THE FLOWER PRESS PENN-CUMBERLAND GARDEN CLUB HARRISBURG – WEST SHORE AREA

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018 “58 Years and Still Blooming”

Member of National Garden Clubs, Inc.

FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

Benefit: I enjoyed presiding over the Benefit. Much thanks to Ann Morris Markley and her committee for such a great job. Also thanks to everyone who baked, donated or invited others to attend. I had the privilege of sitting beside our State President, Christine Leskosky. It was nice to get to know her on a more personal level.

District IV Flower Show The District IV Flower Show will be held March 3, 4 & 5, 2018 at York Expo Center. As in prior years we have been asked to provide hostesses at the show. Because of the size of our club, we have been tasked to host two days. If you do volunteer as a hostess, you are not required to pay admission for that day. They need to know by February 15. I know it seems like a long way off, but first picks get what they want, and other clubs have already made their selections. Hostess instructions will be provided at a later date. Please contact me if you are willing to host a shift. Tickets for this show are available now at a discount. They will be available at our December meeting.

New Venue We received notice that the Lower Allen Township will not be offering their meeting room to us for our Board meetings, Floral Arrangers Guild, Horticulture and Pressed Flower Designers. They have, however, offered us use of the barn at Lower Allen Township Park on Lisburn Road free of charge if we maintain their rain garden. Other venue recommendations are currently being checked into by several Board members. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Karen

BENEFIT - 2017

“Every member a working member.” PCGC certainly lived up to our motto and put together a really enjoyable, entertaining and educational experience plus lots of shopping and fellowship for our 235 guests. Our total profit from the event is $6,917.61. The basket raffle yielded $1,960.00 which funds our scholarships. This chairman is indebted to our marvelous AV technician, Lois Kriens, who tied everything together in a power point presentation of our club activities, the day’s raffle items and door prizes as they were awarded, pictures of the vendor tables, etc. She had something on the screen the entire day. And, for the first time, thanks to Sue and Duane Greenly and their Foundation, we had a 10’x14’ projection screen so no seats were bad seats. The reason I say ‘no’ seats were bad is because the seats with their backs to the screen were the winning seats for the centerpieces!

I wish I could take credit for the program selection but all the credit goes to Joyce Wallen who suggested Kirk Brown, a re-enactor of Frederick Law Olmsted and a first ‘non-flower arranger’ for our Benefit presenter. The response was overwhelming in favor of him after his presentation and we got to know Olmsted much better than before. Susanna Reppert-Brill made decorating easier for many with her management of all the greens, etc. that you cut and brought in for sale …to the tune of $504!

You provided Betty Golob and Josie McAnulty with an amazing amount of ‘Specialties from your Kitchen’ for a whopping $485! President Karen McAuliffe made an adorable Gingerbread House that added interest to the display of goods. Sandy Green and Dee Titus and their helpers were overjoyed, and almost overwhelmed, by the quantity and quality of the items you contributed. Thanks to all of you, their sales were $819 this year! Dee Titus also had her hands and vehicles full as properties manager for the club and thanks also to Maria Marunyak who assisted in the transporting of lots of ‘stuff’ from our storage room. Thanks also to those who, after the Benefit, packed up all the Ways and Means unsold items and took them to Goodwill and Community Aid. The raffle items and business donations, handled by Nancy Toole, Kay Rowe and Betty Pisano were very generous. The news of the many very useable gift cards and the three member-provided raffle items, each containing $100 in cash, spread like wildfire through the guests and made 27 winners very happy. As always, Karen Schwarzbauer and Nancy Pullen presented a very beautiful display of the creative work of all of the flower Pressers. Christmas ornaments, balls, and cards, a unique jewelry line, boxes, bookmarks and on and on. They sold about $400 worth of these charming items. Judy McGinnis and Joyce Wallen, keeping with the theme of nature and trees made the room look festive with the very desirable Rosemary plants in silver containers reminiscent of our Governor’s Trophy silver bowl which held a boxwood tree made by Fern Oram and decorated with Pressers ornaments.

