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

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

The Gulf Hills Garden Club and Miss Lena Horne Present... Magnolia macrophylla

I remember, a very long time ago, seeing the movie "Cabin in the Sky, 1943".  In one of the scenes Lena Horne came out of her house and picked a giant magnolia off a tree and it was so big that she was able to wear it as a hat. I laughed and said to myself what a joke, whoever saw a magnolia that big.

Lena Horne, Cabin in the Sky, 1943

Well, a while back a friend of the GHGC was out and about town here in the Ocean Springs area and came across a fairly scarce and totally wonderful plant find. He discovered a Magnolia macrophylla,or Bigleaf Magnolia, in bloom. It was right along the road in a persons yard. What a treat to find one in the area. He took an image for us to post, and here it is!

 

Magnolia macrophylla

 What a stunning thing to see. Since then I have been informed that there is one at the Walter Anderson Museum here in downtown Ocean Springs.

This Mid-size deciduous tree reaches a height of approximately 40 to 60 feet. Bigleaf magnolias have huge leaves that are 12 to 36 inches long. The flowers are creamy ivory white and can be up to a foot across. Blooms are in summer and have a pleasant fragrance.  This tree can be grown in full sun or part shade. Preferring well-drained sand or loam and slightly alkaline to acidic soil. Hardy in USDA zones 5B-8.


For more information on the Magnolia macrophylla or Bigleaf Magnolia check out;

Missouri Botanical Garden.org  Plant Finder

University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

U.S. Forestry Service, FactSheet, PDF to Download

Gulf Hills Garden Club May Meeting Update

May Meeting Update

Kudos to Towana and her committee for a wonderful meeting with lots of good food prepared by them and all our members. I doubt any of us went home hungry!  Towana has agreed to host our May 2016 Installation of Officers meeting.

Priscilla presented the Life Time Membership Award to one of our long time members.  We were disappointed that she was unable to attend the meeting but she was very touched to have received this award.  Watch the Ocean Springs Record for the press release from Mary Ann.

On the recommendation of the Board the club voted to establish a new Club Award, Outstanding Gardner of the Year award.  This award will be passed on each year to the new recipient by the current award winner.
Criteria for this award:  Exemplifies the Purpose of the Gulf Hills Garden Club to educate, stimulate the interest and love of gardening, encourage civic beautification and to protect native flora.  And participates in club projects.
Selection:  Board of Directors
Presentation:  May Garden Club Meeting each year

Brick Pre-sale Survey Results
Priscilla presented and distributed a “pre-sale” order form.  She explained that the Brick Committee needed an idea of the number of bricks club members wanted to buy.

Year Book Report:  Mary Ann determined our club theme for this year to be Water.  The programs for meetings will be about water and flowers.  She and Jeanette are busy updating addresses, emails and other information in the current yearbook.  She or Molly will be calling you to verify your information, again.  Dickie will be sending an email to everyone with the names of hosts and committee for each meeting.  Year book completion date is Aug. 5, back from the printer and ready for our first Book Signing meeting in Aug. 

Membership Report:  Mollie has agreed to hold a Membership Coffee for potential new members.  If you have someone you would like to invite to attend this event, give her a call.  She needs to know this information before she can set a date.  Call her ASAP with your names.

Next Meeting:  Yearbook Signing, August 21, 4:00 pm, Heavy Hors d’oeuvres and Wine will be served.

      A red Epiphyllum ackermannii - Orchid Cactus in full bloom.
This image has nothing to do with this post, but it sure does 
look good!

Our January Gulf Hills Garden Club Meeting at the White House.

 

The White House Hotel in Biloxi,MS

The Gulf Hills Garden Club met yesterday for a breakfast meeting at The White House... No, No, not that one, the newly restored historic "White House Hotel", in Biloxi, MS.   

Michael Brunson, owner of Flowers Forever and Gifts, Orange Grove, MS, gave a demonstration on using dry materials in flower arrangements and shared information on how to dry flowers.  Plus he demonstrated how to created a delightful Mardi Gras wreath. 

The Treasurer reported that we are on target with this year’s budget. 

Our Membership chair placed the names of two new individuals in nomination for membership.  These members were voted in and she will send them a letter and yearbook.  They will be invited to the next meeting in February.

