Come on through the garden gate and have a look-see at some of the activities Dos Valles Garden Club was involved with in 2006.
Just had to show you this photo and the next one which were taken when we first started practicing for the Ladies of the Garden 2006 Calendar. Here's Evelyn Kent trying out a spider plant for cover.
Here's Kathy Lee with a little more coverage. What a great time we all had giggling over making this calendar.
JANUARY. This is the refreshment committee at the January 2006 meeting. Shown l-r are Julie Ramey, Phyllis Waters, JJ Janssen, Shirley Skinner, Jewell Nagel and Barbara Watzke.
Charlie Bell: "Well, the plant was little, had leaves and a tiny little flower." Linda Miller: You're kidding me, right?!" (The photographer gets to make up what people might be saying.)
Tom Jesch from Daylily Hill gives one of his dynamic talks to the club. We liked the part where he describes how he used to call his wife before they got married, hold the phone over his head, and have her sprinkle sunshine on him.
This first meeting was "Wear Your Favorite T-Shirt". Dale looked awfully sexy or something. Marcia wears a shirt that she doesn't pay attention to, having just (Jan. '07) been named "Citizen of the Year" for 2006 by the VC Chamber of Commerce for all her community volunteer efforts.
Barbara Watzke, horticulture chairman, brings to our attention a new plant that she found in the nursery.
Don Nelson, a member of Mira Costa Horticulture Club and a board member of Alta Vista Gardens told us all about the Alta Vista Gardens master plan. Up to date information on where the project stands now that we're in to 2007 can be found at www.altavistagardens.org .
Sarah Beers and Don Nelson discuss her illuminary design.
Two members of the Gordon Hill Gang become members of Dos Valles. They are Linda McCarty and Bev Jones.
FEBRUARY. It's always a pleasure to have Connie Beck visit us. She was the February speaker and discussed low-water, low maintenance gardening. She's a member of the California Native Plant Society, a teacher, and a writer. She formerly was in charge of a gardening program for Casa Colinas Women's Prison.
Allen Luce, Master Gardener and plant table co-chair, always brings us a clever idea or gadget to make gardening easier.
Most times it's a full house at our interesting meetings at the Community Hall.
MARCH. We love our gals who bring us delicious goodies for the refreshment break. Here left to right are Shirley Jensen, Joan Patten, Nancy Abernethy and Barbara Watzke.
Allen Luce pops up with another idea for us.
Karen England, owner of Edgehill Herb Farm, is our guest speaker at the March meeting. She is president of the Vista Garden Club and is on the board of the International Herb Association. She writes a cooking column about scented geraniums for the International Geranium Society. She showed us how to propagate herbs and how they lend themselves to use in the kitchen.
Horticulture Chairman Barbara Watzke describes another new plant she's run across at a local nursery.
Every month, Velma West, designer extraordinaire, asks two floral designers to create a certain type of design. She then critiques the designs for all those members attending our general meeting. We really learn how to appreciate the skill involved in creating these masterpieces. In this photo and the next one, she illustrated to us the characteristics of Op Art Design.
Here's the second design that a member created for us to enjoy.
APRIL. The Tea Table hostesses, decorating with an Easter bunny theme, bake up some numscrumptious treats. Left to right are (l-r) Anne Schwartz, chair; Phyllis Waters, Sue Martindale, Dottie Rayhawk, Flo Walmsley and new member Rose Bell.
Kristen Broomfield, our Communications Coordinator, said we have to have a group shot of the Flower Show Committee for advertising the upcoming flower show. It's not often that everybody in the photo turns out looking this good.
Everybody looks great in this photo, too, but the first one turned out better.
APRIL FLOWER SHOW. It's set-up day at St. Stephens Church, where the flower show will take place. Pete Van Deloo wonders how in the world everything will be ready in time for the show.
We have so much fun, it's a wonder anything gets done. That's Bob Evans laughing up a storm, infecting Properties Chairman Bob Kent and and Flower Show Chairman Ellen Mais with his good mood.
It's all seriousness for the guys measuring and cutting this and that getting structural things ready for the flower show.
Then along comes the camera person to disturb them, but they all have the best attitudes. Left to right are Dale Waters, John Hubbard, Dick Streng and Pete Van Deloo.
Master Gardener Nancy Maynard knows just about everything when it comes to gardening. She is fixing something that is needed for the flower show.
Cal Townsend, president Marcia's husband, is very intent on what he is doing.
Shirley Jensen is starting to drape the tables that will display some of the best floral designs ever created.
