Rock Spring Garden Club was glad to welcome guest speaker, Babs McClendon to our Thursday, March 16 general membership meeting.

Babs McClendon demonstrated the Basics of a Creative Dining Room Arrangement.  Her presentation included: container choice, selection of plant material, and introduced us to many available creative materials to add ‘pizazz’ to your designs.

Babs is both an Accredited Flower Show Judge, and an Accredited Landscape Design Council Judge. She was raised by lifelong gardeners.  She caught the gardening bug early in life.  She has had careers in teaching, selling computers, and running her own Interior Design firm.  In 1992 she moved to Mount Vernon where she had her first opportunity to join a garden club.  Since she “jumped into the World of garden clubbing” she has met and befriended people all over the USA.  She claims to have grown in her knowledge of gardening, and through ‘trial-by-error’ learned the Art of Flower Arranging.  She loves sharing the knowledge she has gained with others. Her love for floral arranging has left her with less time to garden.  Her garden has become her palette for her floral arrangements. She is involved with the floral art of Ikebana, and is currently taking lessons in the Sogetsu School.

Babs has served on many garden related boards and held many positions. Some of these include: Riverwood Garden Club, Yacht Haven Garden Club, District II Board, National Capital Area Garden Club Board, Central Atlantic Region Board, and National Garden Club Board of Directors.

Here’s the latest issue of Rock Spring Garden Club’s newsletter, THE GARDENZETTE.

Just click here ——–>>2017_02 Gardenzette web

The next general meeting of Rock Spring Garden Club is Thursday, February 16, 2017 beginning at 10:00 a.m., at Little Falls Presbyterian Church, 6025 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22207  Our meetings are free and open to the public but please do RSVP by using the “Contact” button above or email us at [email protected]  (Lunch is available for a small donation, too.)  Our  Horticulture and Show Design displays, Ways and Means, and business meeting begin at 10:00 am. Our speaker follows.

A Sustainable English Garden:

John Sonnier, Head Gardener at the British Embassy

John Sonnier is the Head Gardener/Horticulturist at the British Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC.  He will discuss his gardening practices and share beautiful images of the gardens he manages. John is a certified member and past Board member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. He has worked to preserve historic landscape for the past 23 years.  First as the Lead Gardener at Harvard University’s Dumbarton Oaks for four years.  He then spent 13 years at Hillwood Museum and Gardens as Project Manager for the Restoration of the gardens and outdoor sculpture collection.   He became Head Gardener/Horticulturist for the British Ambassador’s Residence 7 1/2 years ago. Here he uses traditional gardening practices, focusing on organic and sustainable methods of care. Additionally John has created one of this country’s most significant historic orchid collections.  John has taught Landscape Design at the George Washington University.  He taught sculpture at the Corcoran College of Art and Design for 12 years.

2017_01 January gardenzette web <<<————- Just click here!  And enjoy reading about all the the latest happenings in Rock Spring Garden Club.

We’ve noticed a consistent increase in people interested in joining Rock Spring Garden Club. And it’s kind of exciting, like watching your garden grow.

Rock Spring Garden club is affiliated with National Garden Clubs, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c) educational organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that is the largest gardening organization in the world.

Under NGC, we are a member of two state organizations: 1) National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc., part of the Central Atlantic Region; and the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, part of the South Atlantic Region. Within National Capital Area Garden Clubs, we belong to District III, that includes thirteen garden clubs in Northern Virginia.  Within Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, we are part of the Piedmont District that includes 59 clubs and 2000+ members.

Our mission and objectives are to:

1. Stimulate the study of the art of gardening.
2. Further an interest in horticulture and artistic arrangement of plant materials.
3. Conserve and protect our natural resources and support good conservation practices.
4. Serve our community by participating in garden therapy, youth gardening activities, civic beautification, horticulture and floral design education, and community outreach.

Continuing education in horticulture, environment, floral design and landscape design is available to members through our national and state organizations.  Come to a meeting and find out what we are all about. FMI explore our website and contact us at [email protected] or use the ‘contact us’ button above.

Happy New Year!  Please join us for our first general meeting of the year on Thursday, January 19, 2017. Our meeting begins with a general business meeting at 10 a.m. followed by a speaker at 11 a.m.  All our general meetings are free and open to the public as noted.  Our meetings are held at Little Falls Presbyterian Chuch, 6025 Little Falls Rd., Arlington, VA 22207  After our speaker presentation, we will be serving a lunch (there is a nominal donation for guests).  Please RSVP via the ‘Contact Us’ button above, or email us at [email protected].

This month’s speaker is Carrie Vaughn.  As we witness the “Farm to Table Movement,” Carrie runs the Demonstration Farm for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  She will discuss the rationale for local sourced organic food and meat, and also discuss strategies for our own herbicide-free and pesticide-free gardens.

Hope to see you there!    For more information about our speakers and programs, please click the ‘Programs’ button above.

What a wonderful way to wrap up the year but celebrate the upcoming holidays with our members.  Thank you to member Mary Lunger for inviting us to her home and to the members who created the floral designs and holiday decorations that graced her lovely house.  Enjoy these pictures of the event. Our next meeting is Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 10 a.m. Our program is “Community Supported Agriculture All Around Us” with Cary Vaughn, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, followed by a delicious lunch.  Please join us!

Mary Scott and Renee Bayes

Sheila Moore, Alice Conrad and Myrna Fulton

Welcome!

Design by Ann Marie Fay

Julie Wadsworth, Felicia Schwenk, and Linda Martin

Jane Robinson and President Connie Richards

Dorinda Burroughs and Barnet Norris – Centerpiece by Dorinda Burroughs

Joan Asboth and Paul Gibert

Design by Sheila Moore

Design by Janice Haines

Susan Scotti, Ann Kelly, Jody Goulden and Mary Cottrell

Paul Gibert and George Ruppert

Ann Lunson, Ann Duffey and Georga Shaw

Design by Joan Asboth – Lion’s Head Fountain Container

Design by Anita Brown

Yes, we’ve had another busy month!!  Just click here –>>2016_12-december-gardenzette-web

For back issues of The Gardenzette, just click the ACTIVITIES button above on the banner.  Enjoy!

Thursday, December 8, 2016, we will celebrate the holiday season at our annual Holiday Tea.  This year, our theme is “Winter Wonderland” where our members deck the halls of a member’s home with beautiful floral designs created by our talented members who love floral design.  Our hospitality committee will delight us with choice savory and sweet foods and sparkly beverages and a good cup of tea.   Our Holiday Tea is our wonderful way of celebrating a year of fun and challenging garden club activities, and friendships, old and new.

This meeting is NOT on a regular meeting day; and this meeting is NOT open to the public. It is restricted to our members and guests only.  Don’t you wish you were a member?  We do, too!  For more information about our club, explore the website and either use the contact button or email us at [email protected]

Our upcoming meeting is Thursday, November 17, 2016 at Little Falls Presbyterian Church, 6025 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22207.  Our business meeting begins at 10 AM, followed by our speaker program,  “The Wonderful World of Ferns” with Dr. Carl Taylor, Ph.D., Botanist.  This will be a wonderful presentation. Lunch will follow with a request for a small donation toward lunch, if you are a guest.

Our programs are free and open to the public. But do RSVP so that we can expect you.  Considering membership with Rock Spring Garden Club?  Gardeners are a welcoming bunch and we look forward to meeting with you.  For more information, check out this website, or click contact to reach us for more information.