Program Calendar

SEPTEMBER 2026 through May 2027

Janet Molan, Vice President and Program Chair
Lead Hostess are in BOLD

September 8, 2026 | SUNFLOWERS |
Andy Johnson of Merrifield Garden Center

Bring a guest, greet some new and old friends, enjoy a snack and relax as we begin our 2026-2027 year. During our first meeting, we will meet the guests that have joined us for the day, and hear from our President Bev about our goals for the new year.

Our September speaker is Andy Johnson, of Merrifield Garden Center. Andy is a naturalist and wildlife specialist. His presentation will be on sunflowers and sunflower-like plants. He will discuss the surprising variety of colors and species of these flowers, how they support humans, the insect world and wildlife.

An early thank you to Kathy Beckwith, who is providing each of us with sunflower seeds from her daughter’s garden. It’s full of many kinds of colored sunflowers to enjoy next year in your own garden. Keep them in a cool dry place. Plant your seeds in Spring 2027, so you will have bright sunflowers next summer.

Hostesses: Jane Razeghi, Jane Huckins, Ruth Johnson, Virginia Vaglia

October 13, 2026 | State Arboretum of Virginia | Ariel FirebaugH, Director of Scientific Engagement

On October 13th our club meeting will be held in the meeting room of the State Arboretum of Virginia. We will all meet at 9:00 am at the Fire Station in order to allow carpooling. Our drive to the arboretum should take about 40 minutes. When we arrive, we will proceed to the meeting room where Bev will conduct a short meeting before turning the event over to Ariel Firebaugh. Ariel will provide a short history of the arboretum and then escort us to their famous Ginkgo Grove, the largest one in America. Hopefully, we will be able to see these 300 trees dressed in their gold fall color, which is an impressive sight (see image below, now imagine in person!)

After our visit to the grove, we will head back the meeting room to have our (bring your own) lunch. After lunch, members can opt to see the rest of the arboretum by riding in their car or travel home. We are looking forward to this unique experience.

Hostesses: Kathy Esslinger, Page Murray, Robin Hartle, Pamela Lindholm

November 10, 2026 | The rise and fall of Our American CHESTNUT Tree | Cindy Ingram

As the holiday season approaches, chestnuts have been part of our holiday menus and even music. These enormous trees were a great source of nutrition for Appalachians in the 1900s, when chestnut forests were prolific. Unfortunately, our holiday pictures no longer include chestnuts from the original American Chestnut Tree.

Between the late 1800s and 1950, the iconic hardwood—once making up a quarter of eastern forests—was functionally wiped out across its native range. A fungus was accidentally brought to North America on imported Asian nursery stock. As a result, America lost four billion trees to this Asian Fungal blight. At the time it was unknown how to combat the problem, and felling the mighty chestnut trees was the only answer.

To remedy this terrible loss, in 1983, The American Chestnut Foundation, was created by scientists and laypersons. They have made it their mission to replant hybrid American Chestnut Trees resistant to the blight.

Today, Cindy Ingram from the Virginia Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation is here share more of this story and how we as a Garden Club, can participate in their mission.

Hostesses: Ann Walters, Elsie Davis, Lisa Fisher, Judy Becelia

December 8, 2026 | President’s Special Holiday Lunch

Show-off your holiday attire. Enjoy our annual Holiday pot luck!
We are collecting for Toys for Tots

Hostesses: Bev Krantz, Kristin Knodt, Kara Marshall, Amy Hamilton 

january 12, 2027 | Indoor Gardens for winter |
louis ratchford, merrifield garden center

You may have thought that the planting season was over because the temperatures were too cold, but in reality, planting never stops! Our focus for the winter months, is to brighten our living spaces with container planters filled with indoor plants.

To help us do that, Louis Ratchford of Merrifield Garden Center will be presenting:
“Plant This not That.”
This presentation should give all of us the incentive to go home and build an indoor container garden and then share our efforts with the club at future meetings.

Hostesses: Janet Molan, Kathy Beckwith, Yvonne Reid, Bonnie Synder

February 10, 2027 | oNE VASE - TWO DESIGNS | aNNE dREMLUK

Garden Clubs LOVE floral designs. Plus, it’s FUNctional to keep learning about the evolving art of flower arranging. We may not be running a Flower Show this year, but staying current and learning how to create interesting and award-worthy floral arrangements is gratifying and enhances your level of satisfaction.

With the help of the talented Anne Dremluk, Vice President and Communications Chair of the National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Master Judge through National Garden Clubs, Inc., and an award-winning Active Floral Designer; we will learn how to stretch our creative brain and design two arrangements starting with identical vases.

It adds to your skill set, and it is cost effect endeavor to boot. You will LOVE this presentation.

March 10, 2026 | Attracting a Diversity of Backyard Birds |
Louise Edsall

Spring is in the air and birdsong is all around us. How do I attract groups of birds to my garden with plants? How do I attract a variety of songbirds to my garden, so I can hear a cacophony of musical sounds which brighten my day?

Louise Edsall, Program Administrator for the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance in Reston, Virginia is going to help us answer these questions. The alliance promotes: “Enjoying, Conserving and Restoring Nature in Northern Virginia.”
In addition, we will hear from a representative from the Wildlife Sanctuary Program. As a conservation project of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, it promotes citizen participation in conserving and restoring local natural habitat and biodiversity on their own property. 

We look forward to this program being music to our ears!

April 13, 2027 | the virginia eastern box turtle | Jenny Erickson

“Caution! – Turtle Crossing”. Whether you are walking through a forest or traveling to the beach you have most likely seen this warning. This caution sign reminds us that the Eastern Box Turtle is an endangered species in Virginia and it is illegal to take or possess one.

With that in mind, as gardeners, we need to be mindful that the Eastern Box Turtles can live in our gardens, the forest behind our house or an opened field. Wherever you encounter one, be sure to remove it from the hazardous situation and place it in a safe place in the direction that it was going.

To share more about this Virginia inhabitant, we welcome Jenny Erickson, Virginia Master Naturalist with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.

Hosts & Hostesses: Barbara Boryschuk, John Boryschuk, Betty Reichert, Linda Catir

May 12, 2026 | Tuesday | Check-in 11:00 - 11:30 am
the majestic sunflower | An Installation Celebration Luncheon

Dominion Valley Country Club | 15200 Arnold Palmer Drive | Haymarket, VA 20169 | MAP | Country Club phone: 571-222-6900

Hosts & Hostesses: Kathleen Patton, Bunny Barrett, Larry Barrett, Susan Brown, Sally Hudson, Judy Tweel