The Garden Path, October 2021 by The Garden Club of Houston

A Publication of the Garden Club of Houston, established 1924

October 2021

Along The Path 2021 is rolling right along. It was great to see so many friends at the Armadillo Palace for the September General Meeting. Full steam ahead for our fabulous Club! Our 2021-2022 Provisional Class, the Sun owers, is diving right in and they are just as cheery and vivid a group as their name would suggest. It’ll brighten your day to stop and chat with them. Bulb Mart time of year is a busy one for us and I am so appreciative of all the physical, nancial, and mental effort that goes in to bringing this event to life. Jan Bres and Fiona Guinn have worked and continue to work non-stop to guide us in making BPM 2021 a success. Clayton Erikson has worked tirelessly on the Hort Guide – it is a masterpiece, to be sure. All while BPM is going on, The Community Contributions Committee, headed by Nancy Kelley, is working on the plan to get last year’s BPM money out to the Houston community. I looked up “well-oiled machine” and the de nition is: Something that operates capably through the effective coordination of many parts – yep, that is GCH, all right. Zone IX President’s Council was held last month. This annual conference is for the President and Vice President of all the (21!) Clubs in Zone IX to get together and learn from each other about what works and what can be improved within our individual Clubs. We spent a fair amount of time covering dues structures, admissions processes, membership classi cations, and volunteer requirements. GCH was very well represented, not only did Nancy Kelley and I attend as President and Vice-President, but Nancy Keely (Zone IX Judging Rep.), Margaret Pierce (Zone IX Photography Rep.), and Liz Wozencraft (Zone IX Flower Show Rep.) each spoke to the group. Thanks for reading The Garden Path. Editors Elisabeth Millard and Melissa Rabalais produce this fabulous publication which is chock full of information. This, plus the Members Area of our website, is where you should go to be in the loop about what is happening in our Club. The calendar on the website is updated as often as needed so know that is the nal word on any of our activities – there may have been a time change or venue change since the printing of the Green Book. To see the calendar, scroll to the bottom of the Members Area landing page. I’m looking forward to seeing you all in your aprons at the Mart!

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October General Meeting In conjunction with The Bulb and Plant Mart, the October General Meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 13th at St. John the Divine. We will start promptly at 9:30am in the Hall Life Center – the same room that it has always been. Remember to check in for the meeting when you arrive. As always, plan ahead as there is limited parking at the Church. Full on Bulb Mart Hospitality will not be up and running yet, so refreshments will be light for this General Meeting. Hospitality does open up starting with lunch for our Members who are working to set up the Mart. Each venue determines its own requirements for us, as visitors. It is a good idea to visit the venue webpage for the most up to date information. To access St. John’s website, please CLICK HERE https://www.sjd.org/about/our-story/sjd-blog/updated-covid-19-protocols/790/

Provisional Orientation The Sun owers, our 2021-2022 Provisionals, met for their orientation on Wednesday, August 25th. As a welcome to our Club, they received their GCH tote bags and personalized aprons, a provisional notebook with their calendar, the new Green Book insert and several other goodies to help them on their way. Thanks go out to the many of cers and chairmen that gave presentations illustrating various facets of GCH and our contributions to the community at large. The Sun owers heard about the wonderful workshops and activities being offered in horticulture, conservation, ower design and photography throughout the coming year. Other highlights included information about COLOR, the spring GCA Flower Show at the Contemporary Arts Museum, our numerous eld trips, and of course our annual Bulb & Plant Mart in October. It is going to be a fabulous year of learning and fun! Please welcome these talented ladies as they embark on their GCH journey; they are in good hands with Sally Giammalva guiding them.

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IT’S FINALLY HERE! Bulb & Plant Mart 2021 is only a few weeks away. We are looking forward to seeing all of your smiling faces live and in person. We are back at The Church of St. John the Divine. In addition to our fabulous bulbs, plants and a great line up of speakers, we will have some new features at BPM. Due to the popularity of last year’s drive through pick up for pre orders, we have created a drive through pick up for BPM 2021. There will also be a Gift Bar that will have kits to create fabulous hostess, teacher, and Christmas gifts using the Bulbs that we sell at BPM. Darla Harris (the Fern Lady) will be back showcasing her wonderful ferns and we have a new addition, Anne Donnelly, with her creative pumpkins lled with succulents.

We will once again have our old favorite CHIT, CHAT AND STUFF during set up on Wednesday. Hospitality has some fun new ideas along with some of your old favorites (think deviled eggs!!!). Donations are always needed for Hospitality to maintain the high standards we have come to know and love. If you would like to donate to the cause, you can pay with cash, check, (please make the check payable to The Garden Club of Houston, put Hospitality in the memo line and mail to Laurie Allen at 3203 Avalon Place, Houston, Texas 77019) or by Venmo at @LaurieAllen-13. Make sure you come by on Thursday for the Party on the Patio featuring music and yummy snacks. It is a great event – bring your friends. You might nd some fun early Christmas presents with a 20% discount at the shops across the street, to boot.

