DISTRTCT I

tu FALL
of NationalCapitalAreaGardenClubs,Inc.;CentralAtlanticRegion;NationalGarden Clubs, Inc.
2OIO

Noticeof Meeting:District I
SaturdaynSeptember ll r 2010, 10:30 a.m.
Meeting and Tour
Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Genter
2odentranceat 2001Bryan Point Road,Accokeek,MD 20607
Hosted by Fergie's Gardeners
Lunch orovidedbv District I's Board

Diredor's Natet
Enjoyment-of our gardens, our clubs, and our environment
By David Healy, Director, District I
FALL MEETING: Fergie's Gardenersand the Alice Ferguson
Foundation will host the District I Fall Meeting at 10:30 am,
Saturday,September11, in Wareham Lodge atHard Bargain Farm,
2301 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek MD. We will have a short
meeting followed by a tour of the farm to seethe gardensmaintained
by Fergies' Gardenersand to learn about the environmental work of
the Alice FergusonFoundation, a leader in the Potomac River
WatershedCleanup. This Saturdaymeeting is an opportunity for club
members who cannot attend weekday meetingsto participatein a
regular District I meeting.
FLowER SHOW: District I has a small standardpetite flower
show, "Memories of a Lady's Manor," set for September25 at
Darnalls' ChanceHouse Museum, 14800 Governor Oden Bowie
Drive, Upper Marlboro MD. In National Garden Club terms, a
What, where is Hard Bargain Farm?
small standard flower show has fewer design and horticulture Hard BargainFarm is the Alice
classesthan a standardflower show and a petite flower show FergusonFoundation's330-acre
features small designsand miniature or dwarf horticulture. Both workingfarmsteadwith rollinghills,
cropland,woodlands,and wetlands
seemedto fit within this lSth century Georgian manor house. along the banks of the Potomac River in
I urge District I club members to enter a design and/or horti- Accokeek,MD. The facilityincludesan
culture. Designs must be registeredin advancewith Dee Droter, overnightlodge, barnyard,pasture,
hikingtrails,and amphitheater.From
30I-292-2408. Entrieswill.be acceptedon the 24h,between2:15 the Farm's hilltop,there is a com-
and 3:45 pm, and on the 25tr, between9:00 and 9:45 am. The show mandingview of the Nation'sCapital,the
is open to public on the 25e betweennoon and 4:00 pm. You will Virginiashoreline,the PotomacRiver,
and Mount Vernon. Drivingand parking
also be able to seethe historic rooms and displays in this home of directionsare includedon Page 3 in this
Lettice Lee, an 18tr century woman who survived two husbandsat a issue of the newslefter.
time when husbandsusually survived one or more wives. www.fergusonfoundation.org
(More "Director's Notes," page 2)
gfteeiaala._pdb
Diredor's Nates , continued
An entrant's copy of the flower show's scheduleis
from page 'l
a GLb 5!o1o
attachedin a two-page, PDF format designedto be
printed front to back and folded vertically so the cover's
edgesmeet in the center as shown below:
Makethe front coverby folding the title andportraitto the center:
M]
Fold along
here to bring
+ Attendanceis limited to 100 people, $30 each, payable
r^l H
vertical edge to
center
Fold along here
to bring vertical
- edge to center
Opensfro he center
Placethe *t., u,lrAhorticultureanddesign
classes'pageinsidefacingyou whenthe scheduleis open.
201r NATIONAL CONVENTION: National Capital
Area Garden Clubs will be hosting the National Garden
Club convention in May 2011 at the J.W. Mamiott Hotel
in downtown Washington, DC. Next spring, the local
convention committee will be asking individual
membersto volunteer as hosts and hostessesat various
convention events.Right now and in the coming
months, the committee is asking districts, clubs, and
club members,including District I and its members,to
participate in various fundraisersto help with certain
convention expenses. To the extent that you are able to
help, I hope you will. NCA gardenclubs have never
hosted a national convention and most likely never will
again. So this is a once-in-a-lifetime event for our clubs
and members.
Here are someof the ways you can help raise
money to fund the 20l l national convention:
BUY BULBS:National Capital Area GardenClubs is
sponsoring"Our Capital CongressIn Full Bloom,"
a fundraisingcampaignto sell
springfloweringbulbsto help fund
the convention. Placeyour bulb
ordersonlinethroughOctober29:
www.fl owerpowerfundraising.com/
campaign?campaign_id:3 2I 8
(More "Director's Notes," page 3)
For every purchasemade on the bulb website or
through your garden club, Flower Power Fundraising
will give S}o/obackto National Capital Area Garden
Clubs. Get your family and friends to order their
bulbs from this site too.
ATTENDA HOLIDAYDECORATION DEMO:
* H OLID A Y D E S IC N S H OW C A S E FOR THE HO M E'
Friclay,I)scember3. Alexandria.VA
in advancewith a reservation. Light lunch. Seethe
enclosedflyer for details.
DONATECOSTUMBJEWELRY: Baubles, bongles,
Members are requestedto
donate one or more pieces of
costumejewelry to be resold for
$5, $10,or $15. Bring your
donations to the D-l meeting
on September 11 and to the
NCAGC's General Meeting
on September 28.
S E LL " P A S S P OR T TO S A V IN GS ' C OU P O N BO O KS:
There's still time to get more coupon contracts; send
the forms with their logos to Bette Lewis by
September9. We'll begin selling the "Passportto
Savings" coupon books in Septemberat $30 each.
District I will be askedto sell about 200 books. I have
seensome of the coupons,and it should be relatively
easyfor folks who buy them to recoup their $30, if not
make out like bandits.
District I member Shirlev Nicolai. Tanta-Cove
GardenClub. will be electedNational Garden Club's
presidentin 2011, and we would like to make a good
impression on membersfrom the other 50 states. I
have high hopesthat Shirley will light a fire under
National Garden Clubs, which very much needsto
move into the 21't century.
NCAGCFALL MEETTNG:The state's fall General
Meeting will startat l1:00 am, NoT 10:30rrn, on
Thursday, SeptemberZ8,inthe Main Reading Room
of the l4-story National Agricultural Library at 10301
Baltimore Avenue (Route 1 North), Beltsville, MD,
20705. John Peter Thompson will relate the history of
agriculture in America. Becausethe library is a
Homeland Securesite, you must RSVPto me before
September10 if you plan on attending:
davidhealy@dcaccess. net
gnegiaa4e._tr*