  

The Garden Committee presented their plans for the remainder of the year.  They will be having a meeting to hear all the suggestions from members.    

Watch for the meeting email with information concerning the date and time of meeting. 

The Pilgrimage Chair reported on the plans for Gulf Hills.  She also had raffle tickets available for The original Marge Bailey hand painted chair as featured on The 2015 Gulf Coast Pilgrimage home page.  

Tickets will be available through any member of the Gulf Hills Garden Club, or through members of the  Mississippi Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs. 

Next Meeting Will Be February, 19, 2015.  Place and Time to be Announced.

Gulf Hills Garden Club's November 20 Barbecue Meeting and a Happy Thanksgiving.

Our meeting Nov. 20 was a glowing success.  Marge and John Albrycht joined us and it was nice to see them.  We honored John as  a Senior Man of the Garden.  I think the guys really enjoyed themselves.  A big thank you to Brenda and Lee Vance and their outstanding committee!  The food was delicious, of course, but Lee and Bob out did themselves with their bar bq and fried fish...  And a very special thank you to Doris for the use of the Harper Manor.

 

We discussed the Tree Lighting that will take place Dec. 13 at the Memorial Garden at 4:00 pm.  MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!

 

The December 18 Club meeting will be at 1:00 pm.  Please remember to RSVP with the name of your guest that you are bringing.  Remember this is our silent auction and it would be nice to have others attend this meeting.

 

At the meeting we decided to partner with the home owners association to judge the Christmas decorations.  The judging will be for 5 categories.  We will have to judge Dec. 18 - 21.  We will be giving a plant for the winner of each category paid for by the Home Owners Association.  Listed below are the categories.  We will do the judging in groups of 3 per group.  Feel free to sign up for more than one category.  I need to hear from you ASAP. 

Categories:  Traditional, Religious, Out door Lighting, Mail Box and Front Door.

 

Thanks,  

Dickie.

President of the Gulf Hills, Garden Club

 

It's Daylily Time for the Gulf Hills Garden Club in Ocean Springs, MS!

Gulf Hills Garden Club member, Sue Manley and the Memorial Garden Committee have been working ever so hard getting the Triangle on the hill above the Memorial Garden on Shore Drive in Gulf Hills ready for planting.

Lots of clean up was involved, to include, Trimming the Azaleas, weeding, placing under mulch plastic down, mulching with a heavy layer of oak leaves, and getting the new beds ready for the planting.

The Daylilies having been chosen, purchased and are ready to be planted in the triangle. 

 

Sue even got the kind people at the volunteer fire department to supply needed water in preparation for the plants.  

The planting will occur on November 9.  

We need as many club members as can make it to the planting area to respond and help with the daylily planting!

Gulf Hills Garden Club October Meeting and an Heirloom Canna Lily Florence Vaughan

Above we have an Heirloom Canna Lily Known as Florence Vaughan, it was introduced in 1893. This particular plant is in the garden of this months member host for our club meeting.
Kudos to our hostesses for a wonderful brunch.  Our picture is a reflection of the garden of our hostess.
  
The Gulf Hills Garden Club of Mississippi, met on Thursday, October 16, 2014.  Our guest speaker delivered a wonderful program about birds and their importance, as well as, their beauty in your gardens.

The final report of our annual “Mum’s the Word” plant sale was presented and we are proud to announce that we made our goal.  A big thank you to all that purchased mums and helped to make this annual event another success.  Our chairman did a fabulous job.  The funds raised will once again be used to beautify our neighborhood Memorial Garden on Shore Drive.

The Club will resume the yard of the month award again in November.  The award honors a long time member of the Gulf Hills Garden Club and the Home Owners Association.  Watch for the sign in the yards here in Gulf Hills.

Next meeting is an evening meeting, November 20, honoring the men of the garden.  Time and place to be announced.

From the Garden of a Gulf Hills Garden Club Member, Shrimp Plant-Justicia Brandegeana and Bursting Hearts-Eunoymus Americanus

Here we have two images that were recently taken by one of our club members of two of the plants that they currently have in their Gulf Coast garden.

Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana)  The brackets are shrimp colored and resemble the shape of shrimps.  Also available in yellow. As much as we love shrimp here on the South Coast it is just no wonder that this is such a popular plant among our gardeners.

