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Dear Wonderful KGC Members,
I hope you had a wonderful summer!
We did have a marvelous summer, didn't we? A wonderful showing at Show of Summer! The fantastic Ware Garden tour! We are off to a fabulous start in our new year.
I don't know about you, but at this time of year I still feel like I'm heading Back to School. All of the newness or excitement of the season and looking forward to learning new things, improving skills, meeting new people, and seeing old friends always makes for an exciting and invigorating autumn!
This year looks to be especially fun and
KGC-centric. Program Chair Kelly Chestnut has put together an extraordinary year of club programming. We will be joined by some of our favorite speakers and meeting many new ones. Kelly worked very hard to find a balance between all of the major club foci while weaving some
joie de vivre into our programs. The full list of programs and meetings are in this year's Yearbook, which will be distributed once again at our September meeting.
Speaking of the Yearbook, Leslie North did a magnificent job with this year's Yearbook, adding all of this year's Show of Summer, GCA and new Club awards and moving the Bylaws and Policies & Procedures to the KGC website. Thank you, Leslie, for all of your eagle-eyed work!
Please watch your inbox for an invitation on September 11th to the Dr. Cox program on Tuesday, November 7, at 1:00 p.m. at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The invitation will include reservation instructions. Speaking of fabulous future events, please save the date for our Thursday, April 19, 2018 benefit. Hopefully you have already signed up for the Sissinghurst program and/or luncheon at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Tuesday, September 18, 2017. Space is limited. Please contact Joan Dodson with your question and for more details.
Don't forget to enter the flower show during the Zone XI meeting. Scroll down for more information. John Dodson is growing our mighty oak trees. They look terrific! Marty Shaw will answer your floral design questions.
I look forward to seeing you at our September 20
th program and luncheon featuring Roy Diblik. As you may remember, he was scheduled to speak to us a couple of years ago but we had a snowstorm that evening and had to delay his program. We are thrilled to be welcoming him at long last! Please watch your inbox for an Evite.
Happy Autumn!
My best,
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Your Monthly News & Updates
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September Kick-Off Meeting & Luncheon
Wednesday, Sept. 20 -- 9:30 a.m.
Home of Terri Lorenz
2326 Iroquois Rd., Wilmette
We were so disappointed when a storm prevented Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm from presenting a program to KGC members.
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He's coming back for our September "kickoff" program! Learn why Northwind's regionally dependable perennials and co-owner Roy Diblik's trademarked 'Know Maintenance' Approach to gardening will transform your landscape and ideas about gardening. Less maintenance, less watering, and using perennials that contribute to their own health means greater enjoyment of your garden.
To learn more, click here.
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September Board Meeting
Monday, September 18 -- 1 p.m.
Church of the Holy Comforter,
222 Kenilworth Ave., Kenilworth
Note the change in time! We are gathering in the afternoon, not the morning, this year.
Please let Lenore know if you have something to add to the agenda.
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Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 7th. Dr. Paul Alan Cox will give his fascinating presentation on "Ethnobotany and the Search for new ALS & Alzheimer's Drugs in Island Villages" and present his documentary, "Toxic Puzzle". The program is from 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. He is a terrific, engaging and inspiring speaker, and we are so fortunate that he is making the time to visit us.
We will email registration information on Monday, September 11th.
Please watch your inbox!
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KGC 2017-18 Board List & Committee List
Can't wait for the Yearbook? Below are links to the Board and Committee Lists.
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KGC Board Meeting Schedule
We will be meeting at
1:00 p.m. in the Great Room at the Church of the Holy Comforter, 222 Kenilworth Avenue, Kenilworth on the following days:
Monday, September 18, 2017
Monday, October 16, 2017
Monday, November 13, 2017
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Monday, March 19, 2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Monday, June 18, 2018
Please note that we are meeting at 1:00 p.m.
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| Monarch on Swamp Milkweed. Photo by Sara Morgan |
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We gathered on a beautiful July morning to find out more about the wonders of Ware Garden from committee members Sara Morgan and Barbi Paine. The property is just over one half acre and contains 136 trees and shrubs representing 45 species, and 56 species of mostly native wildflowers.
