Gulf Hills Garden Club 2016 Arbor Day Commemoration

At 10:00 am on Saturday, April 2, 2016, members of the Gulf Hills Garden Club gathered at the Memorial Garden on Shore Drive in Gulf Hills for our annual Arbor Day commemoration. This year was the 144^th anniversary of the founding of Arbor Day and the 184^th anniversary of the birth of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day.

The atmosphere was just wonderful.  A delightfully cool morning with copious amounts of the most perfect sunshine!  It was just spectacular.

We started off with local Singing sensation Jessie Hill  performing a masterful rendition of the old hymn “In the Garden”. 

Followed by our Gulf Hills Garden Club President Dickie Roberts leading us all in the Gardener’s Prayer:

“Father, from thy hand, we have been given the world as our garden.  Teach us to live day by day that we may at all times show our love for thee by the way we cultivate the Holy garden of life”.

Dickie Roberts offered us introductions and welcome, during which a large bird of prey holding a huge trout like fish, majestically flew low over our group perfectly on cue to what was being said!  It was just a magical National Geographic Moment!

Faye Mosley then offered the Tree Dedication for the two Japanese Magnolias that have been planted on either side of the concrete bench, in gratitude for our active Club members and for those who have gone before us this year, especially Tem Shields’s sister: Jeana Blair Feazell Crevasse.

 Mary Ann Westfall proceeded to give a Prayer for the new trees.

“Lord, our new trees are strangers to us and we to them.  Remind us whenever we may pass by, to make them feel at home by speaking to them with love and a blessing.  May these plants’ cousins in the garden welcome them and help them to recover from the shock of being moved.  As blessings, peace and life were God’s gifts to us through his Son, Jesus.  May those same blessings, flow from this garden which we tend in Your Holy Name. Amen”.

Michael Moses did a poetry reading of Plant a Tree by Lucy Larcom

Jessie Hill then performed the classic song “What a Wonderful World”.

We concluded our morning with a round of thanks to members of the Gulf Hills Garden Club for all their extensive committee work.  Our President presented Maureen Schmidt with a special limited edition print of the Arbor Day Invitation designed by Michael W. Moses for this occasion.

After which excellent lite refreshments were served and enjoyed by all.  

Over all I must state that it was just a totally pleasant and inspirational morning. 

A very special thank you to Maureen Schmidt, Molly Penrod, Beth Margherio, and Faye Mosley.

Gulf Hills Garden Club Houmas House Plantation and Gardens Part 2

Still on the subject of the Houmas House Plantation  and Gardens , from our last post, we would like to thank some of the people that made our day such a great success. First lets thank Jeanette Lindsey, the event chair and event team members, Julie Hebert and Susan Hagan for all their hard work. 
 A special thank you to Molly Penrod and Beth Margherio for the food on the bus and Margaret Noblitt and all the others who helped to make this a true club effort!

Also a tip of the hat and thanks to Sandy Bray for the nice images that she took and kindly allowed us to use for this blog post.

Gulf Hills Garden Club Sponsors Visit to Houmas Plantation and Gardens

The Crown Jewel of Louisiana's River Road

Click to Visit the Houmas House Website

On March 31st, 2016, members of the Gulf  Hills Garden Club, along with members from a few other Gulf Coast Garden Clubs took a delightful day long bus trip to the spectacular Houmas House Plantation and Gardens in Louisiana. 

I just do not know where to begin!  The Gardens, managed by head gardener and local artist Craig Black, are just beyond words. They are a highly controlled jungle of  the most perfectly placed plantings that I have ever encountered!  You see one breathtaking view and then pass along to another one that is even more exciting!  These gardens are a visual feast for both the gardener and for the photographer.  

The house is also very exceptional.  It is such a rarity to come across a house like this that has been so well restored and so aptly decorated.  It reaches the apex of what a real Victorian home would have looked like. Such a thrill to see room after room filled with the most beautiful of furnishings and art!

The over all package here is a 19th century world plucked directly out of a dream. We had a fantastic day of it and I do not think anyone was disappointed with the house or the gardens!  

I would like to thank Kevin Kelly for his graciously opening his remarkable property to the public and allowing us the opportunity to view his gardens and collections!

I have to say that I just can not wait to go back for another visit! 

For further information on this great historic home or to arrange a visit please go to their excellent website: http://www.houmashouse.com

Our Hotard Bus Driver Michael

Gulf Hills Garden Club Arbor Day Ceremony

This is an invitation for you to join us for our 2016, Gulf Hills Garden Club Arbor Day Ceremony

 

Click Image to View Your Personal Invitation

Our ceremony will take place at the Gulf Hills Memorial Garden on Shore Drive, in beautiful Gulf Hills on April 2nd, 2016, at 10:00 am. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this event.

GHGC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Engraved Brick Project

On February 28th at 3:00 pm, members and friends of the Gulf Hills Garden Club met at the Memorial Garden in Gulf Hills, Mississippi, for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the much anticipated engraved memorial brick project.  It took a lot of hard work, but the brick project committee did a great job and finished the project for the GHGC, leaving behind a lasting memorial for the residence of Gulf Hills and beyond.  So many people generously purchased engraved bricks that the committee was able to very quickly get enough subscriptions to have the project successfully completed. Lets give all involved a big round of applause and heartfelt congratulations on a project well done!

