March 2008
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Presidents' Message
We decided at our February meeting to embark on a real, exciting adventure: holding an ABS convention here in Palm Beach in 2009. It will be both a lot of work and a lot of fun. We are really lucky that two of our best and brightest—Charles Jaros and Doris Happel—have agreed to be co-chairs. We will get a lot of help from other ABS chapters, but our major task at this point is to enlist those of you who are willing to help, and to find chairpersons for important functions such as the competitive plant show and for tours. Happily, Debra Rosen has agreed to head up the transportation effort (you will be amazed how many places we will take the convention participants.) This is going to be a lot of fun, and will expand our horizons. Our chapter last did a convention in 2000, and we grew much stronger and bigger as a result. And we got to know, and like, each other a lot more.
Don’t miss our March meeting. David Bache will speak on ‘Silver and White in the Nighttime Landscape.’ David knows his plants and is an imaginative designer. You’ll enjoy this talk.
I hope you all are starting begonias from cuttings. My success rate with our really warm spring has been excellent. We have a Propagation Party coming up March 15 at 10 am at Johanna Kitson’s garden in Wellington--an excellent opportunity to learn how to take cuttings and, for our experienced Begoniacs, an opportunity to get cuttings of very desirable plants. Hope to see you there.
Our website address has changed to begoniasocietypbfl.org. Lynda Evans is doing a great job as Webmaster. If you need to check just when you’re to do the raffle table or bring refreshments or the badge plant, or what the next program is, or what’s happening, go to the website. Good job, Lynda.
See you at the March 10 meeting. Keep growing those begonias.
Nancy Cohen
March Meeting
Monday, March 10 - Doors open at 7 p.m., meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.
David Bache will speak about “Silver and White in the Nighttime Garden.”
Refreshments: – Audrey Abrams, Rita Obeid, Debra Rosen
Raffle Table: Shirley Fenner
Badge Plant: Norma Grimm
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 Meetings
JANUARY 14, 2007
The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. by Nancy Cohen, President. It was announced that the club will not create a membership book this year but will produce a list of individuals having responsibilities (raffle table, refreshments, badge plants, etc.) for the year. Sandy Arlund reported there were no new members but a few guests.
Treasurer Maria Mitsinicos reported end of year balance for 2007 was $4,073.87.
Nancy thanked Arlo Prior, Nancy Erneston and Sandy Sklar for providing refreshments.
It was announced that on Sunday, February 10 around noon there will be a Garden tour in West Palm Beach.
FEBUARY 11, 2008
The meeting began at 7:05 p.m. There were three new members and five guests. Treasurer Maria Mitsinicos reported net revenue from the January auction was $909.80 and the treasury balance at the end of January was $3,916.97.
Nancy thanked Shawna Price, Donnie Brown and Barbara Bramwell for providing refreshments; Cathy Burger for the raffle table; and Patt Lindsay for the badge plant. She also thanked Arlo Prior and Jenny and Phillip Brown for sharing their beautiful gardens with the club on Sunday, February 10, and to Johanna Kitson for making the arrangements for the event.
It was announced that Gene Joyner continues to be on 89.3 FM radio every Wednesday answering gardening questions. Donnie encouraged donations to the Rummagette Sale to benefit Mounts Botanical Garden. It takes place during the Spring Plant Sale at Mounts the last weekend of April. Please contact Donnie or bring the items to the next meeting. Donations are tax deductible.
NEW BUSINESS
The club has been asked to host the ABS Convention 2009. The board of directors endorses the idea. It will be a lot of work and a lot of fun. It’s an opportunity to meet legendary people and see great begonias. The convention would probably last five days: Wednesday through Sunday, during the first week in May. The expected number of participants would be 100 – 150, including a contingency from Scotland. We will need to find a great place to hold the conference with enough rooms for guests, seminars, a plant sale, a begonia show, and a banquet. All suggestions about where to hold the convention should be sent to Doris Happel.
We will also be responsible for publicity (the show will be open to the public), arranging tours, coordinating seminars, and organizing meals for the business meeting, for the judges’ breakfast, and for the banquet. Members would be asked to grow/show plants (95% begonias, 5% other shade plants), about 150 – 250 plants in all. People will also be bringing plants for the show from Miami and Tampa.
