Dear Lovely Members of Kenilworth Garden Club,

 

We've just had the most wonderful Spring Benefit, chaired by Kathy Elmer and Beth Glass and created by their wonderful committee: Helen Balch, Anne Brown, Katherine Buehler, Kendra Cunningham, Kelly Chestnut, Sue Cozzens, Jeanne Daniel, Stacey DeLuca, Shelley Galloway, Mary Glerum, Mary Lois Hakewill, Sharon Hayes, Polky Kibler, Julia Kyle, Christy Laier, Terri Lorenz, Pam McClamroch, Tina Rice, Kirsten Rider, Joan Senko, Martha Spaulding, Carla Stevens, Chris Wiedrich, and Stacey Van Metre.  A special thank you to Cheryl Anderson, too, for helping with publicity. All of these ladies worked very hard to create a beautiful event with a fabulous speaker, Sybil Brooke Sylvester, in a glorious setting with stunning floral arrangements and a scrumptious menu -- and awesome cupcakes! There were soooo many ooohs and aaahs that day!

 

Your commitment, hard work, dedication and attention to detail created an event to remember, which educated and entertained our guests while raising funds to continue KGC's good works in the community and beyond. I am getting teary-eyed as I type thinking about the smiles, camaraderie, problem solving and just plain fun that we shared. We truly are so very fortunate to have each other in this often-impersonal world connected by bytes and bits.

 

The kudos and congratulations have been pouring in, and to all I respond that I cannot take credit for the benefit. It was Kathy and Beth, their committee, our Angels, each and every one of you, your generous guests, our generous KGC friends and Sybil who have earned and deserve every morsel of congratulations and credit.

 

Thank you so very much.

 

May is going to be a busy and fun month for KGC!

 

We will celebrate our accomplishments and look forward to our next year at our Annual Meeting on May 17th at Beth Glass' lovely home. (Yes, you read that correctly! Beth is also hosting our Annual Meeting right after the Benefit! Thank you, Beth!) Please r.s.v.p. to Elizabeth Dugan a.s.a.p.

 

Our hostesses will be cooking up a storm and the flowers will be beautiful. Shelley Galloway has been hard at work all year securing approval for awards from GCA. Importantly, our Board approved bestowing KGC awards in various categories, extending our club awards beyond flower show awards. We will also approve the budget upon which Diane Phillips, Katherine Buehler, Leslie North and Mary Lois Hakewill have been working so hard. Jeanne Daniel will introduce our new members and we will approve the slate. It will be a wonderful morning followed by a delicious lunch and bubbly conversation.

Speaking of accomplishments and news to celebrate, congratulations to Shelley Galloway for being nominated as the 2017-18 Zone XI Photography Chair (two year term). Congratulations are also in order for Stacey De Luca for having two-- two!--photos featured in the Spring 2017 GCA Bulletin. Congratulations, Shelley and Stacey!

 

It's definitely Spring! The trees are budding and blooming, and my garden is popping up. I thank you for a wonderful, rewarding and absolutely fabulous first year, and look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting.

 

Always,

The 2017-18 KGC Dues Notice is being mailed this week. Please send your check in by May 31st. You can also drop off your check with your completed Dues Notice form (front side and back side) at the May 17th  Annual Meeting.

  

Annual Spring Benefit Luncheon -  A Stylish Affair

Flower Maven Sybil Brooke Sylvester Charms All

 

A wonderful time was had by all who attended our Annual Spring Benefit on April 27th at the Glen View Club. Celebrated floral designer Sybil Brooke Sylvester made a beautiful presentation and delighted our guests with her stories and pictures. Everyone kept talking about how charming she is, and about our centerpieces and cupcakes!  To everyone's dismay, the Glen View Club pastry chef created the gorgeous floral cupcakes, so they are not available at a bakery for purchase.

If you weren't there, you missed a   spectacular event. We had 176   reservations with 171 attending; we   sold all 28 beautiful orchid   centerpieces; and we sold all 80   books! A huge thank you to our   generous Angel Donors, everyone   who attended, those who gave   additional donations, and to all our   AMAZING committee members.   We could not have hosted such a   successful event without all of you!

  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! 

                                                       Gratefully yours,

                                              --Kathy Elmer & Beth Glass, Co-Chairs 

 

Sybil Brooke Sylvester discusses her design process and flower choices.

 

Kelly Chestnut, Sharon Hayes & Pam McClamroch were our registration team.	Kendra Cunningham and her guest with the fabulous centerpiece that Kendra created.
Shelley Galloway talks with Ann Jones and her guest, Ginny McTier.	Lyn Little, Cissy Crawford and guests.

Tricia Wood is thrilled to get her copy of Sybil Sylvester's book, fresh, while Julia Kyle chats with guest Kate Morris.

Lenore Macdonald with Garden Club of Barrington's Gail O'Gorman and Priscilla McIntosh.

Look for many more benefit photos at the end of the newsletter.