Bursting hearts (Eunoymus americanus) bloom in late summer through the fall.  This plant was purchased at the Spring Plant Sale at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, Holly Springs, MS.  This gorgeous plant is native to the United States but is on the endangered plant lists in a number of states to include New York and Illinois.  Breath taking when hiking in the woods and the bright red color is seen.

For further information please visit:

Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana)

Bursting hearts (Eunoymus americanus)

THE MUM'S THE WORD PLANT SALE, OCT. 11, hours 10-12 GULF HILLS OCEAN SPRINGS, MS

Just a quick reminder to Gulf Hills Garden Club members:

THE MUM'S THE WORD PLANT SALE, is on OCT. 11, 2014, hours 10-12. 

Located at the Gulf Hills Memorial Garden on Shore Drive in Gulf Hills, Ocean Springs, MS

ONLY LARGE MUMS REMAIN, COST: $20.00

Gulf Hills Garden Club..Hibiscus Mutabilis, Confederate Rose, Cotton Rose, In Bloom in Ocean Springs MS

Here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast The end of September beginning of October brings the large showy flowers of the Hibiscus Mutabilis, AKA The Confederate Rose, or the older name of Cotton Rose.

This elegant heirloom plant has been grown all along the Gulf Coast for literally centuries. It originated in Southeastern China and traveled with the sea trade to the Gulf Coast very early on. The Cotton Rose is one plant that should always be included in any traditional South Coast historical garden recreation or restoration.

The one that most people in our area think of as the Confederate Rose is the fully double flowering one, which is the magical one that starts out as a pure white double bloom and then turns a medium pink followed by a deep red as the flower matures.
This is the type of plant that really stands out in a garden and always gives a bit of the old wow effect to any garden.  

These plants form a beautiful medium to large bush and have very handsome leaves that have an almost tropical look. These plants are easy to grow and add such a wonderful touch to any zone 10-7 garden.

At the first frost they will loose their leaves and may be cut back, which allows for a thicker more compact plant the next year.

Easy to grow from seed and even easier to propagate from cuttings.  Cuttings may be produced in either a sandy soil medium or just placed in water where they will usually root rather quickly.

The Confederate rose was for many years neglected and fell totally out of fashion. I find that many gardeners seem not to realize that plants go in and out of style in our gardens, but they do. When a plant goes out of favor, many times they will become impossible to find commercially and may even become extinct, because of the folly of current garden tastes. Now due to ease of cultivation and being both drought and neglect resistant this truly Southern garden jewel is making a nice return to the forefront of many modern gardens.

Just like the proverbial little black dress that goes in and out of style, this very old fashioned flowering bush has been in and out of popular acceptance since way before the War Between the States. According to what I was always told this plant was called the Confederate Rose due to the fact that after the Civil War it was very common for Southerners to take these flowers to the cemeteries to place on them on the graves of Confederate soldiers. So it was very commonly considered a funeral flower(as later the Calla Lily) and because of this connotation fell out of favor as a garden plant.

But now it seems to be making a come back and for me this is a great thing to see.

Michael W. Moses
Member
Gulf Hills Garden Club, Ocean Springs, MS

Our Next Meeting and a Look at Our Stats Chart!

Just to let everyone know...
Our next meeting of the Gulf Hills Garden Club is on Thursday the 16th at 9:30 am. Hope to see you there.

Also just as a bit of informational trivia I was looking at this blogs stats and found this to be of a bit of interest and wanted to share it.  Even though this is a fairly new blog we are starting to have people see us and take a look at our postings.

How nice it is to see that other people in many diverse places are visiting our website here on Blogger!

Some New Features added to the Gulf Hills Garden Club MS Blog and a Four O'clock Flower

We have recently added some new features to our Gulf Hills Garden Club Blog.

A Calender of events leading up to the Coastal Treasures, Gulf Coast Pilgrimage 2015 - Link located at top of this page.

A Calender of Events for the club - Link located at top of this page.

A list of Affiliated Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs, Inc - Located right side bar on this page.

More to be added very soon.

Also here is a totally unrelated image of a uniquely colored Four O'clock Flower for your viewing enjoyment.