The door prizes were another first that certainly brought joy to the winners. Nancy Hackett, Andrea Campbell, Marie Stolz, Dee Titus, Judy McGinnis, Joyce Wallen, Fern Oram, Louise Bianco and Bonita Lewis each made an original creation that became a focal point at the stage and brought many ooh’s and ah’s prior to the drawing from their luncheon ticket. Outstanding large posters set the tone throughout the room of nature and trees. They were created by Kathleen Jacobs and Sheri Goff. Photographers Sheri Goff, Kathleen Jacobs, Lisa Garrison and Kathy Brenneman forwarded great photos to Karen Schwarzbauer who will then send some of them on to Judy McGinnis for the web site and to Lois Kriens for future power point presentations at meetings. Karen McAuliffe and Sue Kent secured many interesting and different vendors who were well received by the shoppers. Between Karen Schwarzbauer doing the community publicity, and Fern Oram forwarding to us a barrage of requests and reminders, publicity and communication were well covered. Fern also counted and stuffed hundreds of envelopes with raffle tickets for time-saving availability for the guests. She didn’t just sit there and sell tickets the day of! Wanda Godar got a double whammy as Club and Benefit Treasurer, and as Reservations chairman - a thankless job requiring lots of detail and patience! In addition to having State President Chris Leskosky with us, it was a compliment to our club to have in attendance from the Board of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania, the chairmen of the following committees: GCFP Native Plants and Wildflowers, GCFP Scholarship, GCFP Schools Coordinator, GCFP Landscape Design Central Council, GCFP Flower Show Judges Central Area Council, GCFP Plant America Donations, GCFP Headquarters Secretary, and GCFP Membership.

This chairman would like to, again, thank Betty Pisano, 2016 Benefit Chairman, for compiling a Booklet for each chairman with their responsibilities as well as gathering and compiling the records from many past years for easy reference.

The Radisson was great to work with. They even gave us a lesson in folding the napkins into a Christmas tree shape. Lois Kriens made a video of it which we will share on Facebook with all of you You certainly put PCGC in a wonderful spotlight. Thank you to each one of you. Ann Markley, 2017 Benefit Chairman *Editor’s note: FYI - Ann has graciously agreed to chair the Benefit next year! Thank you, Ann!!!!!

BENEFIT MEMORIES ……

…… see you next year!

MEMBERSHIP Our current Membership stands at 112 members. We had 66 members in attendance at the October meeting.

We welcome our newest member:

Eileen Hoover 6104 Nassau Road

Harrisburg, PA 17112-1841 717-545-1778

eileenphoover@verizon.net Many Benefit attendees picked up applications. Thank you, Sue Daugherty, for manning the PCGC table to talk to those interested in our club! Ann Keck, Membership Chairman

FLORAL DESIGNERS GUILD

The Floral Designers Guild meets for upcoming workshops at 10:30 am on January 8th at the Lower Allen Township Building. The location for the February 12th workshop will be announced at a later date. For each workshop, members bring containers and plant material plus soaked oasis. Oasis is for sale at every workshop. The January and February workshops will help members prepare for entering a design in the District IV Flower Show. On January 8th, we’ll review the Design Scale of Points for Flower Shows and What Judges Look For. February 12th is about Getting Ready for the District IV Flower Show. Bring examples of the designs you are considering. The schedule for the 2018 District IV Flower Show can be picked up at a meeting and was sent to members electronically. Horticulture does not need to be pre-registered, but design does to ensure four exhibits in each design class. To pre-register, contact the design consultant listed in the schedule or say “yes” when they ask you to participate. The 2018 District IV Flower Show, “Imagination”, will be open to the public Friday, March 2nd from 11am to 8pm; Saturday, March 3rd from 10am to 8pm; and Sunday, March 4 from 10am-5pm. It’s part of the Pennsylvania Garden Show of York, held in Memorial Hall at the York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle Ave, York, PA.

