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Bloomers

The Nelson County Garden Club No. 25 November 2016

Website: http://nelsooncountygardenclub.org Meetings lst Fridays 1:30 pm, Nelson Memorial Library, Lovingston, Except Jan and Feb

Member: National Garden Clubs, Inc. South Atlantic Region Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs Shenandoah District

General Meeting – October 7, 2016

President Esther Larkin

with sign created by

member and local artist

Karla Murray

BUSINESS MEETING

President: Esther Larkin

The October 7, 2016, meeting was called to order by President Esther Larkin, at 1:30 pm.

Twenty-two members were present along with three guests, Pat Eayrs, Alison Love and Christine Ganloff.

Esther thanked the hostesses, Jean Brent, Terri Brooks and Sue Fulton for a wonderful spread and went on to

invite the club to the dedication of the labyrinth at Trinity Church, Arrington, in honor of deceased member

Anne Curry. Esther also thanked club member, Karla Murray, for the two beautiful signs she created for the

club. These will be used at the greens sale in December and at other events.

Becky Wilson and Sally O’Neil

Eula Clark and Karla Murray Joan Shelto and Allison Love

Club Members

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Hostesses Terri Brooks, Jean Brent, Sue Fulton (Shirley McGatha left)

President Larkin then announced the death of Honorary Member Leigh Powell, a very dear friend to Esther,

Burnley Harvey, and other members of the club.

Everyone was invited to the upcoming Board Meeting at Trinity Church, Arrington, which was postponed until

October 27. The postponement was due to the October 13 Shenandoah District meeting and the road trip to

Fine Arts and Flowers on October 20 and 21. .

Chaplain: Eula Clark The Devotional was a poem about October. Just as leaves wither

and die, so do we - but our

souls have an eternal

destiny. (Eula Clark, Left)

Secretary Minutes:

Elizabeth Upshur

The Secretary’s report was

read aloud and approved

as read.

Treasurer’s Report: Cheryl Brogdon The Treasurer’s Report was not available for the meeting but can be

found in the Treasurer’s Chest report in the November newsletter.

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The Treasurer then explained to the uninitiated in the club how the November 5 Belk’s Sale functions. Buy a

five-dollar coupon from Cheryl and use it as you would a five-dollar bill at the sale. The club gets to keep the

five dollars. The sale runs from 6:00 am to 10:00 am but usually extends later. The coupons also can be used

on November 30 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Cheryl read letters to the club from Elizabeth Buteau who may be speaking to the club about her adventures at

the Nature Camp. She was the recipient of the Nature Camp full scholarship. Cheryl also read a letter from

Philip Coulling, director of the Nature Camp thanking the club for the scholarship given to Elizabeth Buteau.

These letters are reprinted at the end of this newsletter. Then…….

The Annual Plant Sale and Auction

No one could have anticipated that the selling of plants and bulbs at auction could have been so exciting.

President Larkin acted as auctioneer, and a good auctioneer she was. “Do I hear…” For sale were irises, bee

balm, daylilies, amaryllis from the garden of Joan Habel, and daylilies from Esther’s Aunt Hardenia. There

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was also aucuba, Japanese maple, basil, snake plant aka mother-in-law tongue. We made $223 dollars – not

counting promises for more of Aunt Hardenia’s daylilies. We had plant auction fever.

Becky Wilson’s Reality Show Our program for the October 7 meeting was Becky Wilson’s Reality Show. Once a year the club is treated to a

review of our year and of ourselves. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to invent the themes and

captions that accompany this show. And – there is always that worry of equipment malfunctioning which

delayed the show this year. However, Becky remained calm. This year in review was not just catching club

members off guard but also a show which contained poignant moments as we remembered members who had

passed. The club is fortunate to have a professional photographer as a member. Thanks, Becky, for all the time

and effort you take to make this show a success!