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For a detailed Schedule of BPM, Parking and Drive Through Pick up Instructions and a list of committee or booth chairs, go to the BPM page in the Members Area on our website. A few quick reminders: - The Horticulture Guide has gone to print but it is never too late to make an Underwriting donation to BPM. To donate, click here. - Pre Order closes October 4th so click here to order your bulbs NOW and take advantage of the 10% discount for all purchases of $100 or more and have your order ready for pick-up at the BPM. - SIGN UP GENIUS IS OPEN!! ALL Active Members are required to contribute a minimum of eight volunteer hours to BPM. Click here for Sign Up Genius to sign up for set up, bulb counting and bagging, and lling pre orders on Wednesday and Thursday and for a speci c booth or job on Thursday night, Friday and Saturday. Your volunteer hours will be tracked via sign-up sheets at the Properties table. Members must report, on the sign in sheet, all of their volunteer hours spent at, or prior to, BPM. Please contact Meg directly if you have an issue with your volunteer requirement.

Bulb Bar has been renamed to Gift Bar! Kelly Duenner and Dede Russo are seeking donations of containers appropriate for planting large amaryllis bulbs (about 4 to 7 inches wide). The containers can be glass, clay, tin, wood, ceramic, plastic, or really just about anything that will hold some soil and a bulb. Please contact Kelly or Dede to arrange for a pick up or drop them off at either of their homes. Thank you in advance for your donations!!

MANY THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK TO DATE AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE FOR ALL OF YOUR DEDICATION – YOUR TIME AND EFFORT IS APPRECIATED. IT IS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE MART!! Jan Bres and Fiona Guinn Bulb & Plant Mart Co-Chairs

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Garden Club members were busy in September…

Gregory Lincoln Work Day - thank you to co-chairs Kathryn Bragan and Caroline Dannenbaum!

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Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box Years ago, my husband built a screech owl nest box using some vague directions given to me during a brief conversation with a fellow birder. We selected a suitable tree – large, in a wooded area, little foottraf c, easily seen – and attached the box about 15 feet up. What a nice surprise when only a few weeks later, we noticed a red-phase screech owl peeking its head out of the nest box! Every spring the owl returned; we thoroughly enjoyed watching its edglings adapting to the ways of the world. Later we put up another nest box on the opposite side of the yard, and were delighted to nd it occupied by a grey-phase screech owl. Each of these boxes was occupied for more than 10 years until we moved to a townhouse in Houston. We noticed that these wonderful little screech owls are all over Houston, and if you have a suitable place to put a nest box, you, too, can attract these little owls to your yard. At night they feast on rodents, roaches, moths and other small critters. They can often be heard in the early morning or evening hours in your neighborhood. Click the link below to learn more about this little owl and what to listen for. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/overview For construction details for building your own box, click this link: https://www.audubon.org/news/howbuild-screech-owl-nest-box. Or you can nd them at the Wild Birds Unlimited store and online at the Owl Shack.

Ben Hulsey, past President of Houston Audubon, shared the above photo and suggestions, “The owl box in the photo is a favorite. I have one in the front yard and one in the back and always have one pair of tenants and often have two. The large square opening not only seems to be appreciated by owls, but also makes it much easier for humans to see them.”

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Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box, continued Cliff and Julie Shackelford, the owners of the Owl Shack, are professional biologists living and working in Texas. They offer these suggestions for placement of your owl house: • Placement is important. Attach two of the three brackets to a vertical tree limb with a total of four heavy nails or wood screws. The rooftop needs to be 10 feet above the ground or higher. Face it in any direction except to the north where cold winter breezes are not welcome. Select a more open side of the tree so the owls can come and go without trying to y through branches and leaves. If possible, position it on the main trunk under a large horizontal or diagonal limb to help keep rainwater off. Mount it on a hardwood tree (oak, hickory, pecan, etc.) or a pine tree. Don’t place it in a thicket or in dense vegetation like cedars, junipers, or shrubbery. The owls might not nd it or they might not be able to maneuver well when ying in or out. Allow them a clear ight path. • Make sure it is level, or nearly so, to allow the roof to keep out rainwater or bright sun. Drain holes can be drilled in the oor in case of heavy rain. A slight tilt downward or frontward is acceptable, but a slight tilt upward or backward is not recommended. Most importantly, place it where you can enjoy it from a home window, but at a comfortable distance for the owls (about 20 feet or greater). • It is important to have your owl house in place by January or early February, because that is when the owls are looking for a place to nest. Place a handful of pine needles or dry leaf litter in the bottom of the box. After installing, if you see lots of nesting material coming out of the opening, a squirrel has probably taken over the box. You need to clean out the box as soon as possible to discourage the squirrel. Your box needs to have either a hinged top or side panel that will make it easy to clean out. Our Member, Dana Parkey saw a little owl sitting on her windowsill. This link will take you to a video of what she was able to capture on her cell phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=KwMHCprK8mc.

