The March 11th Meeting
The Hammond Garden Club at Middendorf’s Restaurant was opened with a prayer by Linda Ross standing in
for Chaplain Paulette Hebert. Juanita Pearson provided the American flag for the members to recite the Pledge of Allegiance after which President Mary Thornhill turned the meeting over to Linda Ryan to introduce our speaker for the day Cindy Moran President of the Baton Rouge Garden Club and the Louisiana Branch of the American Begonia Society. Ms. Moran is a licensed landscape horticulturist and former owner of a wholesale nursery, bedding plant and greenhouse. She is a past recipient of the “Grower of the Year” award from the Louisiana Landscape Association of Nurserymen.
Ms. Moran brought many begonia plants with her, all of which were beautiful. She explained that there are eight general groups of species and cultivars a few of which are Cane-like, Shrub-like and Trailing and can be propagated by seed and different cuttings one which was by taking a gorgeous ruffled leaf and removing it from the plant, cutting along a vein and planting it at that part of the cutting.
Just to name a few, there isn’t enough space for more, but they were Whopper, Baby Wing, Cotton Candy and Cowardly Lion. Some grow in full sun, some morning sun, some in the ground, most in pots. Some grow from a leaf cutting, some from a vein in a leaf as above and some have to have two nodes on the stem in the soil. So many different ways to grow and propagate them!
At one point in her talk she had a cane-like begonia that was about two feet tall and she began showing us how to trim one that had gotten too tall and began whacking at it with a scissors to which there were loud “Ohs and Ahs” from the membership since the two foot tall plant was now about six inches tall! Not to be too upset, all the cuttings were to be propagated.
It was a very informative and effective lecture after which she also gave away plants and informative papers to the whole membership and was applauded by all in attendance.
Lunch was served at this time and Mary carried on with the meeting as we consumed our fantastic meal.
Treasurer Phyllis DiBenedetto gave her report of the club’s standing with our bank account and balances. There was no reading of the minutes since our last meeting was The Joint Meeting of the area garden clubs.
Kathleen Bohlinger reported for those that did not see it in the paper that the Arbor Day tree was planted at the Eastside Elementary School and Pat Graves said that the Garden of the Month was given to one of our own Jackie Carr and her husband John at 43453 West Pleasant Ridge Road.
A few things have been canceled even before I was able to get this column written one of which is the bus trip to Bellingrath Gardens that was supposed to be next month and instead we will meet at Oak Knoll Country Club April 8 at 11:00 AM for a regular meeting. The Art In Bloom exhibit will be held at a later date in June to be announced at the meeting next month. Lastly the convention that was to be held in New Orleans is canceled until further notice.
Some very special news that I can announce are members that will be taking over the reins as new officers in May and they will be: President-Sue Parrill, President Elect-Jennifer Allen, Historian-Deborah Garafola and Chaplain-Gayle Bornholdt. Those remaining in their office are: Vice President-Karen Nelson, Secretary-Karen Granier, Treasurer-Phyllis DiBenedetto, Parliamentarian-Peggy Dunn, Ways and Means-Juanita Pearson, Club Activities-Linda Ryan and I will still be Publicity Officer. We, the members of this club, so appreciate the new officers accepting these positions and those that have willingly and gladly kept their office another year.
We wish to extend our prayers to those that have been affected by this Coronavirus illness and to those whose lives have been interrupted in many more ways because of it. We hope and pray that it is over very soon and our lives can get back to normal.
The leprechauns hope we all have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. and the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America and God Bless The City Of Hammond!
by Linda Broussard
she is a member of the Hammond Garden Club
The Hammond Garden Club at Middendorf’s Restaurant was opened with a prayer by Linda Ross standing in
for Chaplain Paulette Hebert. Juanita Pearson provided the American flag for the members to recite the Pledge of Allegiance after which President Mary Thornhill turned the meeting over to Linda Ryan to introduce our speaker for the day Cindy Moran President of the Baton Rouge Garden Club and the Louisiana Branch of the American Begonia Society. Ms. Moran is a licensed landscape horticulturist and former owner of a wholesale nursery, bedding plant and greenhouse. She is a past recipient of the “Grower of the Year” award from the Louisiana Landscape Association of Nurserymen.
Ms. Moran brought many begonia plants with her, all of which were beautiful. She explained that there are eight general groups of species and cultivars a few of which are Cane-like, Shrub-like and Trailing and can be propagated by seed and different cuttings one which was by taking a gorgeous ruffled leaf and removing it from the plant, cutting along a vein and planting it at that part of the cutting.
Just to name a few, there isn’t enough space for more, but they were Whopper, Baby Wing, Cotton Candy and Cowardly Lion. Some grow in full sun, some morning sun, some in the ground, most in pots. Some grow from a leaf cutting, some from a vein in a leaf as above and some have to have two nodes on the stem in the soil. So many different ways to grow and propagate them!
At one point in her talk she had a cane-like begonia that was about two feet tall and she began showing us how to trim one that had gotten too tall and began whacking at it with a scissors to which there were loud “Ohs and Ahs” from the membership since the two foot tall plant was now about six inches tall! Not to be too upset, all the cuttings were to be propagated.
It was a very informative and effective lecture after which she also gave away plants and informative papers to the whole membership and was applauded by all in attendance.
Lunch was served at this time and Mary carried on with the meeting as we consumed our fantastic meal.
Treasurer Phyllis DiBenedetto gave her report of the club’s standing with our bank account and balances. There was no reading of the minutes since our last meeting was The Joint Meeting of the area garden clubs.
Kathleen Bohlinger reported for those that did not see it in the paper that the Arbor Day tree was planted at the Eastside Elementary School and Pat Graves said that the Garden of the Month was given to one of our own Jackie Carr and her husband John at 43453 West Pleasant Ridge Road.
A few things have been canceled even before I was able to get this column written one of which is the bus trip to Bellingrath Gardens that was supposed to be next month and instead we will meet at Oak Knoll Country Club April 8 at 11:00 AM for a regular meeting. The Art In Bloom exhibit will be held at a later date in June to be announced at the meeting next month. Lastly the convention that was to be held in New Orleans is canceled until further notice.
Some very special news that I can announce are members that will be taking over the reins as new officers in May and they will be: President-Sue Parrill, President Elect-Jennifer Allen, Historian-Deborah Garafola and Chaplain-Gayle Bornholdt. Those remaining in their office are: Vice President-Karen Nelson, Secretary-Karen Granier, Treasurer-Phyllis DiBenedetto, Parliamentarian-Peggy Dunn, Ways and Means-Juanita Pearson, Club Activities-Linda Ryan and I will still be Publicity Officer. We, the members of this club, so appreciate the new officers accepting these positions and those that have willingly and gladly kept their office another year.
We wish to extend our prayers to those that have been affected by this Coronavirus illness and to those whose lives have been interrupted in many more ways because of it. We hope and pray that it is over very soon and our lives can get back to normal.
The leprechauns hope we all have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. and the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America and God Bless The City Of Hammond!
by Linda Broussard
she is a member of the Hammond Garden Club