Charles Jaros will be the convention chair and Doris will be co-chair. Hopefully we will recruit new members as a result of the effort, and 15% of any profits go to the club.
Other supporting functions include: registration of participants, printing the program, transportation (such as for tours), clerks for the show. ABS will supply the judges.
There was discussion about what would be involved in having plants ready to show. The rule is that a person must own and grow the plant for three months. In January (2009) Charles will give us a tutorial on preparing and showing plants. Members will acquire beautiful plants and take three months to make them outstanding. (One resource: plants will be available at the annual auction in January, and/or may be purchased from Harmony through the Beg. Soc. for this purpose, at cost.) It seems that out-of-towners are always impressed by the quality (color, size, etc.) of our plants, thanks in part to our climate. It was suggested that using a screened porch provides protection from debris and helps prevent damage to the plants being readied for show. About 25 people agreed to take about three plants each. About 15 people agreed to be clerks for the show.
Volunteers will also be needed for setting up the plant show on Thursday, setting up the plant sale also on Thursday, and operating the plant sale beginning Friday evening. Other volunteers will be needed for check in. Chairmen will be needed for the boutique, plant sale, publicity, and tours. We also want to try to line up crafty people to make items or our begoniac visitors who are nuts about buying all sorts of begonia items.
Johanna made a motion that the Begonia Society agree to host the 2009 ABS Convention. Charles Jaros seconded the motion. Members unanimously approved.
Other New Business
Doris noted that Mounts Botanical Garden has done a lot of work on the Island, receiving a lot of help from the Bromeliad Society. Doris and Nancy have already donated some begonias. Doris made a motion requesting that the Begonia Society allow Doris and Nancy to shop for up to $500 worth of plants to contribute to the Island’s continued development. Charles Jaros seconded the motion and the members unanimously approved.
Johanna announced that she is soliciting interested members to sign up if interested in having a strawberry jar workshop along with the propagation workshop she’ll have later in the year.
Shawna announced that next month’s speaker will be David Bache from Boynton Botanicals presenting Moonlight Gardens.
February speaker: Gardener, plant grower, and landscape designer Tom Thurston presented “Gingers for Your Garden,” a great presentation with slides including Alpinia, Burbidgea, Costus, Cucuma, Globba, Hedychium, Kaempferia, Zingiber, and others. Tom circulated a list of rhizomes that can be obtained from James Scoggins, a grower in Clermont, Florida; also mentioned a grower in South Georgia. Rhizomes are generally available from January until the end of April before they start to grow. www.gingersrus.com
Respectfully submitted by
Sandy Sklar
Recording Secretary
Propagaton Workshop
Saturday, March 15
The propagation workshop is at Johanna's house and will start at 10:00 a.m. Please bring cuttings of newer leaves as older leaves do not make baby plants very readily. Also, bring 4 inch pots and trays to the next meeting so I can see if we need to order any extra beforehand. I usually sit on the ground when I do cuttings. I have a limited number of folding chairs for those needing one; however, you are welcome to bring a chair of your own just in case we run out. I made some cuttings about a month ago and they are already sending up little leaves!
Also, I am ordering several extra bags of Fafard to be available at my house that morning for $10.00 a bag. Please bring cash for this.
I still have too many plants in my yard and plan to have some for sale. If you wish to buy plants or you are picking up bags of Fafard and not attending the 10 a.m. workshop, please arrive by 9:00 a.m. or after 11:00 a.m. for the sale or soil. At the last meeting several people signed up for a Begonia Strawberry Pot Workshop. If anyone else is interested in doing one, please call me ASAP for details. 795-2220. All you need to start is whatever size pot of your choosing. Soil is provided and plants are $3.00.
Garden Tour
New BSPB member Paul Durbin is hosting a tour of his garden as part of the annual Riverwalk Garden Tour on Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Paul has extended the invitation to BSPB members. Riverwalk is off Okeechobee Blvd. Just west of Jog Road. RSVP and info: 707-0507.