“Caring by Sharing Our Bounty”

 

Central District News # 11

Summer 2009

 

Presidents:  Please share this newsletter with your club membership.  An easy way would be to E-mail it to your members who have E-mail addresses.

 

   Greetings to all my friends in gardening.  This summer seems to be galloping away at a furious pace.  Having missed my deadline for a May/June issue, I will just call it summer. 

 

    Looking back, I can report that the Spring Meeting in May had more attendees than the year before.  We all heard a great talk on herbs.  Spring Green GC recently toured the Willowfield Lavender Farm near Mooresville.  The owners were very eager to explain how they raise this plant.  Ending June, the Fall Creek GC had a beautiful flower show at Altum’s Nursery & Flower Center.  The show title was “Across America”. Many members exhibited their horticulture.  Melissa Daum had some well grown entries, and received many blue ribbons.   Now I have a bone to pick with club presidents.  I know Saturday was a busy day for many, but when a club has a flower show, the polite thing to do is to visit the show – if only for 15 minutes and sign the guest book or appoint an alternate to appear.  Other than this club’s president, only one other club president attended.  This show was well publicized, so ignorance of the date is no excuse.

 

   That said, I would now like to inform you of another show coming up.  The Indianapolis Garden Club is having a flower show – theme: “Knowledge” - at the Central Library.  Date, time is September 18^th from 1-6 pm and September 19^th from 9 am to 5 pm.  There are 5 Divisions of flower arrangements and they are book title interpretations.  These exhibits are judged by nationally – known judges.  There will also be horticultural specimens, photography and a Conservation/Educational exhibit by IGC partner Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.  This club has a dual membership.  First and foremost they belong to the Garden Club of America.  Second, they belong to the National Garden Clubs, Inc.  Although they seldom participate in our programs, I think it would be great if a number of us would visit this show.  This is a very large club and the show should be interesting.

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   A favor; I would ask of each club.  I need to know the date your club was federated.  We enjoy congratulating clubs on their mile-stone anniversaries, and some are coming up.  Please notify me at rossrosiespringer@msn.com or call me at 317-846-1902.

 

   Some of you know long-time member Barbara Bilby.  She was up on a ladder, fell, and broke her hip.  She is presently rehabbing at the Forum at the Crossing Health Care Center, Room 512 B, 8505 Woodfield Crossing Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46240.  I am sure she would enjoy cards or notes from you and your clubs.

 

   At our last Board Meeting, your officers discussed the money – maker, the Vision of Beauty Calendar.  Over the years, interest has seemed to wane and what once was a good ways and means item for us has turned into a money loser.  So, we are leaving the ordering of said calendars up to your individual clubs.  I will try to include an order sheet with this letter.

 

   I would like to start a question or comment section in this newsletter.  If you have a gardening question or a question about garden clubs, or you are trying to find a book or gardening item, then call/email me, and I will try to get an answer for the next issue of the newsletter.

 

   One of our main goals in the Federated Garden Club system is to provide scholarships to students studying in the Horticulture and/or Landscape fields from Purdue and Ball State University.  The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. had a good year in 2008.  Twelve scholarships can be presented for the 2009-2010 term.  We will begin a new theme this year of “Growing Gold.”

Besides the obvious meaning – growing daffodils – it stands for “Growing Gold” for scholarships.  I would like to see a donation, small or large, from each of the 22 clubs this year.  Please don’t give me the excuse, we’re small, we’re old or we’re poor.  One small club has raised thousands of dollars in the past few years.  Have a bake sale, sell plants, auction purses – there has to be a way if you truly care.  We are the largest district in the state, with over 500 members. There is no reason that we can’t be first in donations next year.  Send your donations for Scholarship Fund any time before December 1^st to your State Scholarship Chairman:

  

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Paulette Balmer

4541 W. Randy Road

Elinburgh, IN 46124-9189

Phone # 812-526-2071

apbalmer@sbcglobal.net

  

   Forms are on the website:  www.gardenclubofindiana.org 

   While we are on the subject of donations, there are three other worthy causes that National, Regional, State and District would like you to support.  One is Blue Star Memorial Highway; another is Land Trust and last is World Gardening/Habitat for Humanity.  I will discuss them more next letter and include their state chairman who will receive your funds.

 

   INPAWS is sponsoring a garden tour entitled “Landscaping with Natives,” on Sat. July 18^th from 10 am – 4 pm. Homes on the tour are the following:

Broad Ripple, 6106 Kingsley Drive, 46220,

1527 Fletcher Ave., Indpls. 46203,

1035 Questover Circle, Indpls.46228,

1440 West 30^th St., Indpls. 46208,

8670 Colony Bay, Indpls. 46234 and

8351 E. County Road 200N, Avon, 46123

 

  

   I am also attaching to this newsletter as an attachment an updated Important Events Sheet for 2009. 

 

Central District

District Director

 

Rosemarie “Rosie” Springer

Rosie Springer