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Upcoming Events

October Board Meeting Monday, October 17 -- 10 a.m. Church of the Holy Comforter Parish Hall 222 Kenilworth Ave., Kenilworth Please let Lenore know if you have a committee report or any items for the agenda at mail@macdonald.in or 847/835-3335.  Watch your inbox for minutes from the September meeting and contact Beth Glass with any corrections at coglass@comcast.net.

Principles & Elements of Floral Design Workshop  Thursday, October 6 -- 9:30 a.m. Terri Lorenz, 2326 Iroquois Rd, Wilmette      Please RSVP to the Evite that you received last week. Guests are welcome!

Jack Pizzo kicks off KGC's year with a program emphasizing the benefits of gardening with native plants

KGC has deemed Sustainability the theme for 2016-17 year.  September's speaker Jack Pizzo from The Pizzo Group presented "Nature at Home & Away," showing members the best ways to create and maintain successful gardens. His motto is "use the right plants in the right place."  Jack, the current president-elect of the American Society of Landscape Architects, has been restoring and caring for land in the Midwest for the past 28 years.

Jack believes that natural areas should contain native plants, which will attract and nourish native insects and animals.  However, it is not enough to simply leave the land alone as weeds and invasive plants can overrun the native plants.  Also, it's important to choose plants carefully.  Gardens need genetically unique species, which come from regular reproduction, to thrive and support the ecosystem.  Clones created and grown in nurseries and used primarily for their looks are sterile.  These clones all contain exactly the same DNA.  Not only do they provide no nourishment, but they are at risk -- disease can easily wipe out an entire species that has no natural genetic variations.

Jack recalled that Osprey and Bald Eagles were the endangered species of his youth, but now saving the Monarch butterfly is a major concern.  They are pollinators, and we need them and all pollinators to sustain our native plants.  At one time, the Midwest hosted a grand prairie ecosystem.  Today, only one tenth of one percent of the prairie remains here.  Jack's goal on each project is to restore the natural ecosystem, which attracts amazing birds and insects.  He noted that a natural way to fight mosquitoes -- a concern for all of us these days -- is by attracting dragonflies, which eat them.

Here are just a few of the benefits of following Jack's "right plant in the right place" philosophy:

-- Connect people to their environment
-- Prevent shoreline erosion
-- Improve surface and ground water quality
-- Stop the spread of invasive plant species
-- Improve infiltration of storm water
-- Reduce the need for chemicals (herbicides)
-- Eliminate or reduce irrigation needs
-- Reduce maintenance costs
-- Improve flora & fauna diversity
-- Reduce carbon footprint

Zone XI Chairman Marianne Bresler (left) and Director LuLu Lubbers joined President Lenore Macdonald for our opening day.	Carole Read, Karin Balsbaugh, Anne Curti and Cissy Crawford catch up over lunch and enjoy a beautiful dining room centerpiece.
This eye-catching arrangement of Papyrus and hydrangeas greeted members and guests in the foyer of Wendy Yamada's home.	The bountiful luncheon spread made by our hostesses featured favorite entrees from KGC's cookbook Homegrown.

NOTE:  If you have an idea to share or have attended a presentation that you would like to suggest for KGC's 2017-18 program year, please contact Kelly Chestnut at kchestnut03@comcast.net.  Thank you!

• 1974 - Fenwick medal along with Kay Dole, at the Chicago World Flower and Garden show in recognition of creative work of outstanding beauty for an arrangement of growing or cut plant materiel, fruits or vegetables
• 1984 - The American Horticultural Society Citation awarded for an exhibit of horticultural excellence which demonstrates the bond between horticulture and the environment.
• 1986 - GCA Medal of Merit for achievement in horticulture, conservation or civic areas
• 1986 - Horticulture Medal of Honor
• 1995 - Horticulture Achievement Certificate for excellence in the field of historic preservation within recipient's own club
• 2007 - KGC designated an award in Terry Butler's honor - The Terry Caswell Butler Award - an award to a horticulture entry for excellence at an in-club Horticulture Show

Storage Locker Inventory Online

The KGC Board asks that each member review the list of the contents of our new storage locker to see if there are items that are no longer of use to the club and can be recycled or discarded.

