Native Plants Presentation by Edamarie Mattei and Kris Colby, Principals with Backyard Bounty

Minutes of Evergreen Garden Club Meeting

April 15, 2025

Attending: Connie Anderson, Jean Barquin, Winkie Crigler, Jane DeCell, Doris Dixon, Catherine Farrell, Fossie Fenwick, Betsy Forster, Helen Garrett, Mary Jane Glass, Nancy Gorman, Lynn Keith, Sally Marshall, Sara Maner, Dolly McKenna, Colet Mitchell, Janet Nassim, Jackie Portman, Donna Roberts, Pam Selden, Sharon Stoliaroff, Susie Taylor, Ellen Thrasher, Susan Vanderver, Rosa Wallach.

Guests: Susan Bluhm (nominated for membership) and Mary Gail Wolf.

President Winkie Crigler called the meeting to order and thanked Susan Vanderver for hosting the meeting and Sharon Stoliaroff and Betsy Forster for providing refreshments.

Doris introduced our speakers, Edamarie Mattei and Kris Colby, principals with Backyard Bounty, a native-plant-focused landscape company. Kris issued a call to action to all property owners. Insects and other invertebrates are on the decline, and there are 1.5 billion fewer birds in the past two decades. We property owners must plant natives!

Equally important, we must ditch our lawns. They are the largest cultivated crop in the United States. They don’t want to live in our climate, so they require lots of water and chemicals to stagger along. They don’t even capture rainwater. Their roots are shallow, and water simply runs off. As a start, we can reduce the size of the lawn.

Edamarie explained some differences between plants that are straight species and cultivars. The latter have been modified in various ways by growers. Changes in flower color or increase in number of petals make the plants less attractive to fauna. Changes in size (dwarf) are probably okay.

Edamarie suggested several sturdy natives to provide green mulch in our gardens:

·      Packera aurea. Good under shrubs. The seedheads appear at the same time the native fringe tree blooms.

·      Phlox stolonifera. Rabbits and dear don’t eat it. Phlox subulata is good for sun.

·      Silene carolina. Its blooms are long-lasting. It is good between stepping stones and in dry, sunny situations.

If you can aim for 70% natives, you can provide food and habitat for native fauna. You should replace invasives that berry, as the birds spread the seeds. If ivy starts climbing, it will berry. Another invasive to replace is burning bush. It is important to plant keystone species like oaks, asters, and goldenrod.

What can we do? Ask landscapers and nurseries for natives. Join native plant societies and wider efforts like Homegrown National Park. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources provides a useful database of native plants for our region: www.nativeplantcenter.net.  The blog Nuts For Natives is packed with useful information. https://www.nutsfornatives.com/

We should not use peat or mulches containing peat. And avoid plastic pots. AND also avoid hardwood mulches. Softwood mulch is much better for our forests.

Approval of minutes: The minutes of the March meeting were approved as written.

Treasurer’s report (Susie Taylor). The Club currently has $11,216.45 in the bank. This includes its NCAGC membership dues and our April meeting speaker-requested donation to Homegrown National Parks.

There is a possibility the Club could incur expenses associated with the May luncheon.  Since attendees will pay a fee, however, any expenses should be nominal, if at all. Assuming the Club distributes $4,000 in philanthropic contributions as approved in the budget, it should have a closing bank balance of approximately $7,000. This is approximately $1800 more than the closing balance at the end of the 2023/2024 season.

Membership Committee: In Xenia Wilkinson’s absence, Catherine Farrell announced the results of the election of new members. There were three candidates for membership –

·      Christy Thorley, proposed by Doris Dixon.

·      Susan Bluhm, proposed by Kay Glenday

·      Frances Usher, proposed by Colet Mitchell

All three were elected by unanimous vote. Susan Bluhm was in attendance, and Winkie welcomed her to the club.

Nominating Committee: Sally Marshall announced the results of the election of new officers:

Slate:

Ellen Thrasher             President

Donna Roberts            1st Vice President

Ann Reid                     2nd Vice President

Julia Bellinger             Corresponding Secretary

Janet Nassim               Recording Secretary

Winkie Crigler             Treasurer

Sally Marshall               Assistant Treasurer

All officers were elected unanimously.

Philanthropy Committee – The members of our Philanthropy Committee, Jane Dana, Mary Jane Glass, and Ellen Thrasher, apologized for not being ready to present a list of proposed philanthropy projects. They will send a list of suggested recipients before the next meeting so that the club can vote on them in May.

Managing our philanthropy between now and 2028 At last month’s meeting we discussed a potential plan to reduce our annual philanthropy gifts this year and the next two years in order to build up enough money for a special gift in 2028 in honor of our 75th anniversary. The Executive Board met just after the meeting and (based on the input of the membership) voted to make a special gift of $7,500 to a single organization in 2028 in honor of our 75th anniversary. We will begin setting aside money this year and the next two years to ensure we have enough money.

Tregaron Workday: By way of background for our newer members, we have a relationship with Tregaron Conservancy (https://tregaron.org/), and volunteer there (weeding, cleaning, a little planting) twice a year. Everyone is invited to participate. Our spring Tregaron workday will be on April 29th (rain date May 6th). Please send Colet Mitchell an email if you would like to participate -- coletmitchell@icloud.com. The following people have signed up so far: Mary Jane Glass, Sara Maner, Colet Mitchell, Susie Taylor, and Winkie Crigler (no for rain date).

May Meeting and Luncheon. Winkie reminded everyone that our May meeting will be a luncheon at Donna Roberts’ home on Gibson Island (a little more an hour’s drive from DC).  The cost will be approximately $30 per member. It is that low because Donna is very graciously supplying much of the food herself. (Thank you so much, Donna!) We will have a golf-cart tour of the island followed by our annual luncheon. If there is rain, there will be no tour, just the luncheon, so please watch your email that morning for last minute updates. Winkie will send out a survey that people should use to RSVP and to indicate whether they want to attend the tour and luncheon or just the luncheon and whether they would be willing to drive a carpool or whether they would like to be driven in a carpool.

NCAGC Announcements of interest (And reminder that all Evergreen members are invited to participate in District I events):

·      Ellen and Winkie attended the NCAGC District I meeting at the National Arboretum on Friday, March 21. Winkie introduced Ellen to many of the people active in the NCAGC, including Beth Alvarez, who is the new District I Director, and Danielle Brabazon, who is the new State President. Ellen is off to a good start!

·      Saturday June 21, in lieu of a presidents' brunch or tea, District I will host club presidents and members for a docent-guided tour of the gardens of Hillwood Estate. All Evergreen members are invited.

Winkie adjourned the meeting shortly before noon.