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In Memory of Leigh Powell

Leigh Webb Powell of Tyro died on September 30, 2016, at the age of 94. She was born in Buffalo, Texas, on

March 9, 1922, and was the oldest of nine children. Leigh married Stanley Lee Powell of Nelson County at the

end of World War II which is how she came to live in this area. She met Mr. Powell when he was stationed in

Texas. Burnley Harvey and her husband were friends with the Powells because both men worked at Cyanmid

in Piney River. Burnley and Leigh became friends in 1946, and the two couples got together regularly each

week to play canasta and hearts. Burnley will always remember Leigh as being such a happy person who loved

people and had lots of friends.

According to her obituary, Leigh led an active life full of adventure and love for those she knew and met. At one

point in her very active life, she was the head bank teller at Central Fidelity Bank in Amherst. She became a

member of the garden club in 1977 and held several offices and board positions. Leigh was also a member of

the "Friday Night Meet & Eat Group”, a founding member of Winton Country Club and a member of

Bethlehem United Methodist Church. In her retirement years, she enjoyed gardening, golf and bridge. She is

survived by her son, Randall Webb Powell "Randy" and his wife, Shannon, of Tyro and a granddaughter,

Katherine Leigh Powell "Katie” as well as two brothers and a sister.

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To Esther Larkin, Leigh was like a second mother. Leigh would sometimes babysit Esther’s children who

called her “Granny Leigh.” Even after the Harvey family moved to Savannah, the two families would visit once

a year if not more. Esther and Leigh’s son Randy were very good friends.

Here are some of Esther’s memories:

“I have known Leigh all my life. Her husband, Stanley, was my father’s best friend; therefore, the Powells were

always a huge part of my life. We lived in Savannah, GA, and they lived in Nelson County and the families

visited each other yearly. When Rick and I moved to Virginia with our 18 month old daughter, Ginger, the

Powell’s adopted us immediately. Always ready to babysit or just have dinner together. I felt secure knowing

that Leigh was always there. When we moved in our new home, she brought me her prized iris for my new

flower garden. I still have those iris and have passed them on to Ginger so she will always have Leigh’s

flowers, too. She encouraged me to substitute teach to help with finances. I stayed home in those days with my

girls. (Chrissie was born in 1979) Substituting lead to my realization that I was meant to teach, and Leigh

encouraged me to go back to school which I did. She wanted me to get a doctorate but I was satisfied with a

Master’s and the love of the classroom. Leigh had a very positive impact on my life and I miss her, but I have

so many wonderful memories of shopping, going swimming, and digging in the dirt with her. “

Leigh Powell with Anne Curry

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Calendar

Date Time Event Venue City

Now through Nov. 30 – Rockfish Valley Community Center – Arts/Crafts/Quilts Art from Rosemary and Harvey Weiss

November 1, 2016 9:30 am Workday Memorial Garden, Library, Lovingston (lunch together afterwards)

November 5, 2016 6am-noon Belk Charity Sale Belk Store- Fashion Square Mall Charlottesville

November 16, 2016 2:00 Sogetsu Ikebana Demonstration Washington Fire Hall Washington,VA

December 1, 2016 10:00 Making of the Greens, Mountain Cove Vineyards Lovingston

December 2, 2016 12:00 Christmas Luncheon, Box Decoration, Lounge RVCC Nellysford

December 3, 2016 All Day Annual Christmas Market and Greens Sale RVCC Nellysford

December 11, 2016 Afternoon Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Claus Pharsalia

April 2-4 2017 All Day 2017 VFGC Convention, Hotel Roanoke Roanoke

Dynamic Floral Design Duo, Flower Show, Workshops, Exhibits

May 18-20, 2017 National Garden Club Convention Richmond

Convention Hotel, Richmond Marriott, 500 East Broad Street, Richmond - details at www.virginiagardenclubs.org

Historic Homes Tour - Preparation

Historic Homes Tour Preparation

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Design for November

Design 1 – As You Like It Fall Design

Design 2 – Traditional Line Design

a. Great restraint in the quantity of plant materials used.

b. Linear set-pattern is dominant with open silhouette.

c. Line material establishes the pattern which could be vertical, horizontal, crescent, zig-

zag or s-curve.

