Meeting Programs of Five Hills Garden Club

  Growing Autumn Wildflowers for Your Garden: Asters to Witch Hazel

Nancy Vehrs, the President of the Virginia Native Plant Society, will walk us through the delights and benefits of growing native wildflowers in the autumn garden.  She will show how a variety of native plants can bring color, form, and life to the fall landscape.  Along the way, she will emphasize the importance of native plants and their ecological superiority to traditional garden plants associated with fall.   

Horticulture: Bring a specimen leaf, berry or other part of fruit you grow in your yard.

Design: Make an arrangement which includes a fruit or berry or an herb from your yard or neighborhood. 

Calendar:

  Fri. Sept. 18 District III Fall Meeting

Sat. Sept 19 Five Hills Yard Sale

Tue. Sept. 28 NCAGC State Fall Meeting

Time-Traveling in the Plant World 

Accompany Vienna neighbor, fellow gardener, and noted research geologist, Dr. Brian Huber, as he traverses deep time back to the beginnings of plant life on land. Brian, Curator of Foraminifera at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, will lead the remarkable journey, starting almost a half a billion years ago. He will guide our discovery of how the plant world of the past, present, and future connects to all other life on Earth. 

Horticulture: Display and name dried plant material from your yard or neighborhood.

Design: Create a small, dried arrangement from materials found locally.

  Crafting Floral Greetings

Led by our own Lucia Bacon, members will create greeting cards featuring flowers to share with friends and loved ones. As we craft, we will learn about the history of greeting cards and the symbolism of flowers in conveying messages in the Victorian era. Special cards will go to residents of Iliff Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to send wishes of good health and well-being for Valentine’s Day.   

Horticulture: Share your simple rules for orchids; what works for you? 

Display your orchid. 

Design: Consider green/ shade/texture/shapes. 

Make an arrangement using only greens.

Integrating Beauty, Ease and the Environment in Native Plant Design 

Elisa Meara, principal designer and owner of Native Plant Landscape Design Corporation, creates unique, environment-conscious garden designs that can be developed into artful, beautiful gardens. Her designs reflect influences from the modern and naturalistic garden designs of Europe and her belief in environmentally sound garden practices that support the local ecosystem. 

Horticulture:  Bring something unusual looking from nature that you found on a walk in the woods.

Design: Make a small design that says, “Spring is on the Way”.   

 Calendar:  

  Fri. Mar. 18 District III Spring Meeting

Tue. Mar. 29 NCAGC Spring General Meeting

      How Does Your Garden Grow?

Bring plants to share, and get new ones, as a part of our annual plant exchange. This favorite event is a chance to enhance your garden and knowledge of gardening. Please bring your labeled plants to include: Your Name (so we know who it came from), Plant’s Name, Plant’s Colors, Plant’s requirements of Sun, Part-Sun, Part Shade, Shade, Plant’s details if Deer Resistant, Heat Tolerant, Perennial, Spring to Frost, etc.

Location: We will meet in the home of Anne Nelson who has once again generously offered her home to host this general meeting and plant exchange.

  Calendar: 

May 11 Historic London Town & Garden Field Trip

May 17 - 22 NGC Convention (Tue. – Sun.)

Designing Simply with Betty Ann

Our own Betty Ann Galway will lead a demonstration of quick and easy floral arrangements for the home this fall.    Members will help in the demo by bringing in plant materials and containers that Betty Ann can incorporate.  Finished arrangements will be raffled off to lucky winners 

September 15, 2020 

From Farmer’s Market To Your Table

Jonathan Bardzik, DC-based cook, author, and story teller, will share his joy in the kitchen through easy, seasonal, farm and garden-fresh recipes – for us to enjoy and share with special people in our lives.

October 20, 2020 

Growing Your Own Groceries

Nursery growers offer insights into how to successfully grow your own groceries in ways that do not break your back or your bank and can be an esthetic addition to your yard. Niraj Ray, founder of Cultivate the City, demonstrates how to use food scraps to jump start your garden and offers tips for propagating successfully. Ray also describes how Cultivate the City is nurturing urban gardening with its programs to address food needs and healthy eating in our wider community.