Carol Curcio is a nut. She heads up the Design Workshops, and the club's designers have never had so much fun now that she's coordinating this group's sessions.
We've got our signs posted all over town.
"What do we do now, Ma?" Here's a few gals just sizing up the situation.
The men have finished setting up the structure of the show. Now the draping begins for the Horticulture Section. Shown left to right are Denny Herron, Phyllis Raynes and Sarah Beers.
Nurse Joan Smith holds up Roger Ramey's booboo. Roger got in trouble with a saw while preparing his entry in the Design Section.
Hard at work measuring and draping are Evelyn Streng, Vickie Akiike, and Joan Smith.
"Now this is how you do it," says Fay Hubbard. Looking for guidance are Tammy Granados, Phyllis Raynes, prospective member Dolores Johnson (another Gordon Hill Gang member), and Evelyn Streng.
Bobbie Workman revs up the iron for help with straightening out the Design Section's draping material.
Flower Show helpers Barbara Watzke and LaVern Patten take a moment to grin and get their picture taken.
We have to keep tabs on the Cole Garde and Valley Center Road sign posting to prevent other advertisers form covering up our sign. It's a dog-eat-dog world.
Finally, it's time for members to start bringing in their horticulture specimens that will compete for a first place or best of show award.
Bobbi Evans, Shirley Skinner and Allen Luce are waiting for their first entries.
Ah, things are picking up. Bob Watzke is one of the placement runners. Helene Van Deloo and Evelyn Kent are checking the entry forms with the accompanying flower specimens to see if they are correct.
Evelyn Streng, Lee Bathgate and Joan Patten are checking bulb-type flowers with their entry cards to see if everything matches up.
Dana Behymer is making sure that her entries have enough water for her plant to last at the two-day show.
Olive Rice is in charge of potted plants entries. Some of the members in our club have outstanding entries to show off.
Ann Kezeor prepares her floral design scene that will be judged along with three other entries.
President Marcia kids around with Dale Waters as he puts together his design entry in the section "For Men Only".
Don Skinner is checking out his competition in the "For Men Only" catetory. Here he watches Roger Ramey assemble his design.
Properties chairman Bob Kent attempts to get the outdoor heaters to work as coffee drinking kibbitzers Bob Watzke and Allen Luce give advice.
Shirley Jensen is designing a type of floral design called a "mass design".
Helene Van Deloo's garden produces some of the most beautiful horticulture entries in the show. Helene heads up the club's group "Behind the Garden Gate," a casual educational small-garden study group that meets in members' gardens.
"Oh, please, Allen, can I just add one more entry?" Kathy Lee is another member who enters many horticulture specimens and beautiful, perfectly manicured potted plants. Each year, she and Allen Luce compete with each other over who has the largest size vegetable entries.
Ron "Doc" Wheeler creates a unique floral design entry with recirculating water for the "Men Only" section.
Evelyn Kent (V.P., Programs) gets the rose section placement whipped into shape.
Marcia Townsend has created an educational exhibit for the Flower Show that depicts the club's project of renewal in Adams Park.
President Marcia considers no job beneath her, as she mops up where some water is spilled. You might also see her at a busy Valley Center intersection twirling one of those long signs with a point at one end directing drivers to where the club is having a plant sale.
There's that crazy Carol Curcio again. Little did we know what a cut-up she is when she first became a member of our club.
We always have a plant sale at the Flower Show. We have some of the best plants for sale and at bargain rates.
Here's Plant Sale Chairman Kathy Lee and "friend" all set up and ready for her first customers.
The Flower Show judges are treated to some early morning refreshments before they begin their work.
These judges are some of the best plus full of fun.
Bobbie Workman gets her clerks together and gives them last-minute instructions on assisting the judges, placing ribbons on specimens that have won, and recording the winners
The show will start at 1:30, just after the judges are finished.
Here's the entry into what will be one of our most beautiful flower shows ever. (Actually, we've never had a show that wasn't beautiful.)
The judges have time to pick out and buy some prime plants.
The judges start scrutinizing all the information and examples that the educational exhibits are trying to convey.
The judges get a kick out of the use of red peppers in this design entry.
It takes them quite a bit of time to consider all the design aspects of the four entries in each of several categories.
Here are just a few pictures of some of the delightful entries that are created for our Flower Shows, which are free to the public to attend.
Designers go to great lengths to put a scene together. The back drop for this entry was painted to look like brick. Amazing!
Here's another beautiful scene that requires a knack for design.
An especially lovely horticulture entry has been spotted.
This grouping is called a collection. Members must put together five similar specimens for judging.