A screech owl nest box would make a wonderful Christmas gift for a friend or family member if they have a yard and tree that meets the requirements. - Doris Durbin Heard

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Bulb Mart Horticulture Tips, compiled by Nancy Keely and Laura Levenson It is Bulb Mart Time! So prepare your beds for all your new bulbs and plants! If you purchased your bulbs in Pre-Order then you already have an idea of where they are going to be planted. Remember that tulips and hyacinths must be refrigerated for 8 weeks prior to planting. But get your beds ready now by cleaning them out and compost!

Image by anncapictures from Pixabay

Cut your butter y weed, Ascelpias sp. back so the monarch will pass through Texas on it’s way to Mexico. However, this is the best time to plant milkweed and wild ower seeds in a sunny spot. This is also a great time to plant trees and shrubs, getting them settled before winter. Plant your new plants by digging a hole 2-1/2 times larger than needed. Take the soil that you dug up and mix with a soil amendment; ie, Expanded Shale, worm castings, or Natures’s Way soil re-mineralizer. Plant your new plant in your new hole with the now improved soil all around it. Let the new plant sit a little bit higher than the soil level, in case it settles. Add layer a mulch to all your garden beds to provide protection from cold and help retain moisture. Consider adding a thin layer of compost prior to mulching; but do not pile up against base of plants. For more October Garden tips, check out past Garden Path articles under the member section of our website or contact Nancy for more information.

Admissions Update Admissions paperwork for prospective members has been submitted and the process is now underway. It takes a great deal of effort to serve as a sponsor, and we thank you for helping to keep GCH strong with dedicated and generous volunteers.

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GCH Ornament Stitchers The Holidays are upon us! Stitching a Christmas ornament for the GCH Needlepoint Collection is a lovely way to honor a dear friend or to remember someone special and our club’s incredible collection is the highlight of the annual MFA-RIENZI holiday decorations. This year we will decorate RIENZI with our collection on Monday, November 29th beginning at 10:00am. Kim Thomas – kjst1221@hotmail.com

Orphaned Ornaments

We have several Christmas ornaments that have been lovingly stitched by our members over the years. These are the ornaments that adorn the beautiful Christmas trees at Rienzi each year. The provenance of some of these ornaments is unknown. We are in the process of re-creating the ornament book which has the history of each ornament in our collection. Please take a look at these orphans and e-mail Kim Thomas kjst1221@hotmail.com with any information that you have on them. Thank you!

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Here Come the Judges, Here Come the Judges… In GCA Judging news, a new judging discipline has been introduced: Botanical Arts. The popularity of Botanical Arts has grown over the years to become a wildly popular Division within Flower Shows. GCA has decided that it can stand on its own and deserves to be judged by judges who are approved, speci cally, to judge that discipline. Two GCH Members have just been approved as Botanical Arts Judges: Dodie Jackson and Debbie Robinson. Congratulations are in order!

Mark your calendars! October 4, 2021 registration for COLOR opens to all GCA members in every division except photography!

GCH members could register in ALL divisions on September 21, 2021 so if you haven't then do it today!!! There is something for everyone's talents: Floral Design (grab a friend and enter together!), Horticulture, Botanical Arts, Pressed Plants and Photography! Log onto the GCH website to see the COLOR schedule and to register email the division chairs. You can't win if you don't enter!!! Questions: Contact Liz Wozencraft at lizwoz@att.net or 713-252-3720

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Conservation Field Trip October 25th Headwaters to Baywaters, speaker and lunch Ag Extension of ce 4102 Maine St, LaMarque, TX 10:00am Lunch following at Texas Corinthian Yacht Club Optional visit to Maas Nursery following lunch $25 fee, sign up on web page Image by B_C from pixabay.com

Julie Massey from the Ag Of ce will talk about why Galveston Bay is so important not only to the Houston area but to Texas and the entire United States. We will nd out what negatively impacts the bay, and what we can do to reduce our impact on the bay.

The Garden Club of Houston is heading to Rockport to see the whooping cranes! We will leave on Friday, January 14, 2022 and return the next afternoon. We’ll ride in style to Rockport in a Von Lane coach. Friday dinner is at Key Allegro Yacht Club following a charming cocktail party hosted by GCH Members. On Saturday, the 15th we’ll board our boat for a private birding tour. We’ll have lunch afterward and then head back to Houston. Registration and fee required through the calendar on GCH website www.GCHouston.org

Image by PublicDomainImages from pixabay.com

Questions about trip Mary Jornayvaz or Susan Cravens.