The Pennsylvania Garden Show of York includes outstanding seminars (see http://pagsy.com/seminars-events/ for schedule). Two of this year’s talented speakers are: Sue Whitney, the creative genius behind JUNKMARKET; and Jan Coppola Bills, founder of the landscape design company Two Women and a Hoe®. Joyce Wallen, Floral Designers Guild Chairman

WAYS AND MEANS We are very grateful and appreciative to the members (and husbands) who participated with their donations, time and energy that resulted in raising $836.20 at the November Benefit. It began with the donations, pricing, trips to the storage facility for signs, tables, etc., set-up, selling, wrapping, dismantling, packing left-over items to deliver to Community Aid and Goodwill and returning signs, tables, etc. to the storage facility. Many shoppers said we had a great variety and they look forward to the Benefit and have attended for years. The raffle items at the October meeting raised $124.00. The Hoss's FFF in November raised $65.29. We had a private room and had an opportunity to relax and talk. We hope to have more of these FFF's in the spring and hope you can attend and bring your family and friends. It is a great way to earn money. Anne Keck and Judy McGinnis will be donating raffle items for the December meeting. Dee Titus and Sandy Green, Ways and Means Co-Chairmen

TRAVEL COMMITTEE

The Travel Committee announces their spring adventure. Mark your calendars now for June 7, 2018! We will travel to Philadelphia to visit the University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum. There will be a guided tour of their state-of-art LEED horticulture center. Then we are free to tour their six gardens, each with a different theme. After lunch at their café we will bus to the John James Audubon Center near Norristown, which offers a combination of art and nature. We will depart from the Radisson Hotel lot at 8 a.m. Contact Gloria Basehore @ gbbasehore@gmail.com, or 717-972-0440.

PRESSERS Make it a New Year’s Resolution to check out the Pressers' Workshops in 2018! We have a new project each month. There are always cards available for decorating. We keep extra pressed flowers and tools for new people. Plus, there is a one-on-one tutorial to get you started. Workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, January 8th and Monday, Feb 5th. Karen Schwarzbauer, Pressed Flower Designers Chairman

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

December - Learn Holiday decorating tips and tricks from our own PCGC members. Allocations committee will also be presenting a program on where our community giving funds are distributed. January - Judy Bono - Bringing Nature Home – Did you ever think of your garden as a wildlife

preserve? A place full of native plants that make your garden into a dramatic active environment to be enjoyed by you, plus butterflies, pollinators, birds and animals … and help the planet. Learn what is a native plant, the benefits of gardening with natives, and our favorites native perennials and trees for a native starter garden for this region. January - Workshop instructed by Judy Bono to be held after the luncheon - advance registration is helpful Air plant Terrarium Workshop – Air plants are unique – they don’t need soil to grow, just air and a little water. Air plants come in different sizes, shapes and colors so they are wonderful plants to use in a terrarium. Your terrarium will be full of color and texture. Add a variety of decorative elements to expand you creativity. All Materials are supplied and will include glass bubble bowl, air plants, decorative elements such as wood, moss, stones, glass chips and more. Cost - $20 per person Minimum 6- maximum 25 February- Ann Adams and Liz Brensinger, owners of Green Heron Tools, will discuss the ergonomics of gardening tools for women. Save your back, save your muscles, use the right tools! March - Paul Zeph is from the Bureau of State Parks and is an active member of the Appalachian Audobon Society. He will address the Birds and Diversity of our states 121 parks. April - Beth Kepley-McNutt - The Naturalist at Gifford Pinchot State Park, Beth will cover the fascinating history of Gifford Pinchot Park and Lake. May – 54th annual Bertha Reppert Herb Tea – “A Cottage Garden Herb Tea” presented by Patricia Stull, artist. June - David Deutsch is owner of the Whimsical Poppy Flower Shop in Mt Holly Springs. He is a talented florist and has many tips and tricks to share with PCGC. When David was a young student he was a a PCGC scholarship award winner! Susanna Reppert-Brill, Program Chairman

COOKIE EXCHANGE Third Annual Cookie Exchange will be at our December regular meeting. Each member is asked to bring two dozen or more and then go home with two or more dozen cookies. Great opportunity to get a variety of cookies. Bring your cookies in a container and bring an empty container to take your new cookies home. Bags will also be provided. January and February meetings will be our “soup” months. Bring a cup or bowl plus a spoon in addition to your normal place setting for lunch.

