Program Calendar
SEPTEMBER 2026 through May 2027
Janet Molan, Vice President and Program Chair
Each Lead Hostess is in BOLD
September 8, 2026 | SUNFLOWERS |
Andy Johnson of Merrifield Garden Center
This meeting is past, CLICK HERE for the gallery.
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 insects 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 in your own garden, next year. 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 will visit the impressive State Arboretum of Virginia.
Click here for directions and parking information. | Click here to review the policies and guidelines.
Address: The State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy Experimental Farm, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce, VA 22620
For those carpooling, the day begins by meeting at 9:00 am at the Fire Station. Our drive to the arboretum should take about 40 minutes. Once you arrive and park, please proceed to their meeting room. Bev will conduct a brief club meeting before turning the event over to Ariel Firebaugh, Director of Scientific Engagement. Ariel will provide a short history of the arboretum and then escort us to their famous Ginkgo Grove, the largest one in America. If nature permits, we will see these 300 trees dressed in their impressive gold fall color, see the image below, now imagine in person!
After our visit to the grove, we will return to the meeting room for our (bring your own) lunch. Afterwards, members can opt to see the rest of the arboretum by car, or travel home. We are looking forward to this impressive trip.
Hostesses: Kathy Esslinger, Page Murray, Robin Hartle, Pamela Lindholm
November 10, 2026 | The rise and fall of Our American CHESTNUT Tree | Cindy Ingram | Virginia Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation
As the holiday season approaches, chestnuts have been part of our menus and even music, shown here roasting on an open fire. These enormous trees (up to 100 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter) 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. At the time it was unknown how to combat the problem, and felling the mighty chestnut trees was the only answer.
To remedy this tragic 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 the 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.
Guess the models below from past get-togethers | click image for the answers
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 containers filled with indoor plants. To help us do that, Louis Ratchford of Merrifield Garden Center will be presenting: “Plant This not That.”
This briefing 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’s a 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 we attract diverse groups of birds to our garden? How do I attract songbirds so I can hear the symphony of sounds, calls, even warnings to other birds?
Louise Edsall, left 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.”
We will also 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, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy
“Caution! Turtle Crossing” Whether you are walking through a forest or traveling to the beach you have probably seen this warning. The sign reminds us that the Eastern (or Box) Turtle is an endangered species in Virginia, and it is illegal to take or own one.
To share more about this handsome inhabitant, we welcome Jenny Erickson, Virginia Master Naturalist with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.
As gardeners, we need to be mindful that turtles can live in our garden, the forest behind our house or an open field. Wherever you encounter Terrapene carolina carolina or reptilia, (Order Testudines, Family Emydidae), be sure to remove it from a hazardous situation and place it in a safe place in the direction it was going. This guy, we’ll call him George, can live to 100+ when the conditions are optimal.
For more great information about the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy visit: loudounwildlife.org
Hosts & Hostesses: Barbara Boryschuk, John Boryschuk, Betty Reichert, Linda Catir
our END-OF-YEAR Celebration Luncheon
May 11, 2027 | Tuesday
Check-in 11:00 - 11:30 am
Thanking the dutch &
honoring the tulip
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