What heat! What sun! What rain! What a burgeoning of plant growth, especially weeds! What a South Florida summer! P.S. What little, mean, black mosquitoes!
And I have it all, especially when I come across a royal Poinciana still flaunting its flowers.
My crop of baby birds have all learned to go about their business, even the fat little mocking bird that took four long baths in one hour when it discovered the big glazed saucer outside my screen porch.
So, I needed some new wildlife to watch and got it in the form of butterflies. One of the Begonia odorata alba from when Arlo Prio was selling them for the benefit of Mounts Herb Garden sprouted a weedy purple ageratum that I almost pulled out. The next day it’s four tiny tufts of flowers were visited and revisited by a fritillary butterfly, new to my yard. It comes daily, brings a friend sometimes, all for this measly clump of blooms. It’s obviously time to fill a couple of big pots with annuals and offer a more hospitable environment.
Our Annual Auction and Picnic was such fun and a great success. People were saying, “There’s plants here I never knew existed!” We did have an overwhelming number of handsome items. Our items sold total was 199, and sadly, there were more pots that went back home with their owners, simply because buyers got exhausted by so much to choose from, I suspect. Our great growers split, $1,469, and the Society’s percentage brought $443.40 to our bank account. Our heartfelt thanks to all buyers and growers. A super auction!
We did ourselves proud with the Potluck Picnic too. Lots and lots of delicious stuff. What good cooks we have. Thank you for sharing your special dishes.
Every single chair and table in the Mounts Auditorium was in use (and we could have used more tables), and they all had to be shoved around twice in the evening, first to set us up for the picnic and auction, and then to set up as a classroom again. Ann Cavalierie and Tara Ford volunteered right from the beginning, and we had things pretty well set by the time the crow started to arrive. It seemed we were moving furniture off and on all night, with new help popping up everwhere and then there was a log of welcome help with all the necessary clean-up and re-setting up. If I’d only written down your names, I’d thank you all personally. You showed such willingness, kindness, and a great grasp of how to best get the job done. My heartfelt thanks.
Looking forward to seeing you all in August.
-- Donnie Brown, Co-President
August Meeting - Monday, August 11
Doors open at 7 p.m., meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.
Speaker: Steven Royer, Mounts Development Director, will speak about "Ferns of the Tropics."
Refreshments: Christine Schwartz, Cathy Burger, Janet Gordon
Raffle Table: Susan Cioci
Badge Plant: Doris Happel
Exchange Table: Bring a plant, take a ticket, and bring home somebody else’s plant. Please bring an attractive plant that you are proud to share.
MINUTES OF MEETING OF June 9, 2008
The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. with a welcome by Co-president Donnie Brown. She introduced and welcomed our guest from the Tampa Chapter, Dale Sena, and thanked members who provided refreshments: Linda Desanti, Suellen Solodar and Ed Whalen. She also thanked Doris Happel for providing the badge plant and raffle plants. Maria Mitsinicos gave the Treasurer’s Report.
Old Business:
It was reported that the contract with the Hilton for the 2009 ABS Conference has been signed. A small ad was placed in the latest issue of Begonian. The Tampa Bay Chapter has enthusiastically agreed to host the hospitality room.
New Business:
- Suellen Solodar, who is chairing the Garden Shop at the 2009 Convention, reported that Jonathan Schwartz has offered to design some items to be offered for sale at the Convention.
- Arlo Prior has B. odorata for sale to help fund Mounts Master Plan Phase II – Herb Garden renovations.
Announcements:
- June 10th there will be a tour of the garden at Society of the Four Arts at 10 a.m.
- The next Begonia Society meeting on July 14 is the annual picnic and auction. Everyone is asked to bring a dish and plants for a silent auction.
- Sadly, it was noted that former treasurer of the Begonia Society Abe Hirschberger passed away Saturday, June 7. Information about a Memorial Service will be announced as it becomes known.
Speaker:
Past president of the Begonia Society Johanna Kitson presented “Begonias in our Landscape.” Johanna is horticulturist for the Society of the Four Arts garden and several other outstanding private gardens. Johanna brought a selection of begonias to illustrate her presentation and these were auctioned. In addition to lots of great tips about using begonias, Johanna reported on what she has learned about nematodes which can sometimes be a threat to begonias. One of the main methods to combat this problem is to incorporate copious amounts of organic matter into the soil.
Respectfully submitted by Sandy Sklar,
Recording Secretary
The Begonia Society of the Palm Beaches (BSPB) needs your help to keep our great programs and newsletters coming. It is time to think about our officers and committee chairs for 2009. BSPB has term limits on officers: two consecutive one year terms are all that are allowed. That way we get new people and new ideas.
Our President/Co-President Donnie Brown has served for two years, so she will no longer be President; Nancy Cohen has agreed to continue for a second year. Fortunately other officers have agreed to stay on: Maria Mitsinicos will continue as Treasurer. Sandy Sklar will continue as Recording Secretary.