Peggy Green and Fern Oram, Hospitality Chairmen

ALLOCATIONS There were over 50 suggestions from members of organizations (some were duplicates) to be considered and it was very difficult to narrow the selections down. The committee appreciates all members’ suggestions. The committee used our purpose statement as the guiding principle to narrowing the choices in a selection process - this is listed in our yearbook. The committee chose to make an IMPACT with our donations this year by making substantial contributions to each cause. The selections are:

• Trails and Trees Environmental Center - $500

• Central Pennsylvania Conservancy - $500

• Capital Area Greenbelt - $200

• Conodoguinet Creek Watershed - $200

• Yellow Breeches Creek Watershed - $200

• Wolf Sanctuary - $200

• Wildwood Park - $200

Norma Frame, Allocations Chairman

HORTICULTURE HINTS AND HELP

A request for “help” came this fall from Karen McAuliffe: “The frost killed my Margarete sweet potato vines. When I dug them up, there were a lot of sweet potatoes that were produced. Are they edible?”

Responses from our club horticulture experts are: Nancy Hackett – “Yes, the Margarete sweet potato is edible, probably not as good as those grown as vegetables.” Valerie Rowader – “No. Strictly ornamental.” Ann Markley – “Ornamental sweet potatoes grown for their foliage are true sweet potatoes. As such, the tubers it forms are edible. However, their texture and flavor will not be as good as varieties developed specifically as a vegetable.” And this from GOOGLE: “While Sweet Potatoes all come from the same parent material out of Southeast Asia, there is a big difference between the Sweet Potato you buy in the store and the tubers produced by the Sweet Potato ornamental plants. Commercial sweet potatoes have been bred for over 100 years selecting for those with the best sugar to starch content (hence the name SWEET Potato). The ornamental types have been bred to produce good leaves and no tubers, though they do form, they are composed of almost pure starch and no sugar; making them a poor choice for eating. So, yes, you can eat the tubers, but don't expect anyone to come back for seconds! “ The follow up from Karen McAuliffe: “We did not eat them, but I dug them up and some were left laying on top of the soil. My dog started eating them!

HORTICULTURE

Wintry greetings PCGC members! When the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is ended, I hope you are able to enjoy our winter splendor. These months give us pause to reflect upon our past and future gardens. Here is a short “To Do” list for these months.

✓ Recycle your fresh-cut Christmas tree. ✓ Remove outdoor Christmas lights and store until next year ✓ Watch Trees during and after big snow storms, in case they need snow knocked from their branches to

avoid breakage. ✓ Make a list of your favorite flowers and veggies so you will be ready to buy seeds in March. ✓ Draw a diagram on paper of next year’s garden. ✓ Use flat sticky paper near indoor plants to capture any small flying pests.

As you look to the future to plan for the various gardens you wish to plant, know that there are several health benefits to gardening. Gardening probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when considering getting fit or staying healthy. However, working in a garden can benefit one’s health in many ways. It is not only a great physical exercise but it enables us connect to nature, enjoy sunshine and fresh air and spend time doing something that helps us feel fulfilled. Working in a garden can help you feel better and improve mental and emotional health. According to gardener Gillian Aldrich, “When you sit at a desk all day, there’s something about literally putting your hands in the dirt, digging and actually creating something that’s really beautiful. “Following are a few ways in which gardening can boost your health.

✓ Gardening can improve your Mood Gardening has been linked to several studies to lessen depression. The physical work and being outdoors help to improve mood and self-esteem.

