Chapter Members
Well we have made it half way through a very hot and dry summer. We were fortunate in having a respite a week ago Sunday when we held our annual cutting exchange at the home of Rod and Mary Hoioos. The weather was the best it had been in weeks, warm, but not oppressive with a slight breeze that probably helped keep down the number of bugs. The location provided broad views of the Potomac River and was amply shaded by huge trees, which brought the temperature down a few degrees. I have attached a couple of pictures I took as well as a couple taken by Barry.
We had a great turnout and got a chance to meet members who infrequently attend our meetings due to distance. There was an ample selection of delicious food brought by the attendees and everyone enjoyed the ice cream and toppings brought by Lee and Carole McElvain. We had a great selection of cuttings and rooted plants and Larry Martin (one of our very successful plant propagators) once again provided an informative class on how to root the cuttings. I’d like to thank all of those who attended and brought food, plants and cuttings to exchange….and to especially thank Rod and Mary for graciously hosting this event.
Our next event will be our annual plant auction to be held at the Merrifield Garden Center in Gainesville on 12 September. This is one of our major fundraisers for the year as well as another opportunity to sign up members for our chapter. Once again, Bob Harrison will serve as our auctioneer. Bob is always entertaining and effective. In addition to the live auction, we plan a silent auction and a plant sale. While we have a number of plants already, we are looking to obtain additional plants. If you have plants to donate, please contact Carolyn Beck (carolyn.f.beck@gmail.com) by 28 July with the name and pot size of the plants.
I hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer and that you have safe travels if you’re hitting the road. I hope to see you on September 12 at Merrifield Gardens in Gainesville for the azalea auction.
Enjoy the photos below. Click on each of them to enjoy a full-page image!
