Present:
Adler, Amato, Beary, Benavides Gallagher, Cannon, M. Collins, Coombs, Cummins, DeGraw, Delaney, Dillon, Donahue, Donley, Duncan, Eyler, Franck, Galgano, Gonzalez-Molina, Julian, Kehoe, Konigsbach, Lambert, Leonard, Macleod, Mark, Millard, Murphy, Murray, Nace, O’Hare, O’Keefe, Parker, Patafio, Porzio, Stora, Striffler, Sullivan, Taplett, Valla (39)
Guests: Hilary Furnary, Suzanna Keith, Rebecca Mooney, Meg Rodriguez, Bridget DiDonato
President’s Welcome:
Mary Julian welcomed everyone to the meeting, including our five prospective members present. Bridget, Hilary, Suzanna, Rebecca, and Meg stood and briefly introduced themselves.
Mary J. thanked Cheryl Adler and Nancy Sullivan for acting as hostesses for the meeting and Holly Galgano for her flower arrangements. She also thanked Victoria Dillon for having our speaker, Elizabeth Brown, as a guest last night.
Mary J. announced that Jean Taplett has been named Zone III Awards Rep.
Members unanimously approved the September 16, 2025 minutes with Rita Schubert’s name spelled correctly.
Treasurer Marilyn Donahue reported that the checking account balance is $40,301.80 and that the Club has two CDs, one with $56,000 and one with $52,000. Marilyn plans to provide committee chairs with regular email updates about their committee spending to help them manage their budgets.
Communications/Social Media:
(Porzio) Erica thanked Marilyn Donahue for updating the LGC website. She displayed the WinterGarden poster that she made which was displayed at the Edith Read Fall Fest.
Erica encouraged members to follow the Club on Instagram and send her photos for display. She will be putting information about WinterGarden on the site, including promoting the vendors who will be there.
Conservation/NAL:
(Stora/Shea) Tracy reported that potential plastics recycling projects were discussed at the recent Zone III Conservation Committee meeting. She will explore ways our club can get involved.
She encouraged members to attend the October 15 talk by Diane Lewis on oak trees and healthy yards at Rye Country Day. Chris Duncan said that she will have Plant-an-Oak posters at the meeting that promote the 250 Oak Project for members to distribute.
Oak saplings adopted as part of the 250 Acorns to Oaks project will be given out this Saturday, October 18 by Jax Mack of Rye Nature Center in the Highland Parking lot. Volunteers to help with distribution are needed. Chris D. passed around a sign-up sheet for members to sign up for two-hour work slots (between 7:30 and 12:30).
On Saturday, October 25 the Rye High School Gardening Club will be planting native shrubs and perennials at the ruins at RNC. Rosario and Chris Murray asked members to contact them about helping out.
Tracy passed around a flyer that she has prepared on native plants that grow well in our area with details about best light, soil, and water conditions and blooming time for each plant. We will be putting it on our website.
Daffodil Show:
(Adler) Cheryl announced that Wainwright House is the new location for the Daffodil Show scheduled for April 16, 2026. She encouraged everyone to plan to participate in some way since this is the Club’s flower show for the year. Chris Murray will be sending members information about daffodils throughout the year.
Set up for the Show is in the afternoon of April 15 and breakdown, the morning of April 17. We hope to have a cocktail party on the evening of April 16. The Club will be planting daffodil bulbs at Wainwright House at the entrance on Stuyvesant and some inside the property. Cheryl will send out an email requesting help planting when she has confirmed a time with Wainwright.
She has placed a group order for daffodil bulbs with Brent & Becky and will contact members who placed orders when the bulbs arrive with details about prices and pick-up. Bulbs can be planted until late November.
Members wanting information on the Greenwich Daffodil Society annual tea on October 23 should contact Cheryl or Chris D. Cheryl encouraged members to join the Society to learn more about daffodils.
Floral Design: (Majeski) Speaking for Kady who was not at the meeting, Mary J. said that there are still 2 openings in the Floral Design 101 workshop led by Laura Haley scheduled for November 10 at the RNC.
She encouraged members to enter the Fairfield Garden Club Zone III Show in May 2026. Mary J. will send members the link with information.
Membership:
(Adler/Murray) Members should give Cheryl or Chris M. full contact information about potential members.
Horticulture:
(Lambert) Miriam encouraged members to learn how to make herbal tea at a workshop that she will lead with Erica Porzio on October 22 from 6 to 7:30 at Rye Nature Center. There are still openings.
Miriam had iris bulbs from Knapp House to give away.
She recommended that members use caution in preparing their gardens for winter, leaving some of their beds untouched for pollinators to overwinter. (Remember to remove weeds, however.) A short stem should be left when cutting back plants and then insulated with leaves for the winter. Peonies and roses should be fully cleaned up to prevent disease spread. This is the time to collect seeds for drying.
Hospitality: (English/Murphy) Mary J. reminded members that everyone is required to provide hospitality at a meeting and passed around a sign-up sheet.
Photography:
(McGuire/Benavides Gallagher) Pam and Rosario would like members to send Pam winter-scene photos that she will print for display at WinterGarden. This gives members practice in displaying their photos. Photos should not show people’s faces, should not be cropped, and should be sent actual size for clarity. The deadline for submission is November 7.
WinterGarden: (Cummins/Franck/Collins/Porzio/Lambert) Printed Save-the-Date cards will be available for members to distribute to their friends soon. Peggy will send out an email to members asking them to say how many cards they need, and Peggy and Jeannette will get the cards to members for them to distribute. A Save-the-Date email to members will be sent today.
Invitations to the event will only be emailed. They should go out around October 29. The cost per person is $165 for checks or Zelle with a surcharge for credit cards. There is a discount for members sponsoring tables.
Music will be provided by a pianist and the Holy Child Madrigal singers.
Mary C. said she and Erica have chosen 10 to 12 vendors and may consider others when they have looked at the space available.
Miriam will run workshops in Erica’s in-laws’ basement on December 8 and 9 for members to make wreaths and center pieces to sell. She asked members to donate unwanted Christmas items and interesting containers that can be repurposed in the wreaths and centerpieces. Miriam will purchase additional decorations after she sees what we already have and what is donated. She will send out an email explaining the process to members.
Mary J. circulated a sheet asking members to sign if they are interested in creating their own items for sale or an auction. Mary C. will review the list and make sure there will be no conflict with vendors’ sales.
Visiting Gardens
(Dillon) The 2026 trip to visit Italian Lakes has been cancelled because there were not enough people signed up. Victoria is considering a smaller overnight trip to the Brandywine area in spring 2026. People with interest and ideas for the trip should contact Victoria. She is also looking into short trips to the Fairfield Flower Show, New York City (GCA Headquarters and Central Park) and The Cloisters. She will send out information as plans develop.
The Meeting ended at 10:50 a.m. followed by a presentation by Elizabeth Brown, Creating with Dried Garden Flowers and a workshop for members to make their own dried flower creations.
Karen Coombs, Recording Secretary.
Next Meeting: .Wednesday, November 5, 2025, joint meeting with the Rye Garden Club at Jay Heritage Center. 9:00am - LGCR Business Meeting on the porch. 10:30am program by Brian Kelly of Gathering Growth, In Search of Champion Trees at Jay Heritage Center.