Restoration of the woodland area began in 2012 with help from landscape designer and blogger Charlotte Blome. Charlotte helped KGC create a layout for the garden with suggested plantings and a plan to eradicate goutweed, garlic mustard, creeping Charlie and other invasive plants.
The committee has many goals for the future including setting up a watering system for areas without sprinklers, and dividing the garden into zones that can be assigned to groups of volunteers for ongoing maintenance. Committee member Helen Balch has already begun offering afternoon weeding sessinos for those who are unable to come on Saturday or Monday morning.
Key improvements that the committee hopes to tackle next year with the help of Storch funds include switching the wood-chipped woodland paths to a handicapped-accessible surface and replacing the bluestone gravel path around the fountain with bluestone pavers. Lastly, they hope to add plant identifications using the QR code system, which utilizes a square, encoded image that can be captured and read on a mobile device.
Many thanks to the hardworking committee, as well as our hostesses, for a lovely and informative morning.
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PRACTICE
There is still time to enter a Floral Design in the GCA Flower Show "Glaciers to Gardens", October 10-11th, hosted by the Garden Guild of Winnetka, and being held at the Chicago Botanic Garden in conjunction with the annual Zone XI Meeting. The deadline for entry in just days away: September 8th. Let's put those finely honed skills from Show of Summer to work with a great showing from KGC! Please refer to the Show schedule for entry details.
(Note: Floral Designs do NOT need to be assembled on site!)
LEARN
In early November we will continue building our KCG members' skills by offering Part B of the GCA Floral Design Workshop that we started last year -- followed by Floral Design 201 in the Spring. Watch your inbox for details and exact dates once they are confirmed.
For those of you who may have missed inventive Floral Designer, Annette Von Einem at this year's Show of Summer, she is returning to the U.S. for a national GCA Floral Show Action Committee Workshop in LaJolla, Ca. Von Einem, an international design award winner from Copenhagen, Denmark will inspire GCA attendees with her artistry at two sessions:
Session I: Oct 29th to Nov 1st Session II: Nov 1st to Nov 4th
For more information, please visit:
GET INSPIRED
Inspiring eye candy: In an effort to introduce KGC members to new resources in Floral Design each month, I recommend the new book,
Flowers Art and Bouquets.
It
"
showcases a glorious profusion of floral images and interpretations across a spectrum of artistic media and time periods. Design writer Sixtine Dubly chronicles the evolution of floral design in this remarkable compendium, which also features stunning work by more than forty contemporary floral artists in London, Paris, and New York, from minimalist to elaborate. This treasury of gorgeous imagery blooms in resplendent color before the reader's eyes."
MEET
The Floral Design Committee will gather Tuesday, September 5th for coffee at 10 a.m. to brainstorm ideas for the coming year. If you have not signed up for the committee yet, please let Marty Peterson Shaw know you are interested! marty@martypeterson.com.
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Here's a wonderful idea for an informal Field Trip!
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The residents of Misericordia's McAuley loved our spring flower plantings!
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Photograph by Shelley Galloway
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Shelly is serving as the Zone XI Photography Chair and we are fortunate to have her expertise -- and the latest suggestions and information that she shared with clubs in our Zone.