Traditional Line Design - Pinterest As You like it Fall Design - Pinterest

Guidelines to Remember

a. Some material is to cover part of the lip of the container.

b. One center of interest.

c. Overall design is not to exceed 1 ½ to 2 times the greatest dimensions of container.

d. No intentional crossed lines for design effect.

e. Container and background must be subordinate.

f. There is usually an uneven number of flowers in Line and Mass-Line Designs.

g. Plant material is used in a naturalistic manner. There is little or no abstraction

h. No flower is larger than 1/3 the size of the container's greatest dimension.

(Handbook for Flower Shows 2007, pp. 181-183)

Karla Murray’s Line Design-September

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Road Trip - Fine Arts and Flowers

This road trip went out two days in a row – once on October 20th and again on the 21st. On Thursday, October

20th, President Larkin and her daughter Chrissie, Rosemary Weiss, Sue Fulton, Jeanne Lawson, Barbara

Marshall, Shirley McGatha and Elizabeth Upshur went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to see the designs.

These outstanding floral arrangements reflected the 87 works of arts chosen by the designers. The second trip

included Karen Winstedt, Cheryl Brogdon, guest Elaine Davis, and Elizabeth Upshur.

The museum provided maps. The first design we rushed to find was that of club member and floral designer

Grace Morris. These designers are artists, and it is an honor to be chosen for this event. Most of the designs

were very large. The designers put in their requests to Strange’s which provides the flowers for the event which

takes place every two years and is open and free to the public. Along with the floral exhibition are luncheons in

the Marble Court and various seminars and lectures.

The work Grace had chosen was a marble statue of Cleopatra by William Wetmore Story carved in 1854. Story

was an American artist who lived from 1819 to 1895. The Statue is life-sized and 54 x 45 x 27 to give an idea of

its proportions.

The most surprising arrangement was black. Photo page 12.

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(Above Left) Barbara Marshall, Rosemary Weiss, Shirley McGatha) (Below) Sue Fulton, Jeanne Lawson (Above Right) Esther Larkin and daughter Chrissie in the Faberge Exhibit

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The President’s Message

Nelson County Garden Club Members!

Hope all of you are enjoying our extension of summer! Can you believe that we are having such a warm fall so

far? I have been enjoying some gardening time after returning from our wonderful trip to Ireland. I wish all of

you could see the flowers! I saw fuchsia shrubs in full bloom, and the Irish use rhododendron for hedges!!! My

daughter, Chrissie, is home for a couple of weeks to visit before she moves out west. I said I wasn’t traveling for

a while but might ride with her to her new home. She will be a traveling Occupational Therapist! She has

always been my adventurer! We will miss her but know she has to do what makes her happy

Many thanks again to Becky Wilson for the really fun and beautiful “walk down memory lane”’ Becky, you are

an amazing photographer as you captured us at our best? Anyone could see what a wonderful time we have in

the NCGC.

Our next meeting is November 4th and then we will rest up for December and all of our activities. We will have

fun getting ready for our sale on December 3rd and our luncheon on the 2nd.

Esther Larkin

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From the Treasurer’s Chest

October’s Beginning Balance: $3,200.62; Receipts $314.11 and Disbursements $169.48. Final Balance: $3,345.25.

A big thank you to the members who donated $45 to Nelson Kid Care!

For those who didn’t make it to the October meeting, we have another new member! Sallie Singletary joined the club that afternoon!

Welcome to the club Sallie!

Becky Wilson has done it again! Her slide show, ‘The Real Gardeners’ was knee-slapping funny! It takes her months to go through all

the slides taken during the 2015-2016 year, pick out the ones for the show and then add a hilarious caption to each one! Thanks, Becky,

for making the meeting very entertaining!

