Co-Presidents’ Message
The theme for our term is: “Two City Girls in the Country: Anyone Can Garden.” Donna grew up in the Bronx and Joan grew up in northern New Jersey and we both worked in New York City—hence, the “two city girls.” We were the bookish daughters of gardening mothers. Donna was tasked with weeding for her mother, but Joan preferred pursuits not related to touching the soil directly. Donna came to the “country” when she moved to West Virginia in 1986 and Garrett County in 1997. Joan has had a part-time “country” experience in Garrett County since 1991.
With that short personal history, we move on to the second part of our theme, “Anyone Can Garden.” It dovetails with the National Garden Clubs’ theme of “Plant America” and the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland’s theme of “Planting Maryland for Beauty and Wildlife.” Our theme speaks to the welcome and inclusion that our club offers to gardeners at any level, and the skills, training, and knowledge that can be obtained and shared through club activities. We’ve compiled a brief list of some of the skills we’ve picked up through club presentations and activities in the short time since we’ve been members of Mountain Laurel Garden Club (Joan since 2013; Donna since 2014):
• Stream sampling techniques
• Container gardening
• Dividing perennials
• Bulbs that flourish in Garrett County
• Techniques for exhibiting horticulture
• Design elements in flower arranging
• Effective landscaping to co-exist with local wildlife
• Pollinators, pollinators, pollinators
• Native plants, native plants, native plants
Each member has certain skills and knowledge when he or she joins, and has the opportunity to expand those skills and share that knowledge. In short, if we can do it, you can, too!
The theme for our term is: “Two City Girls in the Country: Anyone Can Garden.” Donna grew up in the Bronx and Joan grew up in northern New Jersey and we both worked in New York City—hence, the “two city girls.” We were the bookish daughters of gardening mothers. Donna was tasked with weeding for her mother, but Joan preferred pursuits not related to touching the soil directly. Donna came to the “country” when she moved to West Virginia in 1986 and Garrett County in 1997. Joan has had a part-time “country” experience in Garrett County since 1991.
With that short personal history, we move on to the second part of our theme, “Anyone Can Garden.” It dovetails with the National Garden Clubs’ theme of “Plant America” and the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland’s theme of “Planting Maryland for Beauty and Wildlife.” Our theme speaks to the welcome and inclusion that our club offers to gardeners at any level, and the skills, training, and knowledge that can be obtained and shared through club activities. We’ve compiled a brief list of some of the skills we’ve picked up through club presentations and activities in the short time since we’ve been members of Mountain Laurel Garden Club (Joan since 2013; Donna since 2014):
• Stream sampling techniques
• Container gardening
• Dividing perennials
• Bulbs that flourish in Garrett County
• Techniques for exhibiting horticulture
• Design elements in flower arranging
• Effective landscaping to co-exist with local wildlife
• Pollinators, pollinators, pollinators
• Native plants, native plants, native plants
Each member has certain skills and knowledge when he or she joins, and has the opportunity to expand those skills and share that knowledge. In short, if we can do it, you can, too!