Diredor s Note", continued

from page 2
d GII' 5!o1o

BONvoYAGE: District I TreasurerSheila Nebel in DONATIONSTO THE ARBORETUM:DO NOT send

Acorn Garden Club and her husband are in the
processof moving to the Delaware shore. Sheila
was an able treasurer and a valuable member of the
District I Board. We wish the Nebel's much
happinessin Delaware.
Meanwhile, if you can balancea checkbook,
operate a spreadsheet,and want to participate on the
District I Board, pleaselet me know.
your donation checks for the US National Arboretum to
FONA. Pleasesend your donation checksmeant for the
arboretumto ourNational Capital Area Garden Club
Executive Secretary: Carol Butler, 1508 Aubum
Avenue, Rockville, MD, 20850. Pleasemake your
checksout to the NCAGC and indicate on the check that
it is a donation to the US National Arboretum.

PARKINGAND DRIVINGDIRDCTIONS:I have provided parking and driving directions

below to our upcoming flower show in Upper Marlboro, MD; to the District I fall
meeting and tour at the Hard Bargain Farm in Accokeek, MD; and to the NCAGC
meeting at the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, MD

TO THE HARD BARGAIN FARM: From the Capital
Beltway, exit onto Indian Head Highway, MD 210
South; after 9.4 miles, tum right onto Farmington
Road West; after 1.8 miles, turn right onto Bryan
Point Road and go 2 miles to 2301 Bryan Point Road
in Accokeek, MD. Passthe first entranceand take
the secondentrance. The gate will be open. Proceed
straight ahead to the Wareham Lodge, where we will
assemble. There is parking on the left side of the
road by the lodge and in the field.
There will be a welcome and a short business
meeting in Wareham Lodge followed by a tour of
the house, grounds, and gardens.
TO TH E N A TION A L A GR IC U LTU R A L LIBRARY: ThE
l4-story library standsout tall andapartat 10301
BaltimoreAvenue,which is alsoUS Route 1 in
Beltsville,MD. Fromthe CapitolBeltway(495),take
the exit for RouteI North (westboundExit25;
eastboundExit 25A) Tum right at the traffic light
immediatelyafterthe sign forNational Agricultural
Library. Thereis parkingin the rearof the building
and six handicappedspacesin the front. Enterthe front
doorandcheckin at the securitydesk,wheretherewill
be a list of namesof membersexpected.

