Welcome to our first meeting of the year! It was wonderful to see everyone and meet our new members. Incoming President Sally Centrich has decided to keep the meeting format “fun & social” while club business will be taken care of at the board meetings. Please refer to the meeting agenda and The Brief for all pertinent information. Thanks to Betty Lahiri for the beautiful room decor, and Sherry Copeland for arranging a fantastic speaker.
We learned “All About Monarchs” with Don Dubois, a North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Contributor, Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas (Best) Member, and Mercer Botanic Garden Volunteer.
Don Dubois’ formal training is in the area of chemistry, with a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. He retired in 2002 after working 32 years as a chemical researcher and relocated to the Houston, Texas area. Since then Don has busied himself converting a large barren backyard into a butterfly friendly habitat. This gardening effort has been rewarded with visits by over 80 species of butterflies, several of which were county records. His interest in butterflies and insects started at an early age and involved the usual insect collection. With the availability of good quality, reasonably priced digital cameras, collecting was abandoned in favor of photography. Don’s interest in native plants has been nurtured by volunteering with native plant specialists at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.
Betty Lahiri presented the Staghorn Fern Plant Study and she donated a beautiful plant to the drawing. The Horticulture Table was wildly successful with members donating a variety of plants to the drawing as well. Thanks to all the members who shared plants from their garden. We had Anthurium, Crown of Thorns, Texas Sage, Lilies, Hardy Hibiscus seeds, and more. BIG thank you to Paulette Shaw who gave each participant a small container with rooted cuttings.
The Brief important dates:
- Field Trip to Fall Fest at Brookwood on Friday, September 15th. Contact Vivian Cherry for details.
- Hospice Floral on Tuesday, September 19th at Sharon’s house. Contact Sherry Copeland for details
- Fall Plants & Crafts Sale at The Woodlands Farmers’ Market on Saturday, October 21st. Contact Sharon Podolski to sign up for a shift.
Thanks to the hostesses for a delicious luncheon and desserts; Judy Jones for managing the monthly drawings; and Detlev Simonis and Viviane Tondeur for the pictures.
Happy gardening!
The Woodlands Garden Club 