Vol. 45 No. 4 Director’s Theme: “Spreading your Butterfly Wings to Fly; Sharing your Knowledge of Gardening” 2017 – Check out the NGC and Pacific Region website and look 2019 at all the different projects and programs that are Pacific offered to us: Region Director Pacific Region Directors Project: “Keeping it Simple” - Peggy Plant native and pollinator plants that grow in your own Olin & region. Dorothy NGC President’s Project: Plant America Grant Program Drews Education Programs: Environmental, Gardening, Landscape Design, Flower Show Youth Contests: Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl Poster Contest, Poetry Contest Director’s Message Youth Pollinator Garden Grant Member Award of Honor I was asked to present a Pacific Region Life Award to a NGC Scholarships special Villa Garden Club member, Dorothy Drews. Much - just to name a few! to her credit, she has been President of Villa GC not once but twice. She has been on the Birds and Butterflies Hans Christian Anderson said: “Just living is not enough Committee, helped with Flower Shows, makes regular said the butterfly, one must have sunshine, freedom and contributions to “hort,” handles the reference table at a little flower.” Villa’s Plant Sales, and will always ask “How may I help?” Take care, Peggy Dorothy is also active at the district level, attending Board meetings, handling the Hospitality Committee at different times, and doing the District Luncheon Programs and Registration Table. And, she has attended Peggy Olin is a GEM! My most precious several Oregon Conventions. (See picture above) life-long friend. Multnomah GC shared the story of Smokey Bear with 23 ~ Nancy Ebsen kindergarten children, helping them make stick puppets as we read “Smokey’s Story.” In 1950, a tiny bear cub played happily in the forest. Somewhere in the forest, State Presidents’ Reports people were being careless with their fire. Soon the fire was burning out of control – a wildfire! Trees and bushes This term, the state presidents are writing their reports were in flames! Quick as he could, the tiny bear climbed based on a common assignment. This issue’s theme was a tree to save his own life. Luckily, someone called the community projects in their state. ranger station, and before long firefighters were putting out the fire. In Memoriam We all enjoy working with children teaching them about gardening, the environment, birds, bees and butterflies. Lee Pearns, 2001 – 2003 Pacific It is hard to believe that this garden club year is half Region Director, passed away on over and summer is on its way. Now that most of your April 8. She was a NGC, Pacific state conventions are over, and all the awards and Region and Nevada Garden Clubs’ rewards and thanking everyone for what they do are Life Member. Lee served on both handed out, we can take a look at what we missed this the NGC and Region Board of year and what can we do in the coming year. Directors for many years. Her Are we all working on our Director’s Project? (Remember favorite project was Blue Star the old saying: if Mom’s not happy, no one is happy.) Memorial Markers. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten. WACONIAH Page - 1 - May 2018 Nevada Garden Clubs, Inc. We are pleased to put Nancy Lee Loesch, President our pollinator garden in Theme: “Digging, Planting, Cultivating: GROWING MEMBERSHIP” a location where children will regularly Many garden clubs in Nevada make community projects observe bees, part of their club activities. butterflies and birds. Annual Flower shows are one of the projects sponsored The spirited creator of by Nevada Garden Clubs, Inc., Las Vegas Flower Schoolyard Farms Arrangers Guild, Las Vegas Valley Rose Society, Las presented at the fall Vegas Iris Society and Sunset GC. The flower shows are Clackamas District designed to educate the public in horticulture and flower meeting. OLGC has arranging. Special exhibits are included to provide contributed financially information on other subjects such as conservation and to the Farms over the recycling. past several years. It is Public rose garden maintenance is a public service a concept well-matched provided by several garden clubs. The Rose GC takes to garden club missions the lead in maintaining the large Rose Garden in the as Carol Brown, OLGC Garden of the Pioneer Women in Las Vegas’s Lorenzi secretary, describes below. Park. Several other clubs join in for the Annual Rose Schoolyard Farms strives to create a healthier Pruning in February. The Boulder City GC maintains the community by teaching kids how to grow nutritious foods roses at the Boulder City Cemetery and Sunset GC that go from their school gardens to their plate. Students maintains a public rose garden in Henderson. The Las experience all stages of growing food to learning how to Vegas Rose Society provided a rose pruning cook it. They learn that good food comes from good soil. demonstration and helped prune roses at the Springs This means tilling the soil, using cover crops, and Preserve in Las