At the September meeting, the board decided to evaluate whether we really need a storage locker if the notebooks and other historical materials can be maintained by the Kenilworth Historical Society. We will also consider whether storing special event items like the pedestals is worthwhile if they can be rented. Please know that this was one of many points mentioned during discussion and that the Club will seek everyone's input before making a decision. The storage locker costs more than $1,000 a year, and the company indicated that rates could be going up soon.
 
The Board felt that having an accurate idea of what the club has in storage is the first step, along with evaluating what can be discarded to ensure that we are renting the smallest storage locker possible.
 
Also, if you have files, items, notebooks, books, or other KGC memorabilia at home, please let Mary Lois Hakewill and Cissy Crawford know.

Thank you so much for reviewing the list and for your consideration. It is posted on the KGC Website, kenilworthgardenclub.org, in the Members' password protected section. The password was included in the yearbook that was distributed at last month's meeting. Please check the sticker on the first page of the yearbook for the password.

 Several horticultural institutions have banded together to create a digital index of the world's flora-all 400,000 of them. You can see it all at  http://worldfloraonline.org

Ware Garden was blooming pink at the end of August/beginning of September and still is (as of September 21).    Some of you may be interested to know that the Obedient Plant was planted in 2001, but not in the location we find it today!    Currently, it can be found in our southwest island in two separate locations.   Who knows how it got there - wind, bird, animal?   Pollinators love it and so do the passers-by!    Pink Turtlehead is not a native but it was planted at about the same time (2001).    It can be found on either side of the west entry gate along Kenilworth Avenue.    It too makes quite a display.

Chelone obliqua speciosa/Pink Turtlehead

Physostegia virginiana/Obedient Plant

Roughly half of our regular members have worked in the Garden this summer.    It is looking good and we thank you for helping with the weeding.    We will be working there on Saturday, October 1, and then two Mondays -- October 10 and 17.    If you haven't worked or paid the $50 fee in lieu of working, please sign up.  Otherwise, you will be billed $50.   We use the funds to pay for work that we cannot do ourselves.  For instance, in the past month we had an arborist trim some of our trees.

As mentioned in the last newsletter, we planted 100 native plants in August.    Fences were placed around some of them.   Rabbits/deer have consumed the tender leaves of some of the new plants which weren't protected, but there's a chance that they will come back next season.    Meanwhile, we are watering them regularly.
                                                                                                            -- Sara Morgan

Ware Garden has a couple of wonderful pawpaw trees.  This small tree features unusual three-season beauty.  Flowers come in the spring.  These unique blossoms hang upside down, and are maroon and bell-like.  They tend to be ignored by bees because they have both male and female parts on each flower, so no cross-pollination is needed.

Next comes the plant's unusual fruit, which is four inches long.  It starts out green at first, then turns yellow-brown when ripe.  Its pulp is sweet and creamy.  Oblong and stubby, these fruits look a little like a banana and are delicious to eat.

The pawpaw is native to every state on the eastern seaboard.  It grows in moist soils in forests, often as an understory tree.  The large lance-shaped leaves produce a foul odor when crushed, as do the twigs when they are damaged, which discourages deer from eating them.

In the fall, zebra swallowtails are seen hovering over the leaves laying their eggs.  The pawpaw is the only host plant for this black and white striped insect.  The swallowtail is easy to spot -- it has triangular wings with vertical black and white stripes and long sword-like tails.  Femailes lay a single egg on the leaf of a pawpaw, usually on the underside.  After hatching, the larvae feeds on the leaves as it grows into a caterpillar.  When fully grown, it transforms into a pupa to overwinter on a dried leaf or the tree trunk.  When it emerges in the spring, the zebra is smaller and lighter than the summer butterflies.
                                                                                                         -- Karin Balsbaugh

KGC's Outreach Committee facilitates and provides several hands-on volunteer opportunities for our members that benefit important charities in our community. Its current focus is on two local organizations, both of which are nationally acknowledged pioneers and leaders in their respective fields: Misericordia Heart of Mercy ( www.misericordia.org) in Chicago, and JourneyCare (formerly Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter ( www.journeycare.org) in Glenview. Do take a minute to check out these websites. You will be amazed to see how both organizations have grown and evolved, broadening their services and touching the lives of so many. And, the personal satisfaction derived by getting involved with these organizations through KGC's Outreach activities may surprise you even more.