We marvel at some of the unusual potted plant entries.
Everybody loves the rose entries.
The colors are a feast for the eyes.
Petite design entries are really fun to create at home. They don't require lugging in a bucketful of flowers and having to design arrangements where the flower show will be held.
Here's the Petite Award winning entry.
Here's one of the colorful arrangements that required fruit or vegetables in it.
The designed of this entry chose red peppers for a dramatic effect.
The next three gorgeous entries are traditional "mass" designs. This particular entry with the pink gerberas won first prize.
The designers were required to supply the Show Committee with an inspirational novel for the theme staging of their design. Ann Kezeor won second place for this lovely entry.
The title of the class was "Vintage Romance Novel". Eleanor Wheeler designed this one and won third place. Somebody should do an oil painting of it.
Each of four wreath designs were placed on a door for the background. Eleanor Wheeler was also the designer of this entry.
This striking design was a favorite with visitors. Nancy Abernethy won third prize for this entry whose theme was "I Love a Good Mystery." Her entry was based on a Robert Ludlum book.
This is an example of a Table Artistry design. The theme of the Section was A Good Book and a Cup of Coffee. The Class theme was "Under the Covers". A tray with a floral design and a book were staged on a table with bed coverings.
This beautiful red rose snagged a top horticulture award. Keep going and see who won it.
The gals in the back room are keeping track of who won what. Flower Show Chairman Ellen Mais, Fay Hubbard and Kristen Broomfield check and double check everything to assure accuracy.
Jan Glaviano picks up top honors when she receives the Tricolor Award for her design in the section Garden Work Done, Novel Begun. She also won the Sweepstakes Award for winning the greatest number of blue ribbons in the Design Section. She will be the Co-Chair of the Flower Show to be held in April 2007.
For her design in Table Artistry, Evelyn Kent wins second prize. She wins the Velma West Design Trophy, a perpetual trophy awarded to the novice exhibitor winning the greatest number of ribbons (any color) in the Design Division.
Prez Marcia is delighted with her first place ribbon for her design entry in the Class "I Love a Good Mystery".
Kathy Goss is, there's no other word for it, THRILLED that she won the Sarah Beers Best of Show Award, a traveling trophy which may be awarded to the most outstanding blue ribbon winner in the entire Design Division. For this vignettte depicting Books That Come to Life and Tell Your Own Story (she was inspired by Lonesome Dove), she also won the Designer's Choice Award.
Carol Curcio poses with her delightful third place winning entry in the Class "Luncheon for the Travel Book Club. Sometimes it's very difficult for the judges to decide which of the four designs must be awarded first place, because they're all outstanding.
Dale Waters won first prize for his creation in the special men only design class "Do It Yourself".
Helene Van Deloo won the Award of Horticultural Excellence for this blue ribbon winning rose judged to be the finest exhibit in the Horticulture Division. She also won the Jean "Deedee Speer" Best of Show Award, a traveling trophy awarded to the most outstanding blue ribbon winner in the entire Horticulture Division.
Ann Kezeor was awarded a rosette of burgundy ribbon that signifies the best design creation in Table Artistry . She has signed on as co-chair with Jan Glaviano for the 2007 Flower Show.
June Bernesser won in the nut section of the show; for her Macadamia nuts, that is. She received the Incredible Edible Award in this section for the second year in a row.
Bobbi Evans was the Sweepstakes Award Winner for having the most blue ribbons in the Horticulture Division.
Jim Bathgate captured the Arboreal Award ribbon for his Ficus Carica Seedling #3.
Hats off to Flower Show Chairman Ellen Mais who thought up a great theme for the show, "The Gardener's Bookshelf" and with her creative genius and organizing talent together with club members' help made it a "Show of Shows," as one of the evaluating judges described it. She was extremely grateful to all of the club members who invested time, muscle, creativity, thoughtfulness and who entered designs and horticulture.
The annual Flower Show is the club's gift to the community. The show is free and open to the public.
Evelyn Mertz welcomes a visitor.
Visitors are fascinated with the delicate-looking irises and all the colors they come in.
Children love flower shows, too.
Guests find plenty of the Dos Valles plants on sale that they wish to purchase. Club members put a lot of time in at the Martin Gang Ranch propagating plants, nurturing their growth and grooming them to perfection.
Members bake cookiesand other goodies. Co-chairmen Tammy Granados and Vicky Walters with helpers Sue Martindale and Joan Smith serve guests free refreshment throughout the weekend show.
Kristin Broomfield takes notes on the winning entries and who entered them. She will rush back to a back room where she and Fay Hubbard will tally up the results.
