6/24: "Ask the Experts"

    • 8/26: Carol Warner -- Lecture/Slide show on Iris

    • 9/30: Panel discussion led by Gary Morehead, Harold Moline, Frank Reger and Jesse Terres.

    • 10/28: Dr. Robert Howell, Master Gardener and distinguished member of the Potomac Chrysanthemum Society -- "Culture and Care of Fukusuke Chrysanthemums"

    • 11/25: Harold Moline -- "Organic Gardening -- Back To Nature"