TOTHEFLOWER SHOW:Darnall'sChanceHouseMuseum(above) is eight

mileseastof the CapitalBeltwayat 14800GovernorOdenBowie Drive in
UpperMarlboro,\[D,20772, betweenSchoolhouse Pondand St. Mary's
CatholicChurch.

AWARD INFORMATION: Our District I
Awards Chairman Danielle Brabazon and our
NCAGC Awards Chairman Babs McClendon pro-
vided the enclosed awards information for you to
help you through new deadlines and requirements
affecting awards for this coming year, including
revisions to the form for Award No. 18.
More information can be found in the upcoming,
fall directory issue of The Capital Gardener and
online at the NCAGC's website.
gnegia4l.._F*
Gl,l' 5!o1o
Cruel summer storm damagesthe angel in the Memorial Grove at Prospect Hill Cemetery
On August 7, Goddard Garden Club's President This is at least the secondtime the angel has fallen.
Christine Hambach discoveredthe angel District I CharmaneTruesdell in the Montpelier Garden Club
placed in the Memorial Grove at ProspectHill found it on the ground with two broken arms hidden
Cemeterywas laying on the ground broken into behind a building at the cemetery. The cemetery's
severalpieces. caretakeroffered the heavenlv old statueto Charmane
As she approached the Memorial Grove she said she for the Memorial Grove Project, and Charmane made
could not believeher eyes. it the focal point in the design.
"First," she said, "I blamed District I won a national
what I was seeingon bad eye- award for its civic project at
sight, thinking I was seeinga the National Garden Club con-
large pile of white paper trash. vention in the spring.
Then, I saw it was the angel; The angel was the graceful
and it had been hit by a huge backdrop for the ribbon cutting
branch, knocked offits base, dedication ofthe project on
and badly damagedduring a Memorial Day when District I
As I sadlylookedat thisfallenangel,I couldn'thelp
storm. Otherwise, I saw the but think the damagewas not done by MotherNature; Director David Healy entrusted
plants seemto have taken root it musthavebeenFatherFury. the memorial grove to the
and looked as thoush thev were ChistineHambach :cemeterv's
Board. The
still in babyshoes-healthyandstable.At leastthe cemetery'sBoardis in contactwith a companythat
rain stormsdid somesood." possiblycanrepairthe statue.