Fay works out any discrepancies that crop up.
Some more visitors are getting enjoyment out of the horticulture exhibits.
Finally, time has run out. The show is over. Clean-up time. Maggie Ferber loves to collect the flowers for a bouquet.
What would we do without cell phones? Either Ellen or Roger is calling for some kind of help.
MAY. The May General Meeting has arrived. LaVern Patten, Tea Table Chairman for the month, and helpers Evelyn Mertz, Olive Rice, Helene Van Deloo, Betty McFerran, Dana Behymer and Shirley Jensen put on a fine spread of refreshments.
Bobbi Evans talks about one of her plants that she thinks members might be interested in growing.
Larry Patten, Chairman of Memory Garden Detail, reports on what's happening in our section at Adams Park and requests help in spiffying it up.
President Marcia is presented with a basketful of Wave petunias.
Big time flower show winners get their photo taken at the meeting with their traveling trophies. That's Helene Van Deloo, Kathy Goss and Evelyn Kent.
Mim Rutz who taught landscape architecture at Michigan State University and designed the gardense at Michigan's Capitol Gardens, is the featured May speaker. She shared her expertise on "Development of Garden Styles".
SUMMER AT THE CLUB'S GREENHOUSE. Dana Behymer mixes the soil that will be used for growing propagated plants at the Martin Gang Ranch. Interested members meet the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
Nancy Maynard, Joan Patten and Dana Behymer work on the plants that the club is growing.
Dana gives all of the plants a drink of water.
Joanne Berry admires a few of the plants. Nancy Maynard and Dana Behymer are in charge of our greenhouse at the Martin Gang Ranch.
AUGUST. ICE CREAM SOCIAL. This is the fun place to be if you are a chairman or a new member of the club.
Here's a group shot of recent and brand new members of Dos Valles.
CGCI State Vice President Robyn is in town and joins us at Adams Park.
These chairmen are wearing signs that say "Ask me about . . . "
Kathy Goss is in charge of the refreshments which include, of course, ice cream, and such things to go with it as sundae toppings, brownies and other desserts.
Better come and get it while there's still some left.
Newsletter Editor and Yearbook Chairman Joanne Berry and V.P. Evelyn Kent smile for the birdie.
Marcia wants to show off the drought tolerant planting area at San Diego County's Adams Park. She was able to get a grant and also some $$$ from San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn to clear the area and buy some plants for this special section of the park..
It's time to wrap it up. Bob Kent and his helpers load up the trucks.
So long. See you at the September meeting. (The photographer didn't make the September meeting. She was fishing up in the Sierras.)
OCTOBER. Allen Luce, Plant Table Chairman, describes what plants are available at the back of the room for members to purchase.
Hospitality Chairman Evelyn Streng and Membership Chairman Joan Smith pose prettily for the camera lady.
Sally Kerr, who replaced Phyllis Duffield as the Library Flowers Chairman, announces she has some openings for members who wish to bring a design, plant or flowers to the VC Library tfor display at their front desk.
Allen Luce, Bev Jones, Joanne Berry, Lee Bathgate and Joan Smith filled our tummies up with yummy treats.
The workshop "Make a Wooden Garden Scarecrow" in October was conducted by Shirley Skinner (center) and Ellen Mais. Don Skinner, who is ultra generous with helping us, made umpteen scarecrow cutouts with his band saw (or whatever saw it was). Thank you, three, for a fun project.
Bev Jones is delighted with her plant purchase from Plant Table Co-Chairs Linda Miller and Allen Luce.
This is just the best part of the general meeting, eating all those fattening, but necessary treats that we get at each meeting. Big thanks to all the ladies (plus the men who barbecue the hot dogs and hamburgers at the June Installation Meeting in Adams Park) who contribute their baked delights at our meetings.
Each month, Velma West, chairman of Design Awareness, critiques two designs to educate us in the varied floral designs that we can be knowledgeable about at our flower shows or peek our curiosity enough to join the Design Workshops group.
Our guest speaker for October, Julian Duval, Executive Director of Quail Gardens, gave us an interesting talk and picturesque slideshow of the beautiful sights at Quail Botanical Gardens, Pat and Future.
Here's Velma West, describing an Illuminary and reflective design for us to appreciate.
NOVEMBER. Barbara Watzke, Tea Table Chairman, with helpers , Shirley Skinner, and Sheila Corwin have outdone themselves with a delicious dessert for the refreshment table.
Linda Miller, describes one of the specimens available at the Plant Table. Hurry, hurry, before they're all gone.