Was that all that happened at the October meeting, you may ask? Of course not! We also had a spirited plant auction! Thank you, to

all who brought plants for the auction and a big thanks to all who purchased the plants!

The Belk Charity Sale coupons were made available early this year and members bought $55 worth! The coupons will still be available at

the November meeting. The sale will take place Saturday, November 5 from 6 – 10AM. A sign-up sheet to sit at the table will be

made available at the November meeting.

Have a safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Warmest regards,

Cheryl Brogdon, Treasurer

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Was that a Coyote, Fox, Wolf or Coywolf?

These are all members of the dog family Canidae. Foxes are mainly solitary animals. Coyotes are adapted to a

wide range of habitats, including urban areas such as cities and the suburban areas. They are flexible and

sometimes hunt alone, in pairs or in a pack. The gray wolf was almost eliminated but currently can be found in

North America in some areas of Alaska, Canada, northern Mexico, and the northern United States. Wolves

mainly travel and hunt in packs. In the past several years, the gray wolf was reintroduced in Idaho and

Yellowstone National Park.

GRAY WOLF • 5-6 feet long, 2 ½ feet tall • Large sized, 70-120 lbs.

• Gray, black or white coat, with longer hair on neck and

shoulders. • Broad face with wide muzzle, rounded, short

triangular ears and long legs • Carries the tail high when running,

black gland spot on back of tail • Tracks single track (back paws,

are placed in the front paws tracks) • Vocalizations are barks,

whines and howls. ( Photo found on wilx.com)

RED FOX • 18-30 inches long,

14-20 inches tall • Small sized, 6 ½ -24 lbs. • Reddish brown, black or gray

coat, with characteristic white tip on the end of the tail • Elongated body with

short limbs • Tracks single track (back paws, are placed in the front paws

tracks) • Vocalizations are barks, whines, and shrill screams. Fox’s tail is

almost as long as its body, and foxes run with their tails almost straight out.

(photo from Flickr.com by Hikerboy45)

GRAY FOX - This amazing animal isn’t just a grey-colored red fox—it belongs to a different genus, or group in

the animal family tree, and has some unusual traits. Like a cat, its nails are retractable, and it can climb trees

and jump from branch to branch. It’s more rarely encountered because it doesn’t wander as much and tends to

stick to its forest territory. It can get away from coyotes.

Here’s how to tell you’re looking at a gray fox:

Grizzly grey back (though reddish around the head and legs)

No black “stockings” as in the red fox

A black stripe that runs the length of the tail, and a black tail tip

Photo from Gray Fox retrieveman.net

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COYOTE • 4-5 feet long, 1 ½ feet tall • Medium sized, 25-45 lbs. • Brownish-gray or light gray to reddish coat

• Long, slender muzzle, bushy tail and triangular ears • Carries the tail low when running, black gland spot on

back of tail • Tracks single track (back paws are placed in the front paws tracks) • Vocalizations are loud

yipping or short bark howls. (Information from westseattleblog.com - Photo from Bioexpedition.com)

Coyotes can significantly vary in size and color. Most of the time the coat will be either gray or brown –

sometimes with areas that are black, yellow and white. They have long legs that are fast and powerful. They

have a long muzzle with a great sense of smell. Coyotes are very territorial and will fight to keep their area to

themselves. They have a very large home range and will likely cover the same paths through it over and over.

It is believed that the decrease in wolves in various locations allows coyotes to prosper. They run with their

tails down.

Coyotes shed in warm weather and when it becomes cool their fur will become thick. They are mainly active at

night with excellent night vision but you may see them out in the daytime. Coyotes mainly consume various

types of mammals – including rabbits, rodents, reptiles and livestock. Failing that, they may eat insects, fruit

and vegetables. Couples which mate may stay together for years. The size of a litter varies from one pup to

15/19. The pups have a very high mortality rate during the first year of life. In the wild, the typical life span is

ten years. In captivity, a coyote may live up to 18 years. (Information from Bioexpedition.com)

BUT…..

