Thanksgiving in the City and Sweet Emotion - A guest post by Teresa Payne

It has been too long since I have had the inspiration to sit down and write.  Life has been busy and moving way too fast.  So, I sit here – old school style with a pen and pad of paper – and channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City even though she is way more stylish, dramatic, and articulate than me.  In contrast to her fast-paced lifestyle, I really enjoy my relaxing Friday nights watching a romantic comedy with a glass of wine rather than hitting the latest trendy urban bar or restaurant.  If you haven’t seen the movie Green Fingers yet, I highly recommend it!

Susie Poseman

Last night, though, I did venture out and attend a wonderful design event held by District III's Rock Spring Garden Club.  Susie Poseman from Heavenly Hydrangeas in McLean inspired us with her creative holiday wreaths and centerpiece arrangements.  I also picked up some handy tools of the trade, such as ribbons, glass frogs, and flower adhesive to try my hand at my own pumpkin design with succulents for the Thanksgiving table.  Check this out!!

I did it!

I arrived nearly late after battling rush hour traffic (in the city), but just in time to hit the buffet table after saving a seat for my dear friend who was similarly stuck in traffic.  I was parched, so I filled up my plastic cup from a container that held fruit in the bottom.  I quickly gulped down the clear liquid thinking it was water, only to realize it was white wine.  Not planning on imbibing on this Thursday evening, I decided, “c’est la vie,” and thoroughly enjoyed the spritzer.

We watched the speaker from Heavenly Hydrangeas inspire us with her creative holiday wreaths and centerpiece arrangements.  I also picked up some handy tools of the trade, such as ribbons, glass frogs, and flower adhesive to try my hand at my own pumpkin with succulents for the Thanksgiving table.

It was so fun to be able to connect with people who also love gardening and flowers as much as I do.  I attended the event with one of my oldest friends from elementary school.  She and I are in the same garden club, so we are lucky enough to see each other at least once a month.  I only hope we did not disturb the nice gentleman next to us in the front row while we were whispering and giggling (a little) just like in grade school.  After the inspiring program, we had time to shop and socialize some more.  I met some wonderful women from District 3 who all love garden club!

During a brief group chat with a bunch of women, we all introduced ourselves.  What a serendipitous moment when I found out that I was talking to the one and only Thea McGinnis!  We have only communicated over the past few years through emails about articles that I have submitted to THIS blog, but we have never met in person.  It was a perfect way to meet her – by pure coincidence, at a garden club event, after I was already talking to her about, you guessed it, garden club.  We hugged each other like we were long lost friends and she gave me the inspiration I needed to start writing again.  She challenged me for a Thanksgiving article – due within 3 days!!!  No pressure there, but how could I let that challenge go unanswered?

On my way home I started mulling over the evening and thinking about the best part.  The unexpected wine, learning something new about flower arranging and design, or shopping?  All of those things are lovely, of course, but going to the event with an old friend, and meeting a new one, was priceless.  As I was listening to the radio, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith started belting out the song “Sweet Emotion” through the car speakers. Click here to hear I turned up the volume, started singing along (I’m glad I was alone so nobody could hear me) and thought what a perfect song to end a perfect evening.

This Thanksgiving I will pay it forward to everyone out there to discover your own sweet emotion.  I challenge you to take time out of your busy schedule and connect with an old friend and maybe you will meet a new friend along the way.  Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! - Teresa

Teresa Payne was born and raised in Alexandria, VA where she also currently resides.  Teresa joined the NCAGC's District II Red Hill Garden Club in January 2014.  Her mother, Janet Baker, is also a long-time member of Red Hill and is Teresa's inspiration.  When she's not gardening, writing and parenting, Teresa works full time for the federal government.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO A STANDARD FLOWER SHOW NEAR YOU!

The purposes of a Standard Flower Show:  to educate club members and viewing public. To stimulate interest in horticulture and floral design. To provide an outlet for creative expression. To convey to the community objectives of National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Standard Flower Shows are a wonderful part of garden club activity.  Flower shows give us the opportunity to see the finest specimens of local horticulture - flowers, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, trees, and floral designs and educational and special exhibits.

Right now, garden clubs across the United States are hosting flower shows that are free and open to the public. Mark your calendars now to attend these right here in the National Capital Area Garden Club region during the month of April, May and June:

April 8 & 9 in Alexandria, Virginia:

April 16 in Great Falls, Virginia:

April 21 in Arlington, Virginia:

Don't forget the Washington Daffodill Show in Fairfax April 21 and 22!