Where ar€ Mary Beth Geciland her strangeNight-Blooming

Cereusnow?
Remember the story (TheGardenPost,Fall2005)of
Mary Beth Cecil, Mount Airy Clay Breakers Garden
Club, who hastily put together a party in her home
for people to await and watch the bloom of her
strange,cactus-like plant, a Night-Blooming Cereus?
Five years later, Mary Beth no longer has the plant,
also known as Queen of the Night and Deer-Hom
Cactus and by the nickname Mary Beth's mother
gave it, "Pitiful Paul," becauseit is so ugly.
When Mary Beth's mother moved from Upper
Marlboro, MD, to an independentliving home in
Winchester, VA, in2007, Mary Beth took the plant
to Virginia for her mother to seeit a couple of times.
She said the residentsenjoyed the plant so much that
she moved it there permanently in 2008, where it is
thriving and bloomed both at the beginning and at
the end of August.
And where is Mary Beth now? She decidedto fill
the vacancy as Manager of the Arbor House gift
shop at the US National Arboretum when her fellow
club member Lorraine Leonard left the position in
August 2009 to resumeher careeras a meteorologist.
One of the strangest plants, the Peniocereus greggii Mary Beth Cecil at homein UpperMarlboro, MD, with her
Night-BloomingCereusthe summernight it bloomedin August
(Cereus greggii)resemblesa dead bush and incon- 2005. Today,asMonogerofArbor Houseatthe US
spicuously blends into the wild in the dessertand dry Arboretum.shewouldlike morevolunteersandwantsclubsto
areasof the southwesternUnited States. know they can seheduleq trunk showwith herfor their events.
gfueie4d..-Fp
For more extensivecoverageo{ club and District I news,photos, graphics,etc., go tor http://ncadistrictl.blogspot.com
The speakerat the September14meetingof the Capitol Hill
Garden Club will be Bill Mclaughlin, Curatorof Living
Collectionsat the US BotanicGarden.Thetitle of his talk is
"Native.Plants for the UrbanJungle."
A lifelongnativeof the DC area,he haswide experience with
local gardens.After earninga Bachelorof Sciencedegreein
OmamentalHorticulture from the University of Maryland,he
washired asa gardenerat the BotanicGardenin 1986. In
l996,he wasplacedin chargeof plant selectionanddesign
review for the National Garden.which featuresrosesand mid-
Atlantic natives. The gardenopenedin 2006. Mr. Mclaughlin
is alsoan experton invasiveplants,andhe oftenspeaksto
groupsaboutnativeplantsandinvasiveplants. The focusof
his talk to the gardenclub will be how to integratenativeplants
into smallgardenssuchasthoseon CapitolHill.
The meetingsof the CapitolHill Gardenclub areopento the
public. The club meetsat the Churchof the Brethren,4th St.,
SE,andNorth CarolinaAve., SE,fiust southof Pennsylvania
Ave., SE,and4th St.,SE). Enterthe churchhall on 4th St.
Themeetingon Tuesday,September14,will beginwith a
receptionat7:00pm andthetalk at 7:30pm.
Vira Sisolak.President
New Carrollton Garden Club will dedicatea largeBlue Star
MemorialHighwayMarkeron September18 in the city of New
Carrollton,MD, andsimultaneously will designatethe marker's
locationon Route450 asan historichighway.
"The Blue StarMemorialHighwayMarkeris our club's gift to
the city whereour club hashada presencesince1959,"said
MargaretMcKnew,a long time memberof the club andthe
project'schairman."It's alsoa celebrationof our club's 50ft
Anniversary.The club beganworking on the projectin 2008."
Margaret,who hasan interestin local history,saidher research
showsRoute450,now
knownasAnnapolis
Road,begann1757 as
just a few milesin
Bladensburg, MD.
Shesaidthe club has
beenworking with Mr.
J. MichaelDownesin
the city andMr. Ian
Beamin the Maryland
Departmentof Trans-
portation to get
permission to place the marker and to dedicatethe highway
as an historic place.
The marker honors the past, present, and future members of
our counfiy's armed forces. Margaret said the Veterans of
Foreign Wars' Post No. 8950 and some of its individual
members contributed cash for the marker as did other indi-
viduals. She said members of Post 8950 will participate in the
dedication ceremonies and community reception.
New Carrollton Garden Club
GII' 5!o1o
Club Nlews
Paint Branch Garden Club's upcomingprogramshave
beenplannedsinceJune,andmemberslook forwardto sociali-
zingrn September whenwe startour businessyearwith a
businessluncheonand an art and photographyexhibit featuring
worksof two of our members,CarolynFichtelandme.
Our club hasa specialtour in Baltimorescheduledfor
Monday,October18,of the recentlyrenovatedCylburn
MansionandArboretumwith its 207-acrecrty park andnature
preserve.Our tour includesthe mansion,new visitor center
andexhibits,13+flowerbeds,andmorewith a cateredlunch-
all for $30 perperson.We havespacefor someguests.If
interested,contactour club treasurerRosemaryBlunck, 301-
864-8007.
Our Novemberprogramwill be a cookingdemoandlecture
on fall harvestingby SmithsonianInstitution'sHorticulturist
Cindy Brown .
We end2010with our traditional
holidaypartyfeaturinggoodfood,
goodtalk, andgoodentertainment,
at which time we collectstuffedtoys
for the BonnieJohnsChildren'sFund
TheFundtakesin donationsof
new, stuffedbearsor othernew,
stuffedanimals,anddistributesthem Yermont Teddy Bear
to childrenin homelessshelters.
fostercare,andin crisisin PrinceGeorge'sCounty.
ThePaintBranchclubcontinueswith its outreachprograms
andhelpedresidentsat the HillhavenAssistedLiving Nursing
& RehabilitationCenterin Silver Spring,MD, to makeflower
arrangements to celebratethe 4tr of July.
Donna Aldridge, Presidenl
Above:Two of themany/loral anangementsfor shut-insmadeby the
Cheverly Garden Club inJune at the Cheverlyhomeof their
member-hostsTomand Mary Foley.
MichaeI Giese.President
 Award'sArticle
DistrictI
September2010 Newsletter

Will DistrictI win the most stars by submittingthe most Booksof Evidence,
Yearbooksand Newslettersthis year?