 

While details are still being refined, SAVE THESE DATES to lend a helping hand:

 

Don't' miss this opportunity to complete this prerequisite training so that you can help out with KGC's weekly Monday commitment to "Bouquet of Care" flower deliveries (see below).

 

Weekly on    Collect flower donations from Mariano's West Glenview store. Then

Mondays       deliver, sort, re-cut and condition them in the KGC Flower Repurposing

Room at JourneyCare. This activity takes approximately 2 hours and can be completed at a time of the volunteer's choosing. Attending JourneyCare's Volunteer Orientation is the only prerequisite to volunteer.

 

Help prepare the flowers beds for winter & decorate for the holidays.

 

Dutch treat event in the Greenhouse Restaurant with shopping in the charming and well stocked Miscericordia Boutique. Guests are welcome. The boutique and bakery sales benefit Miscericordia.

 

 Practice floral design, test your horticulture knowledge & give back. Great practice for SOS!

Wake up the flower beds and plant spring annuals.

 

Do join us for these events! Watch the Newsletter and your inbox for more outreach opportunities throughout the year---and flowers, friendship and fun! For more information, please contact Tina Rice at tinarice@me.com.

Without long-term erosion fix, North Shore towns may suffer

Joan Dodson, pictured here with her friend Pam Lee, stopped at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine.  They were heading to Canada and made time to take in the scenery at one of our nations many treasures. If your travels this year include celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park system with a visit, send in your photo!

KGC Ahead of the Curve... Again!

We educate ourselves about heirloom and native species, collect seeds, study, exchange, but sometimes we ask ourselves, "is it really worth the time?"

An article in the Sunday, September 18, 2016, New York Times Magazine more than validates
everything that KGC does and stands for. Below is the link to the inspiring article. Let's keep digging the dirt!  Copy and paste the link below into your browser:

  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/magazine/could-ancient-remedies-hold-the-answer-to-the-looming-antibiotics-crisis.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

I joined KGC after attending several of the guest speaker events and became inspired to learn more about gardening and flower arranging. My oldest just headed off to college and my youngest is a senior in high school, so the timing seems perfect as my busy schedule with the kids seems to be lightening up.  I love the beauty of flowers and gardens and being involved in our community.   
 
My current area of interest would be in flower arranging, I find this area so limitless. I would also like to learn more about photography and look forward to utilizing the many resources KGC has to offer.

I am so inspired by my mentors; Carole Read, Wendy Read Yamada and Heather Read Blackwell -- the Read women are amazing in so many ways and I look forward to tapping into their knowledge in the various areas of the KGC.  

My interests outside of KGC include family time, traveling, rowing, mountain life, making time for friendships, and advocating for families whose children are struggling.

I love Gardenias. They have beautiful white or pale yellow blooms with deep green foliage and  a strong sweet smell. Gardenias remind me of my time spent in Kentucky, my mother's home state.
 
When I garden I love to use my hands.  I like to my have other tools next to me, but there is nothing better then actually feeling the textures of soil and plants. 

Please Double-Check Your Information on the GCA Website

More and more things like GCA club benefit invitations and the Show of Summer Schedule are being emailed to us via the GCA's master email list. PLEASE take a minute and go to the GCA website and make sure that your information is correct. We want to ensure that you receive everything!
 
Go to www.gcamerica.org and click on Members Area in the upper right corner of your screen.
Follow the screen shots below and you should be able to access the information. If you do not know your User Name or Password, please contact Leslie North at leslie.a.north@gmail.com She will give you your login information.
 

After you've doublechecked your information, you may upload
your photo to the GCA website

It's easy to add your photo to your information section of the GCA website. After signing in, go to the top of the page under the "Welcome [Your Name]" can click on "My Profile". Upload your favorite and, of course, most flattering photo. Photoshopping is definitely allowed!

I always joke that the sun never sets on KGC because all of us are always doing something, somewhere, that impacts the KGC mission. I was in Rome last month and, being inspired during the GCA Annual Meeting and with Cristy Laier's encouragement, I visited the American Academy in Rome. The GCA funds The Rome Prize Fellowship in Landscape Architecture (https://www.gcamerica.org/index.cfm/scholarships/allwinners), covering one year's studies at the American Academy in Rome.  Tours can be arranged on the AAR website.
 
