36th Annual Greens Sale

 

Preparations are in full swing for the 2008 Mystic Garden Club Greens Sale. Be sure to read the Mystic Times article - if you missed it in print you can see it on line by clicking here

 

Come and get your decorated wreath from our designers - it will be the loveliest you can find anywhere. Only first class materials are used and you can chose the motif that suits you - anything from natural materials to gold balls and ribbons.

 

 

November Meeting

Bill Graham was a terrific hit at our November meeting. He is funny and captivating and wonderfully talented. Everything he does looks effortless while he is engaging in a funny, conversational patter that makes you feel like he's your long time buddy. It was a delightful time. He set the stage by creating an ensemble with wonderful accessories from his shop, Beautiful Things in Salem, MA. He then created a coordinating centerpiece.

Earth Friendly

The Mystic Garden club is taking steps to be friendly to the environment. Barbara Tacy has been presenting information on packaging, helping us to differentiate between packaging which is recyclable and which is not. Members are encouraged to stop purchasing items which are encased in non-recyclable materials. The impermeable plastic wrapping called "clamshell" packaging is both frustrating and non-recyclable.

The major retailer, Amazon.com has joined with its suppliers to eliminate the very frustrating "clamshell" packaging.

The New York Times reported ..

In Amazon’s “frustration-free packaging” initiative involving Mattel, its subsidiary Fisher-Price, Microsoft and Transcend, an electronics maker, the companies will ship some of their best-selling products to Amazon in cardboard boxes that don’t fight back.

These cardboard boxes are also recyclable. You can read the whole article at Packages You Won't Need a Saw to Open.

Members are also encouraged to use re-usable shopping bags.  (See our blog article Going Green - ReUsable Shopping Bags)





The Mystic Garden Club sells reusable, Earth Friendly shopping bags.

The photo below shows the items presented to identify as recyclable or non-recyclable.

The items on the left can be recycled while the ones on the right must go in the trash or be reused.

November Speaker - Bill Graham

Bill Graham lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts, and is the owner of Beautiful Things in historic Salem, Massachusetts.
His shop specializes in creative floral design, interesting gifts, whimsical items, women's accessories, millinery (hats and fascinators), some men's items and selected Halloween merchandise including his widely popular "witches" hats which he decorates. It is also the home of "The Girls" which are handmade dolls with a little flair and a little of Salem's magic. Remember, Salem is the world capitol of Halloween!
Bill delights in creating different and unique designs. He likes the challenge of trying new ideas and innovative techniques. His prior education in Art and his retailing experience have strengthened his ability to stay in tune with current market trends in the world of flowers, fashions, gifts, etc.
Bill is recognized in the floral world as a professional designer, commentator, educator, instructor, motivator, innovator and facilitator. He has assisted and, contributed to organizations that fundraise for worthy causes such as the Women's Friends Society, the Peabody Essex Museum ,the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Hospice of the North Shore and benefits for AIDS Research and Breast Cancer. He contributed many hours to the AIDS Hospice of Mission Hill with floral entertainments for patients and families .
Bill is a longtime member of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), the American Academy of Florists (AAF) and the Professional Floral Commentators International. The latter is a designation usually enjoyed by one hundred individuals in the floral industry. Consequently, when you receive his business card, it reads: Bill Graham AIFD,MF, PFCI.
Bill is a member of the Danvers Garden Club, Danvers,. MA, the Lowell Garden Club, Lowell, MA, and honorary member of the Salem Garden Club, Salem, MA. He was most recently honored by the Massachusetts Federation of Garden Clubs with a Lifetime Membership Award.
Bill has informed and entertained so many Garden Clubs, other organizations, and industry-related groups that there are too many to list. Bill has many suggestions for different programs, some widely welcomed by all and some tailored for specific organization's needs. He is an entertainer and a humorist and loves sharing his ideas, anecdotes, and delightful stories. He listens to you as well, and sometimes you become a part of the program. That gives you a glimpse of Bill Graham ' s world. Bill believes that "LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL!" Enjoy!!

October Meeting - A Seasonal Tapestry

The demonstration by Kymrie Zaslow was enjoyed by everyone at the October meeting. The luncheon was delightful and many people asked for the recipes for the Squash Soup and the Almond Tarts.

Chelsea Gardens Foundation presents Paul Tukey

The Chelsea Gardens Foundation is proud to present a speaking program featuring Mr. Paul Tukey on October 28, at 7 pm on the campus of Norwich free Academy.

Cartoons & Cocktails

The Mystic & Noank Library is presenting
Bob Englehart
Editorial Cartoonist for the Hartford Courant
on Friday, October 24 at 6:30 PM
Call for reservations - 572-8191

October Meeting Presentation - Kymrie A. Zaslow

Our upcoming October Meeting Presentation is "A Seasonal Tapestry" by Kymrie A. Zaslow.