Pleaseconsiderapplyingfor the manyawardsavailableto gardenclubsand helpus

win this honor. The awardsare listedin the 2010 NCAGCDirectory,and on the
NCAGCwebsite,www.ncaqardenclubs.orq. The deadlinefor mostaward
applicationsis November 5, zUA.

Sincemanyof you put out a yearbookand a newsletter,it is especiallyeasyto enter

thesefor awards.You shouldsendapplications directlyto DistrictI Award's
Chairman,DanielleBrabazon, by November5, 2010.

Booksof evidenceand applicationsfor mostotherawardsshouldbe sentto the

NCAGCAwardsChairman,BabsMcClendon.See belowfor address.This wouldbe
for flowershows,gardentherapy,civicdevelopment, horticulture,
education,
landscapedesign,publicservice,etc. The deadlinefor theseis November5, 2010.

Lookingahead,if you wouldliketo nominateone of your membersfor the Award of

Honor, that deadlineis December1,2010. Applications go to BabsMcClendon.
The deadlinefor the OutstandingGardenGlub Award #18 is January 24, 2011.
The form for Award#18 has been revisedand an easy to use MemberSurveyForm
has beendeveloped.Thesecan be foundon the NCAGCwebsite.Award#18
applicationsare sentto DistrictI Award'sChairman,DanielleBrabazon.

Be sure to check out the Fall issue of The Capital Gardener to learn about the
changes that have been made to NCAGC Awards.

Did your club have a Flower Show? NCAGChas 3 new Flower Shour Awards.
Look for them in the 2010Fall issue of The Capital Gardener and the 2010
NCAGCDirectory. DonTforget fo send a copy of your Flower Show Schedule
to Babs McClendon along with a CAR application.

Planning a Flower Show? Be sure to include the NCAGCHorticulture

Award and NCAGC Judges Council Novice Award in your Flower Show
Schedule.

Feelfreeto contactDanielleor Babsfor moreinformation

and help.

DanielleBrabazon BabsMcClendon
303 LexingtonDrive 3700 RiverwoodCourt
SilverSpring,MD 20901 Alexandria,
VA 22309-2719
iohnanddani@hotmail.com babsm@erols.com
301-754-2291 703-360-0920
 FORT
HoLIDAYDeSIGNSNOWCASE
Friday,December3, 2010
Comejoin us for a morning
filled with fabulousholiday designsfor your home
created by eight talented floral designers

Doorsopen10:30AM
Program11:00AM -2:00PM

PlymouthHavenBaptistChurch
8600PlymouthRoad,AlexandriaVA 22308
(cornerof FortHuntand PlymouthRoads)

Cost,' $30.00 (light

lunch)
Advance Paid ReseruationsRequired.
Seatinglimitedto 100

Makechecks payableto "2011 NationalGonvention"

Mailto Anne M. Bucher
P.O.Box7187,SilverSpring,MD 20907-7187
301-585-1926

ChristmasGift Baskets(SilentAuction)& FloralSupplies

will be availablefor you to purchase.

Directionsto PlymouthHavenBaptistGhurch:
From 1495Beltway,take RouteI South Exit. Makeleft onto Fort Hunt Road.Gontinueon
Fort Hunt Roadto PlymouthRoad.

lf driving south on GeorgeWashingtonMemorialParkway,turn right onto

WaynewoodBoulevard.Turn left onto Fort Hunt Road.Turn Left onto
PlymouthRoad.
lf driving north on Route1, makea right onto GeorgeWashingtonMemorial
Parkway.
Turn Left onto WaynewoodBoulevard.Turn Left onto Fort Hunt.
Turn left onto PlymouthHavenRoad.

For information, please telephone

Nancy Angelelli 703-569-8595
or email rangelelli @verizsn.net