Photo Tips #1
Things to think of before taking that shot:
- Crop with your feet
- Watch the corners, keep the corners of your image clean
- Check your histogram, avoid spikes in darks and lights
- Practice using the Rule of Thirds
- Keep it simple and use negative space creatively
- Get low or go high - try new perspectives on the shot
- Tilt your camera a little to add interest
- Experiment with the angle at which you are shooting
- Aim for a dynamic composition
- Look at the eyes and hands of your subject
- Go on a photo walk with a friend - give each other a series of ideas for what to shoot
- Try a new photo app/shoot for one day with IPhone only - try to capture something in a different way. Check out Erick Kim's blog: http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/08/15/why-computational-photography-is-so-revolutionary/
Ways to get inspiration:
- Keep a journal, record your dreams
- Photograph images that come to mind when you read your favorite poem, song lyrics or novel
- Google search important photographers - see what they shoot and try to mimic their style
- View Youtube videos of famous photographers to hear what they say about photography
- Attend local classes or go to workshops at Maine Media Workshop, Sante Fe Workshops, Madeline Island School of Photography or your local high school, art center or botanic garden
- Keep track of portfolio ideas in a source book
- Write to your photos - create an artist's statement or write about the images you are creating and see where it takes you
- Go to festivals, summer concerts, visiting gardens events and have fun with your camera
- Try new IPhone apps or get clip on lens kits for more fun
Resources:
- Erik Kim's website on street photography: http://erickimphotography.com/blog/
- Follow your favorite photographer on FB or Instagram: ex. Douglas Beasley, Lydia Panas
- Sign up for online courses with Lynda.com, Bryan Peterson or Scott Kelby
- Subscribe to a photography magazine: Aperture Magazine, Black and White Photography (UK), Photograph, Shots Magazine
- Online Magazines: NY Times Lens Blog, Time/Lightbox, SPI, Fstop magazine
Photographers to inspire you for this tip sheet:
- Magda Biernat: "Adrift"
- Rinko Kawauchi
- Brad Moore
- Lydia Panas
- Susan Kae Grant
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Alfred Stieglitz
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Shelley Galloway
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Last month, my 83-year-old mother and I journeyed to the Chicago Botanic Gardens on a lovely summer day to acquire some sun and fresh air. After a delicious lunch at the Garden View Cafe, we boarded the Grand Tram for a 2.5 mile tour around the perimeter of the garden. I have not had the opportunity to take this bumpy trail in some time and thus was pleasantly entertained when our tour guide described the very first section of the garden that we passed. McDonald Woods was donated to the CBG by the Cook County Forest Preserve. While no money was exchanged for the 100 acres nestled under a canopy of native oaks, it was with the understanding that the CBG would maintain and restore the garden to its natural woodland state. For two full years, an army of workers and volunteers toiled to remove the invasive species and scatter the seeds of natural grasses and wildflowers of the Illinois prairie. Today, it is fantastic example of a natural oak woodland that flourished in the Midwest over a century ago.
Breathing in the scent of the fresh grass and wildflowers, I could not help but think of the long and fortuitous journey our own Sara Morgan and Barbi Paine have taken to devise a plan for the future for KGC's beloved 1/2 acre Ware Garden in the heart of Kenilworth. In 2012, with the help of a landscape designer, Sara and Barbi initiated a restoration of the woodland area of the Ware Garden. The Garden is subdivided into 5 major sections or islands with a center wildflower garden, a fountain surrounded in blue stone and a winding gravel walking path. 2013 and 2014 were spent clearing and weeding the 5 islands. Planting began in the summer of 2015 and continues to this day. Through the extensive efforts of our volunteer membership, the Garden is a thriving woodland with over 40 species of trees and shrubs and 57 varieties of native wildflowers. Weekly volunteers from KGC continue to weed, fertilize and irrigate the Garden.
With a continued focus on historic preservation, natural woodland self sustainability and community access, Sara and Barbi created a long-term future for the Ware Garden and a mandate for the members of the KGC. Seasonal blooms, flowering fruit trees and the changing colors of the tree leaves delight through the seasons with a kaleidoscopic canvas. The Ware Garden is the hallmark of the KGC and a premier outdoor space and neighborhood woodland garden on the North Shore. KGC members, family and friends have an open invitation to visit the Ware Garden, get to know it and take pride in the wonderful garden our club has helped to create!
--Cathie Murphy
Flora Featured at Ware Garden This Month
Swamp Milkweed (middle of center island)
Asclepias incarnata, a herbaceous perennial
Missouri native plant commonly found in swamps and wet meadows. Easily grown in wet soil in the sun.
Small, fragrant pink to mauve flowers with reflexive petals and an elevated central crown. Stems exude a toxic, milky sap when cut. The flowers are very attractive to butterflies as a nectar source and are an important food source for the larvae stage of the Monarch butterfly (note the Monarch alighting on the top bloom!)
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Buttonbush (Center Island South)
Cephalanthus occidentalis, a deciduos shrub
A coarse shrub easily grown in moist and wet soils in full sun to part shade.
Tiny tubular, five-lobed and fragrant white flowers appear in dense spherical flower heads, giving a distinctive pincushion appearance.