✓ Gardening can relieve Stress With all of the distractions in our lives from smartphones, laptops, email and social media, it can be a challenge to direct our energy to something longer than a few minutes. Gardening requires focus but allows your mind to go where it chooses. It can help us feel more positive and less stressed.

✓ Gardening can promote Healthy Eating Growing food and putting it on the table is enjoyable. You can also share what you grow with family, friends and neighbors. Growing produce you enjoy eating is rewarding and insures that it is free of dyes, pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

✓ Gardening can help you Sleep Better Working outdoors and being active several times a week tires you out, and keeps stress and anxiety at low level so you can have a restful night. There are so many benefits to gardening. It is one of the best ways you can get a physical workout, improve your brain function, boost your mood and get healthy overall. Vincent Van Gogh once said, “But for one’s health as you say, it is very necessary to work in the garden and see the flowers growing.” Keep on gardening – you will be rewarded beyond measure. (Summarized from “How Gardening Can Help You Stay Healthy” by Maria Cannon) Carol Hollis – Horticulture Chairman

CONSERVATION - OCEAN WILDLIFE ENDANGERED "The beauty of the living world .... has always been uppermost in my mind .... I have felt bound by a solemn obligation to do what I could .... if I didn't at least try I could never again be happy in nature .... there would be no peace for me if I kept silent." Rachel Carson (1907-1964) Seismic blasting by the oil and gas industry to identify potential offshore drilling sites from Delaware to central Florida endangers ocean animals. The blastings involve the firing of extremely powerful bursts of compressed air towards the sea floor to map and find buried oil and gas deposits. The powerful pulses of sound generated are similar to a jet taking off. They are so loud they can be detected from 2,500 miles away. Ear splitting blasts could be fired every ten seconds,24 hours a day, seven days a week or even months at a time.

Some marine animals use echolocation to communicate. These blasts can cause abandonment of habitat, beach strandings, disruption of mating and feeding and even death. Seismic blasting can deafen wildlife like whales, dolphins, sea turtles, fisheries and many other species. Scientists estimate that the blasting in the Atlantic would injure as many as 138,000 whales and dolphins, including killing or injuring nine critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The holidays are fast approaching. Consider gifts of lasting meaning.

Memberships in an area of interest, experiences such as tickets to the symphony or a sports event or the theatre. We continue to collect useful gifts such as eyeglasses, calendars, children’s books, greeting cards, thoughtful amusements for service men, cell phones, commemorative postage stamps. Congratulations to Ann Markley and the wonderful Benefit committee for creating an unforgettable celebration! It was splendid! We will be meeting January 4th, January 25th and February 22nd – 9:15 am, Camp Hill Presbyterian Church. Sue Daugherty, Conservation Chairman

CRINKLY PAPER ALERT

Effective immediately: Due to changes with our recycling company we can NO LONGER accept "crinkly plastics" to recycle. We can still accept toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss containers, spray bottle tops, laundry soap lids and other hard plastic lids.

GARDEN THERAPY We had a very successful time for many years at Capital are Children's Center in Camp Hill until it closed this year due to the Capital Area Intermediate Unit providing for all the Center's special needs children at their own site. Only two of our committee members completed all the forms and clearances necessary for our serving there as volunteers. Once we learned of the developmental levels of the children and the time restraints for our program we realized that our goals of sharing our knowledge of gardening and our love of nature would not be attained. Someone else may wish to carry on our program at another venue in the future. My resignation from chairmanship of the committee was accepted at Monday's board meeting and was effective at that time. I will make a list of past projects and the needed supplies and will gather existing supplies to be kept in the club storage unit for future projects. Perhaps a program could be done with preschool- or elementary school-aged children or with nursing home residents using many of the same supplies. Kathy Brenneman, Former Garden Therapy Committee Chairman