November 17, 2020

Designing Gardens as Habitats that Protect Life
Marisa Scalera, the landscape architect at the Smithsonian Gardens, speaks to the importance of plants in our lives highlighted in a Smithsonian-wide exhibition on protecting habitats. The presentation emphasizes the interconnection and fragility of our natural world and our role in caring for it.

January 18, 2021

Trees: Virginia Department of Forestry
Trees can shelter us from the trauma of stress if we step up as stewards to protect and use our natural resources wisely.  Jim McGlone, Urban Forest Conservationist with the Virginia Department of Forestry, will speak about his office’s work to nurture our  forests today and for generations to come. He will distinguish native, nonnative, and invasive species and what can be done to promote a healthy natural environment for flora and fauna. Jim’s territory spans Northern Virginia and includes advising homeowners on how they too can contribute to this effort and how Virginia’s initiatives can help.

February 16, 2021 

Looking at the Garden Holistically
Gardener, artist, and columnist Karen Rexrode takes a look at holistic ways to garden with tips that help the gardener and the environment function on a higher level of wholesomeness. Topics she will cover include new concepts in planting styles, using plants as green mulch, and exploring German and Japanese examples of permaculture

March 16, 2021

Flower Show Prep

Five Hills judges will go over our flower show schedule to be held Virtually on our April meeting date.  We will review the schedule,  give you tips and answer any questions you may have in horticulture or design.

April 20, 2021

 It’s Showtime!

Our delayed Flower Show, A Virtual Flower Show is to be held in lieu of our  regular meeting. We need your participation to make this a success!  

May 18, 2021

 How Does Your Garden Grow?

Bring plants to share, and get new ones, as a part of our annual plant exchange. This favorite event is a chance to enhance your garden and knowledge of gardening. Please bring your labeled plants to include: Your Name (so we know who it came from), Plant’s Name, Plant’s Colors, Plant’s requirements of Sun, Part-Sun, Part Shade, Shade, Plant’s details if Deer Resistant, Heat Tolerant, Perennial, Spring to Frost, etc.

June 15, 2021

 Going into Summer with a Refresh

As we approach the summer season when it is too hot outside for folks and flora, Ronnie Levay will walk us through how to create refreshing floral designs with a grocery store mixed bouquet, leaves and twigs on hand, and a simple vase. Ronnie will demonstrate how to harden off store bought flowers so that they last longer and assemble what you already have available to make a centerpiece for the summer. 

September 17, 2019 

Birdsong Pleasure Garden; the Story of Its Creation

Lesley Mack, the co-owner of an amazing three-acre private garden, “Birdsong Pleasure Garden”, will guide us through her garden, sharing practical advice on everything gardening. Check out Trip Advisor, Luray VA to read about the garden and see its 5.0 rating!

October 15 

Vertical Gardening Made Easy

Kathy Jentz, a frequent contributor to “The Washington Gardner”, a highly regarded publication and web site, will share her secrets of vertical gardening. Kathy will detail the benefits of vertical

gardening and inspire us to create our own vertical gardens.

November 19

 Just in Time For Thanksgiving

Our very own Betty Ann Galway will lead us in a “Members’ Floral Design Workshop”. Betty Ann will share her expertise in floral arranging, and how to prepare and preserve pumpkins in home arrangements. You will need a small hollowed out pumpkin (opening less than 6 inches) and a ½ block of oasis – flowers will be provided. Feel free to bring greens and dried materials. 

December 3 

Holiday Greens Workshop

Join your garden friends at the Five Hills annual tradition of wreath making – bringing the Christmas spirit to the Town of Vienna. Come ready to work and create with fresh greenery. You will need to bring gloves, clippers and fresh garden greens. All other supplies are furnished by the club.

Horticulture: Remember to bring your donation of fresh greens (no berries or holly please!).

January 21, 2020

Unique and Spontaneous

Floral Designs Jeanne Ha, co-founder of DC Metro Flower Design School and co-owner of Park Florist, one of the oldest florists in the DC area, will demonstrate her amazing skills and creativity. Jeanne will daze and amaze us with her love and knack for flower arranging. A silent auction of her designs will follow. 

February 18, 2020

 The Soulful Gardner

Heather Zindash will show us how gardening brings people, plants and horticulture together to enhance our overall health and well-being. Learn to view our gardens as therapeutic, restorative and meditative – places to relax and connect to ourselves and the rest of the world.