Award winning designer Kymrie Zaslow began her floral design career in 1991 having designed and worked in shops in Ohio and Connecticut. Her experience covers retail flower shops, mass market floral management, design education, and the handling of both fresh and permanent florals.
In 1996, Kymrie was inspired to open a unique warehouse showroom, The Floral Gallery, Inc. She serviced her client’s needs in the areas of custom home floral décor, party planning, bridal design, and decorative painting. In the spring of 2006 she closed her retail showroom and directed her talents toward freelance designing, lecturing and education.
Kymrie’s extensive industry experience, as well as her membership in The Federated Garden Clubs of CT and West Hartford Garden Club, has given her the opportunity to share her knowledge and passion as an educator, lecturer, and guest designer. In April 2005 she became a National Garden Club Accredited Judge. She is also a member of Creative Arrangers of CT and Creative Floral Arrangers of the Americas. She has designed live on WVIT Channel 30 and had her designs and ideas published in CT Bride, Hartford, and Living in West Hartford magazines.
Intrigued by a broad spectrum of creative challenges, Kymrie has recently put her talents to work on designing landscapes and theatrical costumes. Over the years she has also graciously lent her time and talent to the Wadsworth Athenaeum, New Britain Museum of American Art, CT Children’s Medical Center, Mark Twain House, Noah Webster House, Wethersfield Historical Society, Hartford Public Library, Premier Dance Theater Company, and many other charitable and community organizations.
Kymrie resides in West Hartford with her husband Robert and two young children, Sophia and David.

Save Your Seeds

One of the new items we are creating in the Greens Sale workshops is a decorative packet of seeds which can be hung on your tree as a decoration with artwork created by Jane Bogdan. Members are asked to collect seeds from their garden to place in these packets. Please identify the seeds.

The following seed collection instructions are from the website Flower Garden News

Click here for a printable version of these instructions.

SAVING YOUR OWN SEEDS
If you'd like to collect seeds from your flower gardens here is a basic method I use to save my seeds.
Step 1 Getting started:
Throughout the growing season I allow flowers to go to seed; producing seed heads or seed pods. Than I let the seed heads dry out as much as possible while still on the plant. Weather permitting of course.
Step 2 Collecting seeds:
Before the pods break open, are eaten by birds, or risk of frost and winter weather starts I will collect the dried seed pods from the plants on a dry sunny day. I carefully cut or break off the seed heads from the plants with a container in the other hand to catch any seeds or seed pods that may fall.
If collecting seeds from many different plants at once; it is a good idea to collect them in separate envelopes or containers with a quick label for each to remind yourself what seed is from what plant!
Step 3 Drying seeds:
After collecting the seeds I usually place them in a ventilated box or container to dry out completely. I keep the box outside in a warm and dry spot. So if drying outside try to keep them protected from wind, wet weather, and rodents.Some seeds will dry out faster than others. I always make sure that any seeds that I'm
ready to store are completely dry. This prevents rotting and minimizes the possibility of mold.
Step 4 Preparing seeds for storage:
When seeds are good and dry I shake the seeds and pods through a mini screen, or sieve. I give them a gentle "crush" onto the screen and gently shake this over a white piece of paper. The screen usually holds most of the seed pods, and chaffs allowing the seed to fall through onto the paper.
Step 5 Storing seeds:
I simply use paper envelopes to store my seeds. Labeling is important. Label envelopes with the date and year collected as well as the name of the plant. It is a good idea to store envelopes in a cool dry area. I store my seed collection in the laundry room. I also store some seeds outside in the garden shed over winter. If storing seeds outside remember to place envelopes in a rodent proof container such as a metal can with lid. An old washed out paint can with lid works great.
The seed's success depends on how old it is, and it's storing conditions. That is not to say that my seeds have not been stored for more than one year. I have done so. I do try to plant seeds I have collected right from the previous year for best results in the garden. Although, I have had successful plantings with older seeds. If I become overloaded with seeds, I just give them away to friends.

Printable Instructions

Donna Fuss Memorial

I regret to announce that Donna Fuss passed away on Tuesday night at Hartford Hospital after a protracted illness. Donna was a founding member, and a Past President, of the Connecticut Rose Society, key to all things roses at Elizabeth Park and all-around wonderful person. She will be greatly missed by all of CRS, and by rose enthusiasts in CT and nationally.
Donna did a wonderful presentation "Easy Care Roses" to our membership last May, 2008. She shared many slides of her beautiful roses and a lot of her knowledge.
A memorial service will be held Saturday morning, October 4, 2008 at 11 am at the Bloomfield Congregational Church in Bloomfield, CT.
Directions to the church at found at this link: http://www.fccbloomfield.org/index_files/Page1459.htm
You can read her obituary in the Hartford Courant Obituaries.