NEW WEBSITE UPDATE At the December regular meeting we will be voting on spending from the savings account $895 to develop a new website, train the committee, and pay domain and hosting costs for 2018. Thereafter, the cost will be $150 per year for domain name and hosting of the site along with support if the committee needs it (which is $100 less than current site fees). Please plan on attending to vote and to enjoy lunch and our annual cookie exchange. After reviewing the feedback from members on the questionnaire, the committee has worked to develop the necessary information needed for the development of a new site. As requested, the site will be easy to use. The general public will be able to access the following: The Home page will contain a garden picture, an overview of the club, general information on current events (such as the Benefit), a “contact us” spot, plus tabs to click and go to whatever you are looking for. Tabs: About us - description of PCGC Activities - yearly and ongoing activities of the club Regular Meetings - information on each meeting including speaker information and topic Committees - list of committees and the responsibilities of each Calendar-a calendar page for each month to include meetings and activities of all that is happening (click on subject for full details) Newsletters - easy access to current and past newsletters Photo Gallery - Picture of events Scholarships - information regarding scholarships offered and application forms Join Us - Process for joining PCGC with membership application The above public information will not contain any names or information on any members but we will have a special Member Sign-in tab that will be password protected that will take you to any member information you may need (in case you lose your yearbook or need to access a member via phone when away from home). Judy McGinnis – Website Chairman

FACEBOOK

Last month 400+ people accessed Penn Cumberland Garden Club's Facebook Page. Were you one of them?

If not, you missed seeing over 60 photos taken at the Benefit; ideas for winter “gardening”; Terry Maclay’s suggestion for a Winter Wedding boutonniere for the groom; how a Colorado teacher is growing food in a greenhouse; birthday wishes to State President, Christine Leskosky; photos of PCGC members enjoying Family and Fun night at Hoss’, and much more. When you have enjoyed a posting, we would appreciate you taking the time to click on the LIKE icon. And, feel free to click on SHARE. That way the posting will display on your own page and your family and friends can see what you are doing at PCGC. Another great thing - you, as a club member, can invite your Facebook friends to “LIKE” PCGC’s page. They will then see our posts on their own page or timeline. BUT, you don’t have to have your own Facebook page to enjoy the PCGC page. You can access it any time you are on the internet by entering “www.facebook.com/PennCumberlandGardenClub” in the search line. Enjoy and we love it when people enter comments! Karen Schwarzbauer, Sheri Goff and Kathleen Jacobs – Facebook Co-Chairmen

www.penncumberlandgarden.org

Sheri Goff, Editor 421 Candlewyck Road Camp Hill, PA 17011 sgoff24261@aol.com Newsletter Deadlines March/April 2018 – February 1, 2018 May/June – April 1, 2018 Calendar of Events December 18 – PCGC monthly meeting – Camp Hill Borough Building – 9:30 am – sign in, 10:00 am – speaker January 2 – (Tuesday) Pressed Flower Designers Workshop – 9 am to Noon – Lower Allen Township Building January 4 – Conservation meeting – Camp Hill Presbyterian Church – 9:15 am January 8 – Horticulture Committee – 8 am – Lower Allen Township Building January 8 – Board Meeting – 9 am – Lower Allen Township Building January 8 – Floral Design Guild – 10:30 am – Lower Allen Township Building January 15 – Regular monthly meeting – 9 am – Social Hour, 10 am – Speaker, Terrarium Workshop after lunch January 25 – Conservation meeting – 9:15 am – Camp Hill Presbyterian Church February 1 – Deadline for March/April newsletter articles to sgoff24261@aol.com February 5 – Pressed Flower Designers Workshop – 9 am to Noon – New location to be announced at a later date February 12 – Horticulture Committee – 8 am – New location to be announced at a later date February 12 – Board Meeting – 9 am – New location to be announced at a later date February 12 – Floral Designers Guild – 10:30 a.m. – New location to be announced at a later date February 19 – Regular monthly meeting – 9 am – Social Hour, 10 am – Speaker February 22 – Conservation meeting – 9:15 am – Camp Hill Presbyterian Church