Gulf Hills Garden Club Meeting Pascagoula River Audubon Center

 The Gulf Hills Garden Club meeting for January was held  at the new Pascagoula River Audubon Center. 

The center is a wonderful and fun nature center where one may visit the exciting outdoor world in all its color and splendor.

Here are a few images that were taken at the GHGC during our January meeting.  These images feature the lovely centerpieces on the tables that were created for the occasion by some of our talented members.

2016 State Convention of the Garden Clubs of MS

Here is the information about the 2016 State Convention of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.
First the Registration Form, followed by the schedule of events.  You may take the completed registration to the Gulf Hills Garden Club, or your local garden club.

Click to View Registration Form

Click to View Schedule

Gulf Hills Garden Club Bus Tour of Houmas House Plantation

Houmas House Plantation, Louisiana, Bus Tour, sponsored by the Gulf Hills Garden Club, March 31, 2016, depart Gulf Hills Hotel, 7:15 am and return 5:30 am

Cost of the trip is: $70.00 for Any Garden Club Associated Member

                              $75.00 for Non Garden Club Members.

Price for the trip includes:  Bus Transportation

                                            Refreshments on bus

                                            Houmas House and Garden Tour

                                            Buffet Luncheon

Please contact Gulf Hills Garden Club on this site.

For more information about the Plantation visit their website

For more images visit the Houmas House Plantation Gallery

 

Images courtesy of Houmas House Plantation

Garden Club of Jackson Presents Pollinators in our Gardens

 

Harvey Cotten

 

The Garden Club of Jackson extends an invitation to you to join us on Thursday, March 10 at the Mississippi Children's Museum Education Building at 9:30AM to hear Harvey Cotten.  Mr. Cotten is a horticultural consultant and the former CEO of the Huntsville Botanical Garden.  He will discuss the importance of pollinators in our gardens and world.  Learn how your garden can attract and protect bees, butterflies and other essential pollinators.  His book, "Easy Gardens for the South" will be available for purchase and he will sign copies about the program.  

The Education Building is a separate building on the left as you drive toward the Museum.  The Garden Club of Jackson has made a commitment to fund the addition of pollinator gardens at the front entrance to the Children's Museum. We hope you will join us for our home and garden tours on May 5 and 6.  Check www.gardenclubofjackson.com for more information. 

Grenada Garden Club MS Offers Pruning Like a Pro

An invitation from the Grenada Garden Club inviting garden club

members to attend a FREE WORKSHOP in Grenada, MS on February 18th.

This program is open to the public.

 

 

The Gulf Hills Garden Club Presents The 2016 Gulf Coast Orchid Show

2016 Gulf Coast Orchid Show

The Gulf Coast Orchid Society presented the Gulf Coast Orchid Show, held on January 29-31, 2016 at the Gautier Convention Center in Gautier, MS.

I went to the show and I am so glad that I did.

2016 Gulf Coast Orchid Show

When I was a bit younger I was not overly thrilled with orchids.  I looked at them and said to myself, "OK, so whats the big deal about orchids".  It was not until I went to my first orchid show a number of years back that I was able to see first hand why there is such a romance about growing orchids.

Cattleya Maxima

The diversity! The Color! The spectacular beauty! And last but not least, the shear joy of getting them to bloom.  Some orchids are just flat out hard to get a bloom out of and others are a bit easier. All of these factors make these plants so interesting and desirable for me! Oh, I could gush on and on, but I will not. 

Cattlianthe Tutankamen "Pop"

Over the years I have had a few plants here and there.  Some did well, but most did not. I had a big Cattleya plant that bloomed like crazy for me in New Mexico in a windowless bathroom. Explain that one, Bloomed every six to eight weeks for almost two years.

The ones that I now have are  basically rescue plants, one of them has bloomed the last two years, but the others just stare at me and seemingly mumble things at me and nothing else. 

2016 Gulf Coast Orchid Show

At the 2016 Gulf Coast Orchid Show I was once again plummeted into the incredible, diversity of the orchid world.

Renanthera Storiei

This show was a small show, but was so well done that I have to give it five stars out of five. from the moment I walked into the door and was greeted by the lovely garden club women and all the wonderful free literature about orchids I knew that this was going to be a good one.

Rhynchomyrmeleya, "Dan O Neil"

 When I entered the main room I was over whelmed by the breathtaking color and splendor of all of the plants that had been so attractively arranged. All the plants were clearly identified with well written labels.

Rhynchostylis Gigatea

 There was so much good lighting that it made photography absolutely fool proof!
There were a number of really great vendors set up and I of course left with a fluorescent dark yellow Laeliocattleya "Gold Digger"!

Laeliocattleya "Gold Digger"

So, remember not to over look orchids as a bold source of interest for your home and garden!

Yours,
Michael W. Moses,
Gulf Hills Garden Club