THEN THERE IS THE EASTERN COYOTE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE “COYWOLF.”

Video of a coywolf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=andMu4oVgyw

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According to Wikipedia, the Coywolf is a hybrid of the western coyote, western wolf, eastern wolf and domestic

dog. These percentages can vary. Evidence suggests that the mating with dogs happened 11-24 generations

ago and not recently. These animals can adapt to both forested and human-dominated habitats. Where there

are large deer populations, the hybrid is more wolf-like. They weigh from 30 to 40 pounds with longer legs

than the western coyote. Their teeth are different. They have erect triangular ears, a straight and bushy tail

and a narrow chest. The head of the eastern coyote/coywolf is squarer than the western coyote. They range in

color from dark brown to blond or reddish blonde although the most common color is gray-brown with reddish

legs, ears and flanks.

The diet is about the same as the western coyote and changes with the season. As winter approaches, eastern

coyotes look for larger game. Deer killed by vehicles are a frequent target. Researchers from the State

University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry examined carcasses visited by radio-

collared coyotes during the winter. Only 8% of adult deer had been killed conclusively by coyotes. The

remaining 92% were killed by vehicles and other injuries. Coyotes shift to fawns in the spring because they are

tasty easy targets.

The December 2, 2015 issue of C-ville Weekly published an article by Jackson Landers entitled “The

Coywolves of Albemarle County: A new species that calls the area home.” This is what he has to say: “The

hybrids are larger than western coyotes and smaller than eastern timber wolves. A pure blooded male western

coyote tops out at under 30 pounds. A male timber wolf averages around 67 pounds. Male coywolves typically

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weigh in at around 35 pounds especially if they live for more than two years. None of these animals is large

enough to threaten a healthy adult human. (Ha! – even the photo of threatening.) And these animals are smart.

Deer hunters in Bath and Rockingham counties complained to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland

Fisheries about the dwindling deer population. It turns out that 45 percent of the diet of coywolves is deer.

They also eat voles, acorns, rose hips, insects, blueberries, and red foxes which can’t climb trees like the gray

fox is able to do. You have to worry about pets.

If you shoot the coyotes or coywolfs, then more arrive and have a large litter the next year to compensate. But

according to the video (link on previous page), their numbers never exceed what the environment can handle.

Coyotes in Bath County have about a 50 percent chance of living for six months due to hunting. Even though

they eat red foxes, they have difficulty catching the gray foxes which can climb trees. Now, here’s something

interesting – coyotes have an alpha coyote. He keeps the others in check. If you have one goat eaten every

month, if you shoot the alpha, then the others have no sense of intimidation. Then they eat all the goats.

The article goes on to quote Dr. Marcella Kelly, professor of wildlife studies at Virginia Tech. She is studying

the diet of coywolves. “Unlike wolves, coyotes are nature’s garbage collectors. They will eat a lot of different

things. We’ve lost so many predators. They’re not necessarily filling the wolf niche. Wolves hunt in a

fundamentally different way from coyotes and can take much larger prey. Many samples of scat that had been

visually identified as coming from coyotes or foxes turned out to be from bobcats. Some of the hypothesized

new predation on deer may have come from bobcats or other predators.”

The article continues. “The consensus among local coyote hunters is that roughly there is a pack of coywolves

ranging from a lone alpha male to up to a dozen individual coyotes for every five square miles in Albemarle

County (726 square miles). Albemarle’s mixture of woods and cultivated fields offers an ideal mix of habitat

for coywolves. They have probably crossed the line into Nelson County. What do you think?

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(Above right) Thank you note from Elizabeth

Buteau - Nature Camp Scholarship Recipient

LETTERS

(Below) Thank you note from Philip Coulling,

Director of the Nature Camp, thanking the club

for the scholarship