New Master Gardener!Gardenettes member Virginia Hawkins graduated from the Master Gardeners course today in a ceremony at the Hammond Research Station. Shown on the left is Sandy Grimm, president of Tangipahoa Master Gardeners and president of Belle Oaks of which Virginia is also a member. Both Gardenettes and Belle Oaks are members of District VI Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. , and National Garden Clubs Inc.
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FROM THE BIRD, BUTTERFLY & CONSERVATION COMMITTEE: I spent a day recently at the Bluebonnet Swamp and Nature Center in Baton Rouge. I learned the story of GeoDad, the Yellow Warbler.
Gardenettes are members of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. GeoDad was a Prothonotary Warbler, just 5 inches in length, bright yellow in color, who lived at The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center for the first year of his life in 2012. Researchers there trapped him briefly and attached a tiny tracking device to his back. They then released him back into the wild. Their plan was to track his journey over the next year to help explore the migratory pattern of the declining Warbler population. GeoDad took off from the Baton Rouge swamplands and spent 8 months with the geolocation on his back. In that 8 months he journeyed 4,800 miles across 7 countries. He flew over a 500 mile stretch of the Gulf of Mexico and wintered in Northern Colombia in Central America, before returning to his home in Baton Rouge. Bird conservation |
Celebrating National Garden Week, a project of National Garden Clubs Inc. Gardenettes put some free pass-along plants at the library on the first day. We plan to bring plants each day until Saturday. All plants are labeled with scientific names and planting instructions. Our garden club is a member of District VI Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Club Inc. Chairman Sunday Hanson with a library patron and President Susan LaBarre Pizani are shown with Gardenettes Vicky Fannaly and Margaret Varnado Bailey and librarian Kristen Breland.
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In honor of National Garden Week, Gardenette Margaret Varnado Bailey presents a gardening book to librarian Kristen Breland. Present were Gardenettes Vicky Fannaly, president Susan LaBarre Pizani and chairman Sunday Hanson. The garden club is a member of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc.
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Day 2 - June 4 |
Day 3 - June 5 |
Day 2 Celebrating National Garden Week at Ponchatoula Library with Gardenettes Ellen Larsen Pusey, Vicky Fannaly and Mary Hirsch. Our free pass-along plants are labeled with common and scientific name plus planting instructions. Marilyn Wright brought plants both days at a later time to stagger our offering. Gardenettes are members of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc., and National Garden Clubs Inc.
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Day 3 of National Garden Week celebration: Gardenettes Kathy Bruce and Virginia Hawkins met two enthusiastic gardeners while putting out today's plants. Also thanks to Marilyn Wright and Susan LaBarre Pizani for bringing more plants a little later so we would not run out so quickly. Our club has been meeting such nice people at Ponchatoula Library! We are members of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc., and National Garden Clubs Inc.
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Day 4 - June 6 |
Day 5 - June 7 |
Day 4 - Gardenettes share pass-along plants at the Ponchatoula Library in honor of National Garden Week. Librarian Michele Wilson on the right assists Mary Hirsch and Vicky Fannaly as they display their plants. Special thanks to Cindy Fannaly for donating plants for two of our days! The garden club is a member of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc.
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Day 5 - National Garden Week celebration in the Ponchatoula Library. Head librarian Kellie Ferrara shown with Gardenettes Ellen Larsen , Vicky Fannaly and chairman Sunday Hanson. Thanks for the extra plants brought an hour later by Virginia Hawkins, Kate Madre, and Susan Pizani! Garden club belongs to District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc.
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Day 6 National Garden Week - last day! Gardenettes president Susan Pizani, Marilyn Wright, Mellie Singer, Vicky Fannaly, chairman Sunday Hanson came to bring plants. Had great response from the library patrons. Brought refreshments for the librarians. Gardenettes are members of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc., and National Garden Clubs Inc. |
FOR THE BIRDS!: Mellie Singer, Gardenettes Birds- Butterflies- Conservation Chairman, offers these informative facts: The Northern Cardinal is a non-migratory bird found commonly across Louisiana.
Gardenettes are members of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. They are about 8 or 9 inches in length and are lovely easily recognizable songbirds. The males have striking red feathers and a scarlet crest, whereas the females are brown with tinges of red. They have a varied diet including seeds, insects, and fruit. They're frequent visitors to bird feeders and will be encouraged to visit your garden very easily, if you provide one. However, they can often aggressively defend their territory from intruders, including their own reflection in windows or mirrors. They primarily forage at ground level and are skilled at using their strong bills to crack open seeds and nuts. They have a distinctive call, often described as "pichew-pichew-pichew, chew, chew, chew, chew." Have a listen the next time you hear bird song. See if you can hear any cardinals. |
Gardenette chairman Karen Hotard delivered fifty Bosom Buddy Bags to Staci Arceneaux, liason at North Oaks Hospital, for the cancer and surgery patients February 7. These cheerful bags are appreciated by post surgery patients for holding their drip bags.
The club is a member of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. For the past ten years, the garden club has been sewing these handy bags for the hospital. Started in 2014 to honor breast cancer awareness month, the tradition continues mainly because of the good response. The club has received letters of appreciation from patients who have received them over the years. Hotard who does much of the sewing on these bags herself enjoys the positive feedback she has received from the hospital regarding her efforts. |
Gardenette past president Margaret Bailey receives Circle of Roses honor from current president Vicky Fannaly at the annual Joint Tangipahoa Garden Clubs meeting February 7 at Oak Knoll Country Club.
A second generation recipient of this honor, Bailey joins her mother the late Edith Vitter in receiving the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc.'s prestigious commendation recognizing years of high level service in their organization. Clubs present included Gardenettes, Hammond Garden Club, Belle Oaks Garden Club and Stem and Stamen Garden Club of Amite. All are members of District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. Bailey who was a member of Junior Gardenettes as a child remembers learning basic flower arranging and plant identification from an early age. A graduate of Lousiana State University in Baton Rouge, she received a Masters Degree from the University of New Orleans. She now resides in Ponchatoula. |