And in Vienna, Virginia on Sunday, April 24:

And beginning April 1 at the U.S. National Arboretum, designs by Ikebana International:

And May 3:

And June 11, District I is hosting a District Flower Show in Fort Washington, MD:

And in June - June 23 (1-4pm) & 24 (10am-3pm) at Strathmore Mansion, Rockville, MD:

I'll be sure to add our other Garden Club Standard Flower Shows for Spring when I hear about them!

The Rose of Winter - A Guest Post by Garden Club Member Christine Wegman

Once upon a time there were pure white winter flowers that turned pink as they aged, looked like single roses and bloomed around Christmas time.  They were called Christmas roses (Helleborus niger, as they were known botanically).  During Lent, in March or April, very similar flowers bloomed in shades of pink and cream and they were called Lenten roses (Helleborus orientalis).  Then, a few decades ago, plant breeders began developing exciting new hybrids, many of them crosses between and among different hellebore species, of which there are many more than these two.  Taxonomists (those academic gnomes who give plants their Latin botanical names) got involved, giving names to the new crosses, and eventually deciding that all Lenten roses were probably natural or intentional hybrids anyway, whereupon a new name, ‘Helleborus x hybridus’, was given to the Lenten rose.  And all was confusion, a sort of horticultural Tower of Babel.  The good news is that we now have so many exquisite new hellebores that the confused nomenclature doesn’t really matter; the bad news is that you can’t tell a Christmas rose from a Lenten rose anymore without expert help.

Hellebores are native to the Balkans and other parts of Eurasia. Their evergreen foliage looks good all year and the flowers can last for months.  They are easy to grow, combining especially well with ferns and colorful heuchera to make a year round, deer-resistant and trouble free shade garden.  If you are not plagued with deer, add some light-leaved hosta for a lovely effect.  Many new hybrids have marbled foliage that draws the eye, even when not in bloom.  They are slow to get started, but once established look good either massed or as single specimens.

Beginning in the 1980s, a number of hybridizers focused on these lovely plants and produced a glorious profusion of different colors and forms.  Dozens of new hybrids have been introduced with richer colors, double flowers and up-facing blooms.  Many new hybrids sport colorful edges, some are bi-colored with beautiful veining, some are shades of creamy yellow, some are purple and lavender, many are beautiful shades of red and pink, others are pristine white.  Grow the darker colors near a path where they can be viewed up close.  Whites, yellows and light pinks or lavenders will show at a distance.  Hellebore flowers are quite subtle and are often hidden by the large leaves.  To make sure you can see them, remove the old leaves on stemless types (the ones where the flowers come straight out of the ground) in late winter or early spring as the flower buds emerge.  The plants will quickly put out fresh, new leaves after flowering.

Many gardeners, myself included, love another species of hellebore, the Corsican hellebore (H.  argutifolius), whose flowers bloom in early spring atop long stems.  Although not as colorful as the Lenten roses, the Corsican hellebore is well worth growing for its larger size, beautiful saw-toothed foliage and showy, light green-to-white flowers.  It looks beautiful blooming with blue grape hyacinths or any other early spring bulb.  Some cultivars, such as ‘Snow Fever’ and ‘Pacific Frost’, have lovely marbled foliage and remain showy all year.  To prune this stemmed hellebore, cut the stems all the way back to the ground after flowering.

Hellebores like rich, well-drained soil.  They have deep roots, so make sure the hole is deep enough that they do not become water logged and don’t mulch heavily.  They are slow to get started, but eventually make beautiful clumps that do not need to be divided, although they can be if desired.  They like shade, but will grow in sun as long as they are kept moist.  They are quite tolerant of neglect, but will give their best with a little care and fertilizer.  Many will self seed in a few years, and you might want to move the seedling away from the mother plant because it probably won’t have the same blooms and may detract from its appearance.  

A word about cost:  if you have purchased hellebores you know that they are expensive.  This is because they are hard to propagate.  Many will seed readily, but they do not often come true to the form of the parent plant.  Each plant is a bit different.  To get plants that bloom as promised, growers rely on division (which takes a lot of time for these slow starters) and tissue culture, both of which are expensive.  If you purchase a plant that is not in flower, make sure that it comes from a reliable nursery and grower so that you will not be disappointed.

Hellebores are poisonous, but it is mostly the roots that can cause a problem.  The leaves are coarse and fibrous, highly unlikely to be eaten by pets or children.  One final caution:  hellebores are addictive.  Once you begin to enjoy having roses in winter, you will want more and more.  When you see that new double lavender hybrid in a nursery catalog, it will be really hard to resist ordering it.

Christine Wegman is a Rock Spring Garden Club member in National Capital Area Garden Clubs' District III.  She is one of the go-to 'hort' experts in her club. Christine and her husband, Charlie Flicker, are avid and generous gardeners and have cultivated a delightful garden (for any season) in Arlington, Virginia.