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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?