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Thanks Susan Cravens and Mary Jornayvaz for a fun and educational trip to see the Painted Churches!

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Thanks to Susie Green for the wonderful and productive trip to Cuts of Color!

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Are you getting the most out of the GCH Website? The GCH Website is a great tool and helpful resource for our Membership. Attached is an Overview of the GCH Website with some hints to help you nd your way around and sign up for Events.

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Are you getting the most out of the GCH Website?, continued

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Are you getting the most out of the GCH Website?, continued

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GCH Donations from August 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021 Community Fund In memory of Pete Cluett and Laura Nell Lauderdale “Lollie” Cluett from Marge and Calvin Bentsen In memory of Thomas Jefferson (Jeff) Wray from Mr. & Mrs. B.J. Willingham In memory of Jeff Wray from Mary Hale McLean

Endowment Fund In honor of Jan Bres from Meg Tapp In honor of Fiona Guinn from Meg Tapp In memory of Mrs. Ada Dean Grundy from Judy and Charles Tate

Photography Study Group A Successful Image Starts with Good Composition Monday, November 8, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Registration and $20 fee required through GCH calendar– GCHouston.org Zoom Presentation Photo from Cindy’s website https://www.goeddelphotography.com/

Cindy Goeddel is a professional photographer, naturalist, teacher, guide and an Adobe Lightroom Expert. She has become internationally recognized for her Yellowstone Wildlife Photography Workshops and for her ability to instill in others her passion for wildlife while ensuring that they master the techniques of natural history photography. Cindy comes highly recommended by her friend, GCH Member Nancy Etheridge. In this virtual presentation, Cindy will give insight and instruction on successful composition for landscape and nature photography. This presentation is for all levels of photographers. Questions: contact Mimi Kerr, mimi.kerr@icloud.com or 713-501-9017

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ER IV

O AK

S GARDEN

68th annual

PINK ELEPHANT Sale

HOUSTON’S OLDEST RUMMAGE SALE

POSTPONED due to Delta

FUTURE DATE TO BE DETERMINED

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S REPORT: AUGUST Letters of Condolence To Member Beth Wray on the loss of her husband, Jeff Wray To Member Lester Grundy on the loss of her mother-in-law, Ada Dean Grundy To Member Catherine Zdunkewicz on the loss of her father-in-law, Vic Zdunkewicz

Contact Updates Delete Jennifer Arnold’s home phone number. Tracy Livingston’s new email address is Livingston.tracys@gmail.com

THE GARDEN CLUB OF HOUSTON EST 1924 4212 San Felipe, PMB 486 Houston, Texas 77027-2902 Member, Garden Club of America www.gchouston.org

Submissions to The Garden Path may be sent to Elisabeth Millard and Melissa Rabalais

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Fri. 1

Deadline for November Garden Path

Wed. 6

Natives in the City “Get Ready for BPM” 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Memorial Park Conservancy Greenhouse 6501 Memorial Dr., 77007

Fri. 8

Iris Wrap 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 14 Remington Ln., 77005

Tues. 12

Crinum Dig Mandatory for Provisionals, Open to all 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. Rienzi, 1406 Kirby Dr., 77019 Park on Lazy Ln. Bulb Counting and Lunch 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Home of Nancy Keely 3134 Newcastle Dr., 77027

Wed. 13

Bulb & Plant Mart Set Up 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Church of St. John the Divine 2450 River Oaks Blvd., 77019

Wed. 13

General Meeting 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The Church of St. John the Divine 2450 River Oaks Blvd., 77019

Thurs. 14

BPM Pre-Order Packaging 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Church of St. John the Divine 2450 River Oaks Blvd., 77019

Thurs. 14

BPM - Preview Party 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The Church of St. John the Divine 2450 River Oaks Blvd., 77019 Registration and fee required via calendar at GCHouston.org

Fri. 15

Bulb & Plant Mart 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Church of St. John the Divine 2450 River Oaks Blvd., 77019

Sat. 16

Bulb & Plant Mart 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The Church of St. John the Divine 2450 River Oaks Blvd., 77019

Sat. 16

Bulb & Plant Mart Take-down 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Mon. 25

Conservation Field Trip Headwaters to Bay Waters 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 4102 Main St., LaMarque, TX 77568 Meet at Ag Of ce at 10:00 a.m. for presentation; lunch at TCYC Registration and $25 fee required through GCHouston.org

Wed. 27Fri. 29

Fall Trip Little Rock, Arkansas

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OCTOBER 2021