top of page

Luncheon at Hopefield, preceded by a Tour of Claybrook Garden - Annual Meeting on May 21, 2024

Evergreen Garden Club Meeting Minutes

May 21, 2024

 

Attending: Connie Anderson, Jane Barquin, Julia Bellinger, Winkie Crigler, Jane Dana, Jane DeCell, Doris Dixon, Catherine Farrell, Fossy Fenwick, Betsy Forster, Helen Garrett, Mary Jane Glass, Kay Glenday, Lynn Keith, Claire Marshall, Dollie McKenna, Colet Mitchell, Donna Roberts, Pam Selden, Laurene Sherlock, Susie Taylor, Ellen Thrasher, Susan Vandever, Rosa Wallach, Xenia Wilkinson.

 

In the morning the club visited two Virginia gardens, Feroline Higginson’s Claybrook near Rectortown and Rosa Wallach’s Hopefield in Warrenton, followed by lunch at Hopefield. Feroline’s garden is magnificent: full borders stretching from the house down and across a valley, with a moss garden, an extensive pond, perennials for spring, summer, and fall bloom. Her husband has a fondness for brickwork, and there is unusual brick ornamentation on outbuildings, plus the most gorgeous brick barn your reporter has ever seen.

 

Rosa’s garden reaches out from the back of the house to a gate onto fields in the distance. There are wide shrub and perennial borders as well as a walled garden next to the house. Feroline’s mother, Hope Porter, who lived in this house until recently and created the garden, came to help Rosa in preparation for this luncheon twice, spending eight hours each time on the weeding! (At age 99!)

 

After strolling along the extensive garden, we gathered on a lovely side porch to enjoy a Peruvian feast: pisco sours to start, causa de camarones, lasaña de lomo salteado con salsa a la huancaína, and for dessert, turrón de chocolate y cocada con manjarblanco de yemas. Having trouble figuring out what these elegant dishes were? Invite Rosa to a potluck!

 

While we were savoring the dessert, Winkie quick-marched us through the most efficient business meeting it has ever been my pleasure to attend. She welcomed Feroline and Hope and thanked Feroline and Rosa for sharing their memorable gardens with us. She also thanked Rosa for her hospitality and delicious food.

 

Approval of minutes: We did not have a business meeting after our tour of the British Ambassador’s garden in April, so after a motion dully made and seconded, the members present voted to approve the minutes for both our March and April meetings.

 

Treasurer’s report. Susie Taylor. We currently have $10,478.69 in the bank. This includes all expenses and reimbursements associated with our programs. It does not include, however, expenses and reimbursements associated with our May luncheon. The difference should be nominal. In my April report I mistakenly stated the remaining anticipated expense was our donation in honor of the British Embassy. This being my first year as treasurer, I failed to anticipate our membership dues for the National Area Capital Garden Club, $320. This will bring our account balance to just over $10,000. The Garden Club is in good financial shape and remains on track to donate $5,000 this year to support its philanthropic mission.

 

Nominations: Lynne Pickard, who chaired the Nominating Committee, could not be with us, so Winkie presented the slate of officers. Lynne had received ballots from 38 Active members so the slate has been handily approved and your officers for next year are:

·      President - Winkie Crigler

·      First Vice President - Doris Dixon

·      Second Vice President - Donna Roberts

·      Corresponding Secretary - Anne Snodgrass

·      Recording Secretary - Mary Jane Glass

·      Treasurer - Susie Taylor

·      Assistant Treasurer - Catherine Farrell

 

Thank you to those same people, who served this year with such distinction. (Next year will be even better, since we will all know what we are doing!) And thank you to Xenia Wilkinson, our membership chair, Lynne Pickard, our nominations chair, and Mary Jane Glass and Ellen Thrasher, our philanthropic chairs.


Philanthropy Committee Report, Mary Jane and Ellen. The club donated to five garden charities last year. The committee talked to four of last year’s recipients and visited one, Joseph’s House. Since the last still has an unspent balance from last year’s $2,000 gift, we voted to include them as a recipient at a lower amount than last year, understanding that if they exhaust these funds and have further needs in the future, we will consider them again. Since the treasurer has reported that we have $5,000 to give this year, the committee recommended that we give the following:

·      Tregaron Conservancy $1,500

·      Rock Creek Conservancy $1,000

·      Washington Youth Garden $1,000

·      Bridges Across the River $1,000

·      Joseph’s House $500

A motion was duly made and seconded, and the members approved these expenditures unanimously.

 

With no further business, Winkie thanked all present for a successful gardening year and reminded members to contact Doris Dixon jf you have any suggestions for programs next year. Also a reminderthat we have 5 vacancies due to some members moving to Associate status, so if you have any friends that you think would enjoy Evergreen, please start gathering letters of support for them. Nominations of new members require a proposal and 2 letters of support, and are be due by October 1st.

The meeting was adjourned.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Jane Glass

Recording Secretary.




15 views
Copy of EVERGREEN.png
Garden Club National Logo (1).png

Evergreen Garden Club

Founded in 1953 

71 Years of Environmental Education 

© 2024 by the Evergreen Garden Club

bottom of page