The 2017 Spring Benefit Luncheon Committee

Kudos to Terri Lorenz for   preparing several beautiful   arrangements for Julia Kyle   to have at her home as she   hosted Sybil Sylvester.

"Go from FLAT to FLUFFY!" Do any of you remember that old Prell commercial?  I think of it whenever I arrange hydrangeas that look great the first day and shrivel up and droop the next day. This photo is the "after" picture of a magical solution that I discovered in "Stay Fresh With Us", a very informative booklet written by Weezie Monroe and Molly Stephan from the Winnetka Garden Club.  Copies of this book were available for purchase at our "Line Design Workshop" and we can probably locate one for you too if you are interested in having it as a reference. The suggestion for reviving hydrangea seemed a little involved and random but the excellent results that it produces are easily explained by a little science.  You can either wait for your hydrangea to droop or be proactive about the whole thing and do this before you arrange them.

Upon purchasing fresh cut hydrangeas, cut the stems at an angle about 1 inch above the original cut.  Next remove most of the leaves, leaving a few near the actual flower.  Then pour vinegar into a pot to a depth of about 2 inches and boil it.  Submerge each stem in the 2 inches of boiling vinegar for about 30 seconds and then immediately plunge into cold water.  If your blooms start to droop in a few days, recut the stems, submerge the entire stem and flower in ice water and repeat the dip in boiling vinegar.  In my case, they drooped, I soaked them in ice water, dipped them in boiling vinegar and (with frequent water changes) they puffed up for TEN DAYS!

Why?  Vinegar kills bacteria and boiling vinegar breaks down the sap that can close hydrangea stems and cut off their water supply.  Soaking them in cold water gets the water directly to the dehydrated petals.  Hydrangea drink through their petals as well as their stems.

Now you know how to take those hydrangeas from flat to fluffy! 

                                                                                   -- Terri Lorenz

The CBG has just issued a new policy concerning boxwood and it's close relative pachysandra.  There is a serious fungal pathogen, Boxwood Blight that been confirmed as close as Wilmette.  Although we are not in panic mode, we will not allow any outside boxwood or pachysandra to be brought onto the property to ensure the safety of the Garden's collections.  This applies to all Garden Clubs and Plant Societies as well as other outside groups (classes, wedding florists, etc). You might also want to watch your boxwood and pachysandra for signs of blight. Contact the CBG for more information and details, and watch for information in future KGC newsletters.

Behind the scenes at Ware Garden!

 

The Ware Garden committee has been at work "behind the scenes" since we last reported.   In January we submitted a proposal to Kenilworth's Marguerite L. Storch Fund for more plants at Ware Garden - in the woodland area.   This will (hopefully) complete our project to rid the area of invasive, non-native plants and replace them with native plants and trees.   In addition, we will be putting a natural fence or screening to shield the area where we store our equipment from view of visitors entering the gate on Warwick.   Nature's Perspective will be doing the work.   As has been reported before, we received $6,000 from The Storch Fund for this work.   Before it begins, however, we are having an area treated for the very invasive Fig Buttercup (Ranunculus ficaria).   Work will begin as weather permits.

 

During the last several months, we have also been reaching out to members who did not work last season and did not pay the required $50 for not working.   If you are one of the eight people who have not sent your $50 check to Diane Philips, please do so.  

 

Speaking of working at the Garden, Wendy Yamada has set up a schedule for our work there this season.   We have included 3 Saturdays in addition to the Mondays (9-11a).     You should soon be receiving an email from SighUp Genius notifying you that you may sign up.   We're hoping the get some Mondays in before the Annual Meeting.     Working at Ware is a great way to connect with other members while pruning, weeding, deadheading and otherwise helping to maintain the beauty of the Garden.   We try to accommodate whatever limitations a member may have, so please join us as often as you can.

              --Sara Morgan, Elizabeth Dugan, Barbi Paine & Wendy Yamada 

NOTE:  The fig buttercup (Ranunculus ficaria) is extremely invasive and hard to control because it appears in the spring and then disappears until next spring, meanwhile spreading underground. For more information, go to: https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pdf/rafi1.pdf

                                                                                           -- Ann Jones

Catherine Hurtgen

If you have an idea for a meeting topic or a speaker suggestion for our 2017-18 year, please contact Kelly Chestnut at kchestnut03@comcast.net.

2017-18 Zone XI Leadership Team

If you received an invitation in 2015, you will receive an invitation this year as well. It will include instructions on how to purchase tickets online, as well as a worksheet to help you decide which tour(s) you would like to take.  Tours are $150 and the optional lunch is $35.
For more information, contact Celine Lillie at cmlillie@msn.com.

Debbie Ross is hoping we'll help her fill the Photography Division of the Zone XI Meeting put on by the Garden Guild of Winnetka on October 10-11.   The photography registration deadline is June 1.  The show is not juried and is open to all GCA members, regardless of zone.  The full schedule is attached, but as of now, there are openings in all the classes except Class V (Mountains and Valleys).  Entries are particularly needed in Class II - Light and Shadow, a class for Judges only, Class III - Motion - Diptych, and Class VII Heat is On.  Check out the specifics.