We toured the building and lovely grounds, and were fortunate to be able to stay for lunch with the fellows, and Alice Waters, who has brought sustainable agriculture and cooking to AAR (The Sustainable Food Project). She was on her annual visit to check the kitchen and gardens. What a treat for us to meet her! And she said "Hi" first!!! I didn't get to meet the GCA Fellow during this visit, but there's always next time.

The vegetable, fruit and herb gardens were beautiful and lovingly tended. We enjoyed a respite during our visit, seeing some of the eleven acres and the magnificently sited McKim Mead and White building. Bill and I highly encourage you to visit the AAR the next time that you are in Rome.  
 

Or why not visit one of the GCA Courtesy Clubs in Munich, Jamaica, Bermuda, Uruguay, New Zealand, Toronto or Vancouver -- https://www.gcamerica.org/index.cfm/members/admissions
 
Or, why not take advantage of the GCA's Visiting Gardens opportunity the next time your travels take you to a place with another GCA club? Cape Cod or Carmel-By-The Sea, Southampton or Santa Fe - be sure to let Karen Balsbaugh, our Visiting Gardens Chair, know in advance and she will arrange a garden visit or two.
 
Or, why not take a GCA Visiting Gardens Trip? Future trip and signup information is posted on the GCA website and regularly appears in the GCA eNews that appears each month in your inbox. Cristy Laier traveled to China with GCA and reports that the trip was a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. Others have said the same about their GCA trips. Dust off your suitcase!

                                                                                                               -- Lenore Macdonald

This is just one of the beautiful arrangements on display at last month's Sogetsu Seminar at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  Note that our own Shelley Galloway was the creator of this unique combination of flowers, plants and branches.

Parting Words

A very warm KGC thank you (in no particular order) to:

Wendy Yamada for opening her lovely home to Kenilworth Garden Club and GCA representatives;
 
Elizabeth Dugan for securing a great opening meeting speaker, Jack Pizzo;
 
Kelly Chestnut for her incredible September 21st meeting logistical planning and execution (Wow!!);
 
Leslie North for getting our hostesses organized for such a large group;
 
Our September 21st meeting hostesses, Kelly Chestnut, Kathy Elmer, Kitty Kirby, Nancy Kurz, Sara Morgan, Leslie North and Joan Senko for the delicious coffee treats and lovely luncheon;
 
All KGC members who attended the September 21st meeting for making our guests, Lulu Lubbers and Marianne Bestler, feel so welcome;
 
Leslie North for getting the 2016-17 Directory written, printed and distributed;
 
Jeanne Daniel for a terrific New Member Orientation, and to the New Members attending:
Kelly Chestnut, Carla Stephens and Chris Wiedrich;

Julia Kyle for securing our benefit speaker;
 
Mary Lois Hakewill for finding KGC a new "home" at Uncle Bob's Storage in Northfield and moving our "stuff";
 
Mary Gordon, for leading our Special Fundraising efforts;
 
Stacey De Luca and Shelley Galloway for consulting on Show of Summer technology issues;
 
Joan Dodson and Sara Morgan for harvesting seeds for the Shirley Meneice Conference Seed Share;
 
Terri Lorenz for a great Floral Design Committee Kick Off meeting;
 
Tina Rice for an outstanding Outreach Committee Kick Off meeting;
 
Joan Dodson for her GCA Pollination Project work;
 
Julia Kyle for getting Garden History and Design reorganized;
 
Elizabeth Dugan for lending KGC Jackson Dugan, who spent part of his summer scanning KGC archives;
 
Marty Shaw for taking on an analysis of Kenilworth Beautification's fundraising;
 
Cheryl Anderson, Stephanie Keehn and Marty Shaw for their participation in Kenilworth Beautification;
 
Katherine Buehler and Cyndi Chase for serving on the Kenilworth Caucus (the first meeting was September 25), and to Amy Thompson for her help; and,
 
Terri Lorenz for her involvement with the Ouilmette Foundation and for sharing opportunities and information with us.