Flower heads are very attractive to bees and butterflies.
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So, the new school year begins. What are some simple tips to start out the year right?
- Shorten the car queue. Instead of driving, start a bike train or group walk and take turns with other parents in the neighborhood to drop off and pick up the kids. You'll each save time, energy, and fuel. Walking is actually a good thing for children!!!! Check out: Researchers: Kids need to move to think and 5 tips for helping kids walk safely to school
- Buy Smart. Buy school supplies with less packaging and seek those made with recycled and sustainably-harvested materials. Invest in sturdier products for years of use and reuse supplies.
- Insist on Regular Nature Time. Studies show that children who spend more time outside are less likely to suffer from obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder, and depression. Encourage kids to get outside for an hour or two after school each day and on weekends. When I was at Joseph Sears many of our gym classes were outside -- including skating in the winter. Between that and walking to and from school, we got a lot of outside time.
- Plant school yard gardens. I had a friend who bought spring bulbs for her child's elementary school in Winnetka and had her child's class plant them one fall. They were pretty delighted to see all the flowers blooming the next spring!
- Get Involved. EarthShare charities like the National Wildlife Federation and Alliance for Climate Education are active in schools across the country and have lots of great ideas.
It's going to be their planet -- start them young with appreciating it!
Some things worth reading...
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KGC on the CGA Website!
Go to the Zone XI landing page to view photos of Shelley, Mr. MacGregor's Garden (the 2017 Show of Summer Horticulture Club Challenge), as well as Charlotte Walsh, Cathie Murphy, Kelly Chestnut and Chris Wiedrich preparing the Show of Summer New Members Challenge entry!
While you are on the GCA website, please upload your photo to your GCA page. It's quick and easy! Let's make the GCA Directory our KGC Photo Directory!!!
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Maggi Park -- Coming Along and Looking Beautiful!
Before....
After...
What a difference a berm makes!
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Photos by Cheryl Anderson
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New arborvitae and shrubs camouflage the Booster Station.
Focus group meeting:
Eileen Madigan and Alice Winslow, both members of the Plan Commission, recently led a focus group on the future of the Kenilworth Water Treatment Plant. "The Village Board asked the Plan Commission to evaluate options for the facility and make recommendations for its future use. The Plan Commission decided to include the building, swimming beach and sailing club as part of its evaluation."
At this particular focus group meeting, gathered were the presidents and representatives from the local garden clubs. Lenore Macdonald and I represented KGC. Other Kenilworth groups have been contacted by the Plan Commission and met with for their input.
As Kenilworth now purchases its water from Wilmette for the next 30+ years, there are many issues to be considered regarding possible changes to the plant structure, future uses of said facility and the Kenilworth beach. The discussion was lively, informed opinions were expressed and the meeting was well focused.
In September, or soon, a resident survey will be delivered to Kenilworth homes or in other ways be made available to all residents of Kenilworth. I urge you to take advantage of voicing your ideas and opinions regarding this pending project and return the survey.
--
Cheryl Anderson, Civic
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A sunny late summer thank you to these members who worked so hard this summer for KGC!
Sara Morgan and Barbi Paine for the wonderful Ware Garden Program and Tour;
Our July hostesses, Carole Read, Heather Blackwell, Jeanne Daniel, and Kitty Kirby, for the delicious, beautifully plated refreshments;
Helen Balch and Beth Glass for the Tuesday afternoon Ware Garden sessions;
Wendy Yamada for securing and organizing our Ware Garden volunteers;
Kelly Chestnut for all of her hard work securing our 2017-18 program speakers;
Terri Lorenz for all of her hard work securing hostesses and venues for our 2017-18 programs;
Leslie North for our Yearbook and updating the Club information on the GCA website;
Katherine Buehler for collecting our dues;
Joan Dodson for taking on Outreach Committee Chair in addition to serving as Horticulture Chair;
Stacey DeLuca for submitting KGC photos to the Zone XI Chair for the GCA Zone XI landing page on the GCA website; and
Jeannie James for her advice and counsel for the Chicago Council program.
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"After the Storm" Photo by Renee Remondini
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Kenilworth Garden Club kenilworthgardenclub.org
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