February General Meeting

 The February meeting was by Zoom starting at 7pm

 Attendees: Bonnie Buhl, Debbie Haluch, Ellen and Mark Jones, Marsha and Dave Mausolf, Ian McWilliam, Cathy Oland, Mike Owens, Louise Rugaard, Ann Sansbury, Dale Smothers Tracy Walker and Ruth Westra.

 Speaker: Kyle Franklin, spoke on Finding Space for Edible Plants in our Urban Landscaping. Edible plants included berries, vegetables and fruits mixed with annual color plants. Kyle’s company, I.M.S. Landscape Services is the landscaper for Phases 1 and 2.

Minutes –  January 11 Meeting Minutes –we dispensed with reading of the minutes. Motion was made by Mike Owens and seconded by Mark Jones.

Treasurer’s Report - Treasurer Report was given by Secretary/Treasurer, Ann Sansbury and approved by all.

 Birthdays – No member birthdays this month.

 Old Business:

·       There are still organic vegetable and flower seeds available.

 

New Business:

·       Debbie read a note from the Young family thanking us for our Christmas donation to them.

·       Debbie will announce March speaker soon.

·       Debbie showed us plants from her yard and various items she has made from her fruit trees.

 The January meeting was by Zoom starting at 7pm

 Attendees: Bonnie Buhl, Norma Chiaramonte, Debbie Haluch, Bea Huriega, Ellen and Mark Jones, Marsha and Dave Mausolf, Ian McWilliam, Mike Owens, Alma Rielly, Louise Rugaard, Ann Sansbury, Dale Smothers Tracy Walker and Ruth Westra.

 Speaker: Brad Phillips spoke on “Trees”.  Brad is a Board-Certified Master Arborist and co-owner of ArborTrue. He is third generation arborist who learned from his father and grandfather.

Minutes –  November 9 Minutes –we dispensed with reading of the minutes.

 Treasurer’s Report - Treasurer Report was given by Secretary/Treasurer, Ann Sansbury and approved by all.

 Birthdays – No member birthdays this month.

 Old Business:

·       Everyone should have their Garden Club membership card. Present them at local nurseries for a 10% discount.

·       Norma Chiaramonte spoke on the Christmas donation.

·       Debbie has vegetable and flower seeds.

·       We are looking for share table ideas, meetings (outdoor, morning, once a month?)

 New Business:

·       Debbie will announce February speaker soon.

·       Mike has 2 brick orders, need six orders to place an order.

 Gardening Tips of the Month:

·       Poinsettia should be trimmed of dead leaves, put by a window. Do not let them stand in water.

·       It is time to finish harvesting citrus. Then prune the trees.

·       Prune wisteria, starting with the longest vines.

Christmas Donation

 Norma Chiaramonte filled her car with presents for a multigenerational family of six.

Items included household cleaning items.

Kitchen items.

Individual bags for each person along with wrapping paper and ribbons.

In addition to the club donating money, we would like to thank individual sponsors:

• Mike Owens
• Bonnie Buhl
• Mark and Ellen Jones
• Debbie and Dale
• Ellie O'Connor
• Norma Chiaramonte
• Louise Rugaard
• Larry and Bev
• Alma and Bea

Norma's granddaughter, Brilee's troop sponsored can food for the family.

Cypress Creek Lakes by Phase and Sections

 

Outdoor Cookie Exchange and holiday cheer!

 Instead of our typical indoor festive holiday meeting, we met for one hour to spread cheer with mulled apple cider and hot chocolate.  

Butterfly Garden on Brazos Sage Drive

Chilly morning and plenty of cookies

Each household made a cookie selection to share with others.

Thumbprint Cookies by Bonnie Buhl

Welsh Cakes by Tracy Walker

Triple the Ginger Cookies by Debbie Haluch

Nutella Cookie Cups by Norma Islam

Red Velvet with White Chocolate Chunks by Mike Owens

Hungarian Christmas Cookies by Gwen Klorer

White Chocolate Chip by Lyn and Nicole McWilliams

Ginger Lace Cookies by Louise Rugaard

Potato Chip Chocolate Chip by Ellen Jones

Russian Tea Cake by Cathy Oland

November General Meeting

 

This was our first Zoom meeting because of COVID-19. Hosted by Debbie Haluch and started at 7pm.

 

Attendees: Bonnie Buhl, Norma Chiaramonte, Debbie Haluch, Bea Huriega, Ellen and Mark Jones, Jeff and Gwen Klorer (new members), Marsha and Dave Mausolf, Mike Owens, Alma Reilly, Louise Rugaard, Ann Sansbury, Dale Smothers and Tracy Walker (new member)

 

Speaker: Alisa Klein spoke on “How the war between insects and plants created the world we live in.”

 

Minutes – March 9 Meeting Minutes –we dispensed with reading of the minutes.

 

Treasurer’s Report - Treasurer Report was given by Secretary/Treasurer, Ann Sansbury and approved by all.

 

Birthdays – We celebrated birthdays for Tracy Walker (10/3), Ann Sansbury (10/7), Louise Rugaard (10/21), Ruth Westra (10/15), Mark Jones (11/9), Jeff Klorer (11/11), Norma Islam (11/24), Marsha Mausolf (11/21).

 

Birthday presents This year will be Gardener’s Scrub and Plant Based Candles made by Dale Smothers and Debbie Haluch.

 

Old Business:

 The Spring Planting of the Butterfly Gardens was held on April 18 at 9:00 a.m.

 The Fall Planting of the Butterfly Gardens was held on Saturday, October 31 at 9:00 a.m.

 We held a plant giveaway on May 2nd at the Community Center. It was advertised on Nextdoor.

 The Jr. Gardener Event was held at Butterfly Garden #1 on September 26. We celebrated Nicole’s “Quarantined Caterpillar” which was started on July 19th and has over 1100 painted rocks. We gave away plants from garden club members and IMS Landscaping. Ruth made fantastic plant displays and had door prizes. We gave away packaged treats and water. Kids made seed strips.

 

New Business:

 Debbie has made Garden Club membership cards for all members. They are good for a 10% discount at local nurseries.

 The Houston Federation requested a $50 donation for December 11th meeting and silent auction.

 Debbie has seeds for vegetables and flowers.

 Brookwood needs volunteers.

 Looking for ideas for Share Table, Meeting Time and December meeting ideas. We decided on an outdoor Cookie Swap for December.

 Norma Chiaramonte asked for ideas for our Christmas project. Nursing homes and a needy family were suggested. After discussion, Ann moved that we spend $250 for a nursing home. Bonnie seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

 

Gardening Tips of the Month:

 Fall is the best tie to plant native trees since they will grow underground and develop new foliage in Spring.

Arbor Day in Texas is the first Friday in November.

 Time to harvest citrus.

Butterfly Gardens replanted

 Many thanks to all garden club members who enjoyed a crisp morning replanting the butterfly gardens.

Time to put new plants in ground

Even better- swinging

More garden members arrive

Mulching 

Our Fall Planting group picture

Planting Garden on Brazos Sage

We planted Alyssum,  Amazon Dianthus, Orange Calendula, Yellow Calendula and Bronze Snapdragons.  Thank you to Kyle Franklin and IMS Landscaping for the plants.