Vegas. managing pests. A mantra at Schoolyard Farms is “self- Children’s programs are being undertaken by some care, people-care, earth-care.” The program works to clubs. The Rose GC has a program with Safe Nest build meaningful relationships with students, neighbors, Children ages 5 to 15 and sponsors a Centennial High and community. They partner with public K-12 schools School exceptional children Salsa Garden. Sunset GC to build working farms on underused schoolyards. will sponsor a summer project with the Henderson Public Schoolyard Farms believes in doing things differently. Libraries to do miniature container rock gardens. Good food is a human right and everyone regardless of The Rose GC maintains a Touch and Smell Garden for race, income or geography should be able to eat healthy, the Blind in Lorenzi Park and is adding several trees and locally grown foods. They employ social enterprise to signs in braille. sustain the programs by serving locally grown food in the cafeteria. Consciously they work to break down Vegetables grown in their community garden by Boulder individual cultural and political barriers. City GC are donated to a local food bank and they maintain the atrium at a local home for seniors. Thousands of kids are reached each year through various programs, increasing the likelihood that they’ll The Desert Gardeners are planning a spiritual garden for grow up to be healthy adults. The school farms and a non-profit residential facility. gardens have proven to offer many benefits to students I am proud of the way that our clubs and their members including increased academic achievement, more have found so many ways both large and small to benefit positive attitudes towards fruits and vegetables, higher our communities. self-esteem and increased sense of community. The web page for making donations and the various gifts Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. that are available are listed on Gaye Stewart, President http://schoolyardfarms.org/donate. Volunteer Theme: “Plant a Seed – Reap a Harvest” opportunities are also listed on the website. Oak Lodge GC (OLGC) was recently offered a plot for its pollinator garden at Schoolyard Farms. The choice of Schoolyard Farms fits beautifully with both our missions since it embodies both education and community Ruth Knapman is a GEM! Thank you service. Schoolyard Farms is located in two Milwaukie for being such a thoughtful, kind person area schools, Candy Lane Elementary and New Urban during the Pacific Region Convention. High School, both of which lie in the OLGC ~ The Wildflower GC (Anchorage) neighborhoods. Many community events are held there including classes, outdoor classrooms and a summer program. WACONIAH Page - 2 - May 2018 Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs program and horticulture therapy in conjunction with Marcella Brooks, President Living Water Hospice. Theme: "RAISING ARIZONA – Pollinator Plants Participation Sedona Area GC: Maintain Sedona Public Library’s two Membership” indoor atria and continued revitalization of the Butterfly Eastern Region Pollinator Garden at the Big Park School. Gold Canyon GC: Gold Canyon Butterfly Garden Southern District requires ongoing maintenance and annual replacement Tucson GC: Renovating and replanting the entrance to of plants for butterflies and countless other pollinators. Peppi House, a hospice center that includes designing Installation of welcome garden and shade plant and constructing mosaic squares to be used as stepping demonstration area featuring agaves and aloes adapted stones and a large one to be used as wall art. to the Sonoran Desert at the Visitor’s Center. Western District Weeders GC: Organize and maintain the landscape of Pecan Grove GC: Mentors and provides materials to the McCrosky House at Tumbleweed Park; help residents Girl Scouts who wish to enter flower arrangements in the at Archstone Care Center and Gardens at Ocotillo Senior Annual Yuma County Fair as well as conducting an after- Living create floral arrangements for special holidays; school program at the Ron Watson Elementary School design, implement and maintain the Pollinator Garden at helping students create designs for the Yuma County Tumbleweed Park selling engraved pavers and receiving Fair. Sponsors Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear Poster a Million Pollinator Garden Grant for $1,000 to fund the contests as well as NGC poetry and essay contests. project. Dedication Ceremony planned for April, 2018. Other club sponsored projects that benefit the Central Region community are: Arbor day tree planting; funding a retaining wall at Riverside Cottage located in one of Desert Pointe GC: Upgrade yards of the group homes Yuma’s parks; donating a tree that was planted at a new for The Centers for Habilitation in Tempe. Maintenance Habitat For Humanity home; Welcome to my Garden and beautification of the Ahwatukee Recreation Center Tour where the public tours gardens which have creative and the Blue Star Memorial.