Debbie Lavarell of the GCA Bulletin Committee is looking for images for the cover of the  Summer issue of the GCA Bulletin.  "The theme of the summer Bulletin is people BUT - we are not looking for pictures of people for the cover.  We are looking for images that evoke thoughts of an American Summer (to tie in with the Annual Meeting):  Fourth of July, fireworks, old glory, etc - Identifiable people should not be in the photo.

Sybil's presentation was delightful and informative.  She favors unusual combinations using floral material from the wholesaler as well as bits of nature that she finds in her backyard.  A section in the back of her book details all the plant materials used in each of the arrangements in the book.	Elizabeth Drake was the lucky winner of the raffle for this stunning urn of orchids.
Stephanie Keehn with guest Stacy Hunt.	Julia Kyle was host to Sybil, her dear friend.
Guests Laurie Bay and Ginny Noyes, our Zone XI Vice Chair.	New member Kim Piekos (second from left) with guests Mary Beth Hansen, Mary Hickey & Mary Flocco.
Guests Sharon D'Arcy, Jane Eaton, Sue Murphy and Jolie Schwartz.	Terri Lorenz and her guests.
Mary Lois Hakewill and her guests.	Heather Blackwell and guest Carolyn Glastris.
Co-Chairs Beth Glass and Kathy Elmer.	Book sales were brisk & all were pleased!

A Big Bouquet of KGC Gratitude To:

 

Benefit Co-Chairs Kathy Elmer, Beth Glass, and to their committee: Cheryl Anderson, Helen Balch, Anne Brown, Katherine Buehler, Kendra Cunningham, Kelly Chestnut, Sue Cozzens, Jeanne Daniel, Stacey DeLuca, Shelley Galloway, Mary Glerum, Mary Lois Hakewill, Sharon Hayes, Polky Kibler, Julia Kyle, Christy Laier, Terri Lorenz, Pam McClamroch, Tina Rice, Kirsten Rider, Joan Senko, Martha Spalding, Carla Stevens, Chris Wiedrich, and Stacey Van Metre.

 

Our Benefit Angels..... You know who you are and we thank you so much!

 

To our members who attended the benefit and brought guests: Cheryl Anderson, Helen Balch, Karin Balsbaugh, Heather Blackwell, Jo Caldwell, Kelly Chestnut, Barbara Cochran, Sue Cozzens, Cissy Crawford, Kendra Cunningham, Jeanne Daniel, Joan Dodson, Elizabeth Drake, Kathy Elmer, Shelley Galloway, Beth Glass, Mary Glerum, Mary Quinn Gordon, Mary Lois Hakewill, Sharon Hayes, Catherine Hurtgen, Ann Jones, Stephanie Keehn, Judy Keller, Polky Kibler, Nancy Kurz, Julia Kyle, Lyn Little, Terri Lorenz, Pam McClamroch, Barbara McDonough, Cathie Murphy, Leslie North, Penny Parke, Judy Petrie, Kim Piekos, Diane Phillips, Tina Rice, Kirsten Rider, Joan Senko, Martha Spalding, Carla Stephens, Stacey Van Metre, Charlotte Walsh, Chris Wiedrich and Wendy Yamada.

 

To Martha Spalding for her expertise and graciousness in handling the benefit book sales.

 

Stacey De Luca, Cheryl Anderson and Chris Wiedrich for sharing with our local media all of the great things that KGC does.

 

Kelly Chestnut for the programs that she is creating for us next year....so fun!!

 

Jeanne Daniel for all that she does for our membership and our newest members.

 

Our newest members, Kim Piekos, Wendy Irwin, Cathie Murphy and Catherine Hurtgen for jumping right into our club's activities;

 

Heather Blackwell for taking on part of our Treasurer's job while remaining as Nominating Chair-in addition to all that she does for us and the community.

 

Diane Phillips and the KGC Finance Committee, Katherine Buehler, Mary Lois Hakewill and Leslie North, for their hard work on the 2017-18 budget.

   

Elizabeth Drake and Joan Senko for securing and organizing the Show of Summer Clerks, and for their perfect attendance at the Show of Summer meetings.

 

To our dear, dear Terri Lorenz who in April was organizing the Show of Summer Floral Deisgn Club Challenge with her mighty team -- Kendra Cunningham, Stacey De Luca, Shelley Galloway, Lyn Little, Anne Brown and Marty Shaw -- but also working on the Benefit flowers and set up, creating and delivering flowers to our under the weather members and ensuring that all club floral needs are met.  We don't know how you do it, Terri! Thank you!

 

Heather Blackwell and Joan Dodson for the terrific Horticulture Workshop. We learned so much!

 

Shelley Galloway for her hard work and heavy lifting on club awards.

 

The Executive Committee, acting as the Nominating Committee, for completing the slate and to the Board for approving our terrific 2017-18 slate of officers, directors and committee chairs.

 

To each and every KGC member who did so much for our beloved club during our busy April, and for all that you will be doing these next two months.