But, Doris Happel has served as Corresponding Secretary for two years, and Shawna Price is too busy with her business (and with the Convention) to continue as Vice President. So okay, people: We need a Vice President (programs), and a Corresponding Secretary (newsletter.)
Our Vice-President is responsible for recruiting good speakers and programs for our monthly meetings. Three programs (annual auction, picnic/silent auction, and Holiday Party) are repeated each year, so we need speakers/ programs for 9 meetings a year. (Don’t worry, you’ll get lots of help.) This is a great excuse to call the grower/author/horticulturist you’ve wanted to talk to and invite her to talk. It’s also a great opportunity to influence our ongoing education and entertainment. We have a budget to pay speakers.
The Corresponding Secretary’s primary job is putting out the newsletter. Doris Happel has streamlined this until it now takes about 2 hours a month. Only about 15 copies are sent by US Mail. The digital copy is sent to the Webmaster who posts it. Articles for the newsletter come from the President and the Recording Secretary, and are easy to copy and paste into the newsletter. You can of course write and add other articles and info.
I want to thank Donnie, Shawna, and Doris for all the hard work and the great jobs they have done for BSPB. They are all committing to active roles in the Convention.
Please email or call Norma Grimm (Fordlady13@aol.com or 798-8032) or me (petcoh@msn.com or 518-299-3679 or 842-2499 after September 27th) if you are interested in either job. The Board is a lot of fun, and we’d love to have you.
Nancy Cohen
As most of you know, the annual convention of the American Begonia Society will take place right here in West Palm Beach, April 27 – May 3, 2009. We are going to need lots of help from our members. Below is an incomplete list of the various chairmanships and committees as compiled by Charles Jaros. Please be thinking of how you can help! Call me to volunteer for any of the committees (434-3745) - Doris
Convention Co-Chairs – Doris Happel/Charles Jaros
Co-Chairs obtain the Host Hotel and is the ABS liaison with the hotel staff and managers during the Convention. Any problems concerning the Convention should be brought before the Convention Co-Chairs. Co-Chairs are committee members of all subsequent Chairs of the convention and are there to offer advice and to see that Committee Chairs and its committees are completing their tasks. Convention Co-Chairs should be available during the convention at all times.
Show Chair –
Show Chair is in charge of the Competitive Flower Show during the convention. Assists the Placement Chair and Entries & Classification Chair. Is in charge of designing the layout of the show and works closely with the hotel in how tables are to be arranged and table covering. Makes sure that all Division and Class signs are designed and made, and are made available to the Placement Chair; also is in charge of making sure class dividers are made available. The Show Chair is to be available during the final “walkthrough” by the Judges Chair in the event that any staging changes need to be made. Show Chair should be available during the set-up and dismantling of the Competitive Flower Show.
Convention Treasurer – Maria Mitsinicos
Convention Treasurer handles all monies associated with the convention; pays all bills received and deposits all monies/ checks received from the various committee chairs.
Keeps detailed records of all income and expenditures and turns these in to the Convention Co-Chairs following the closure of the convention and closure of all convention accounts. These records will then be forwarded to the ABS Treasurer. The Convention Treasurer will be on hand during the counting of all monies received during the convention. Accounting of all monies during the Convention will be accomplished by the ABS Treasurer, Convention Co-Chair and the Convention Treasurer; said income will be deposited in the hotel safe until the conclusion of the convention.
Registration – Doris Happel
Registration Chair is responsible the compiling, mailing and receiving Convention Registrations and for maintaining accurate records in regards to where monies are distributed and attendance for the various functions and activities. Works closely with the Convention Treasurer, Hotel, Tour Chair and Convention Co-Chairs. Is responsible for obtaining a committee to man the registration table during hours of operation at the convention. The Registration Chair is responsible for convention name tags/ goodie bags and obtaining donations and/or items for the goodie bags and is also responsible for tickets for the various functions. Again this can be accomplished by the committee.
Tours – Johanna Kitson?
Tour Chair is responsible for the arrangement of tours and the obtaining of transportation. Is responsible for obtaining a committee to assist before, during and after the tours. Is responsible for any food functions during the tour and any refreshments on the busses. Arranges for the tipping of the bus driver, this will be pre-paid through convention registration when signing up for a tour. Works closely with the Registration Chair, Convention Treasurer and Convention Co-Chairs.
Entries & Classification – Charles Jaros/Joyce Pridgen
Entries & Classification is in charge of registering exhibits for the Competitive Flower Show. Will assist exhibitors in the identification of plants and the placement of plants in accordance with the show schedule. Will have appropriate paperwork available (i.e. show schedules, entry sheets, entry cards).