Velma West educates us on what it takes to design a synergistic and kinetic design.
We are enthralled with this dessert. at the refreshment table. Recipe can be obtained by contacting Barbara Watzke.
V.P. Programs Evelyn Kent has been very creative in her choice of programs for the general meetings. Pete Anderson, a grape and wine expert, came to the November meeting and discussed "Planting of Small Vineyards in Valley Center".
Bob Kent, through his contact with Evelyn Kent, has been given the privilege of serving wine to members at the November meeting. We all sure enjoyed this program very much, thank you.
Time out for a carpool of members to San Clemente. June Bug's Snapshots in our Photo Album Web page depict just how much fun we all had going to visit San Clemente with its garden club acting as host for our visit. We started at Casa Romantica.
San Clemente Garden Club president Launa Gould thanks docent Bob Crittendon for the interesting tour of Casa Romantica.
We learned a lot about the Casa's history and drought tolerant plantings.
Casa romantica (more pictures in our Photo Album Web page) had several delightful semi-landscape scenes for us to enjoy.
During our tour, we discovered what the San Clemente Garden Club members and Casa workers have done to improve the landscaping.
Helene Van Deloo takes a moment to please the pesty photographer
We were all fascinated with the San Clemente pier, a beautiful sight.
Birkin Newell, Casa's head gardener at Casa, gives a talk on what he envisions for their gardens.
Wonder what Kitty's question was about?
This bronze statue was created to honor our Marines serving our country. Very impressive.
The statute was made possible through the efforts of the Heritage Foundation and San Clemente community.
The restaurant near the entrance to the pier, was a very nice place to eat. We were charmed by their hospitality.
After visiting Casa Romantica and a place next door honoring our Marines and other service people, we walked a little further and had a most delicious luncheon at a restaurant near the entrance to the San Clemente pier. Shown left to right are Bobbie Workman, Kitty Purvis, Sarah Beers, June Bernesser, a San Clemente member and Evelyn Kent.
We sure had a good time. Left to right are Kitty Purvis, Sarah Beers, an SCGC member, Evie Kent and Bobbie Workman.
San Clemente president Launa Gould, Evelyn Mertz, Betty Langford (SCGC Membership VP), Vi McMahon, Marcia Townsend, and another SCGC member enjoy getting together at the luncheon.
Velma West, Launa, Joan Patten , Julie Ramey and Evelyn Mertz enjoy themselves at the luncheon in San Clemente.
New member Carol Johnson, Helene Van Deloo, PrapaTaylor, Martha Taylor and Dana Behymer are all smiles for the snapshot artist.
Our last stop was the Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano which specializes in California native plants. Marcia bought several plants for the drought-tolerant area being developed at Adams Park
DECEMBER. It's December 2 at the Poinsettia and Plant Sale at the Martin Gang Ranch. Barbara Watzke, Poinsettia Sales Chairman Julie Ramey, Fay Hubbard, Vicki Walters and Sarah Beers are already infused with the holiday spirit.
Julie Ramey, chairman of the poinsettia sale, shows off the beautiful poinsettias we sell each year.
The word is out about our healthy plants at bargain prices.
Treasurer Joan Patten is very happy when she sees money coming into the club's coffers.
This is our greenhouse at the Martin Gang Ranch. This visitor is amazed by the amount of good plants she sees and at bargain prices, too.
Bev Jones shows off some of the attractive cacti and succulents for sale
VC Librarian Sandy Puccio (in gray and black checked shirt) shows up to buy some of the poinsettias.
STILL DECEMBER and time to enjoy the club's Christmas Party at the Escondido Country Club. Barbara Watzke, Denny Herron, and Allen and Donna Luce are all set to enjoy the luncheon and entertainment.
Graciella, whom we don't see that often, and her mother come to help us celebrate.
Even Wilma Parker, a member of Dos Valles and CGCI's State Treasurer, shows up.
Carole Powell, whom we don't see too often because she's out and about wandering in her RV, joins Phyllis and Dale Waters and President Marcia for the photo op.
Lenny Passafiume, who teaches kids at Boys Ranch about gardening and finds Grandma and Grandpa Readers for them too, is thrilled to see all the presents donated for the boys by the Dos Valles members.
Opal Maletta, Kate Gogol and Deedee Speer get together for a little talk.
Evelyn Kent finds some wonderful entertainment from Palomar College.
With their Christmas trees in hand, Jan Glaviano, Ann Kezeor and Fay Hubbard bid us farewell as do the rest of the members at the party. We'll see everybody again in 2007.