Placement Chair – Doug Pridgen
Placement Chair is responsible for arranging the exhibits in the Show Room in accordance with the Show Schedule; is responsible for the placement of the Division/Class signs and divider ribbons. Is responsible for arranging of Division winners for Best of Show judging and for the final arrangement of Division winners for the opening of the Show. Is available to the Judges Chair for the final walk through of the show for any changes in the placement of exhibits. Works closely with the Judges Chair, Entries & Classification Chair and Show Chair.
Judging Chair – Maxine Zinman
Judging Chair is responsible for obtaining ABS Judges to judge the Competitive Flower Show and Clerks to assist the Judges. Makes final walk through of the show after entries are closed and exhibits are placed to determine correctness of classification and placement. Is responsible for providing instructions to the Judges and Clerks in accordance with ABS Judging procedures and the Show schedule. Is responsible for providing judges with show schedules and point scoring sheets when needed. Is available during Judging for any questions or problems that may arise. With the Entries & Classification Chair tallies points for Best of Show, Sweepstakes the Showing is Sharing Award. Presents Cultural Certificates at the Banquet and other pertinent Show Awards. Is responsible for coordinating ABS Judging Schools when held in conjunctions with ABS Conventions. Works closely with Entries & Classification Chair, Placement Chair and Show Chair.
Boutique Chair
Boutique Chair is responsible for organizing the Boutique at the convention; contacting vendors/ individuals and obtaining items to sell. Works with the hotel in staging tables/ table covers for the boutique. Maintains accurate records as to boutique sales and any percentages that are paid to vendors. Boutique Chair organizes a committee to assist with pricing, selling and dismantling of the Boutique. After each day all monies are to be given to the Convention Treasurer for accounting. Works closely with the Convention Treasurer and Convention Co-Chairs.
Awards –
Awards Chair is responsible for obtaining awards for all Divisions of the Competitive Flower Show and any special awards (i.e. Best of Show, Sweepstakes, People’s Choice’, Showing is Sharing). Is responsible for placing the awards in the show. Is responsible for sending out request letter and form for awards donations/ sponsorships. Is also responsible for obtaining place ribbons and rosettes (this can be a sub-chair).
Ribbons/Rosettes – Don Miller
See Awards Chair description.
Publicity – Nancy Cohen
Publicity Chair is responsible for the publicity both nationally and locally for the Convention, Show and Sale. Is responsible for creating posters and flyers for distribution, for contacting local & national gardening publication and for working closely with the local media. The Publicity Chair works closely with the Convention Co-Chairs, ABS President, Begonian Editor and ABS Internet Editor.
Banquet/Luncheons –
Banquet/Luncheons chair is responsible for the table decorations during Convention meal functions. The theme of the show should be carried out as much as possible and/or the activity of a particular function. The Banquet/Luncheon chair works closely with the Registration Chair, Convention Co-Chairs and the Hotel Staff.
Seminar Chair – Mary Bucholtz/Charles Jaros
The Seminar Chair is responsible for obtaining quality speakers for the lectures that are to be presented during the convention. An invitation letter/email to prospective speakers is to be sent and a follow up thank you letter/email acknowledgement is to be sent after the convention. The Seminar Chair is responsible for obtaining a short biography from the guest speakers and for the introduction of guest speakers during the lectures; they are also responsible for keeping the speaker in their allotted time and for providing timely brakes between lectures. The Seminar Chair is responsible for obtaining any audio/visual equipment need for the lectures. The Seminar Chair works closely with the Convention Co-Chair and the Hotel Staff.
Plant Sales Chair – Wanda Macnair/Richard Macnair
Plant Sales Chair is responsible for the set-up and organizing of the Convention Plant Sales area this is to include pricing, arranging of tables, arranging of sales plants and the maintaining of said areas during the convention. The Plant Sales Chair is responsible for obtaining equipment for the running the plant sales. After each day of the plant sale the monies are to be turned over to the Convention Treasurer and the ABS Treasurer for accounting. The Plant Sales Chair has complete control of the sales area during the convention. Plant Sales Chair works closely with the Convention Co-Chair, Convention Treasurer and the hotel staff.
Plant Procurement – Johanna Kitson/Charles Jaros
Plant Procurement Chairs are responsible for the obtaining for plants materials that are to be sold at the convention. They are to maintain concise records of plants ordered and of what prices were paid for such commodities. This information is forwarded to the Plant Sales Chair. Plant Procurement Chair work closely with the Plant Sales Chair, Convention Treasurer, and Convention Co-Chair.
Hospitality Chair – Tampa Bay Branch
Hospitality Chair is in charge of the Hospitality Room at the host hotel. Sets hours of operation and the maintaining of refreshments in the Hospitality room. The Hospitality Room is to be manned by the Hospitality Committee during its hours of operation at all time. The Hospitality Room is where convention attendees will meet between and after functions. The Hospitality Chair works closely with the Convention Co-Chairs, Registration Chair, Convention Treasurer and the hotel staff.