Meetings
General meetings are held the second Thursday of the month from September through June at 9:15 AM at:
Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church
9201 Brecksville Road
Brecksville, Ohio 44141
Guests are always Welcome!
Members Shared Their Gardening Journey at the ENGC April 11th Meeting
At the April 11th meeting of the Emerald Necklace Garden Club, members answered the question, “How and why did I begin to garden?” and shared their personal gardening adventures encountered as their experience and expertise evolved over the years. References to favorite books, catalogs, trips to public gardens and dream gardens provided attendees with ample knowledge to apply to their own gardens. Members not pictured also brought photos, books and stories to share.
May 11th Plant Sale & Garden Faire plans were also discussed during the business meeting.
VISIT THE SPECIAL EVENT PAGE FOR PLANT SALE DETAILS.
Members learned About the Art of Ikebana
Flower Arranging at March 14 Meeting
Emily Viland, representing Ikebana International, shared her knowledge of Ikebana with members at the March 14th meeting. “Ike” means “to make alive.” Bana” means “flowers.” Joined, “to make flowers come alive” the word describes the 600 year old art of Japanese Ikebana floral arranging. The asymmetrical form distinguishes Ikebana. Utilizing empty space in the container is an essential feature and the style of the container used is critical. Arrangements are made up of branches, representing heaven; leaves, representing earth and blossoms, representing man. There are many schools with differing techniques. The arrangement demonstrated by Emily is from the Ohara School, which was started in 1895 and was the first use of Western flowers in an arrangement.
What is "The Worth of Weeds?"
Foster Brown, Naturalist with the Cleveland Metroparks, had many tales to share about common “weeds” seen along roadsides at the February 8th ENGC meeting. Some examples: Queen Anne’s Lace was named after Queen Anne because she selected this flower as the most unique lace pattern in a realm-wide contest to discover new patterns. Chickory was used as a substitute for coffee during WWII. And thistles — aka “teasel” — were used by the wool industry to raise the nap on fabric; and also by the brush industry. Common burdock was the forerunner of velcro – “invented” by a Swiss engineer in 1948 and made popular in the fashion world by Pierre Cardin.
January 11, 2024 ~ Annual Meeting and
ENGC 2023 Year in Review
At the January 11th meeting of Emerald Necklace Garden Club, Donna Hessel, Historian, presented a power point, “The 2023 Year in Review.” If you would like a pdf of the power point to learn more about the club and its activities, send an email to hessel0722@gmail.com. Please put “power point” in the subject line.
Make a Felted Pin at November 9 Meeting
Make a 4” felted flower pin, gift tag or holiday ornament using the craft of rug hooking. Pins will be made by using a strip of wool, held underneath a pattern on a burlap base. A crochet hook put through the hole of the burlap to catch a strip of wool is then wrapped around the hook and pulled through the hole, which completes one loop. You will need a 5” or smaller embroidery hoop, 6mm or smaller crochet hook and small scissors. Other materials will be supplied. A $5.00 materials fee is due at the meeting.
The meeting is at Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 9201 Brecksville Rd. (44141) at 10:00 AM. Guests are welcome but need to register by November 6th. RSVP to Shirley at sagrispino@gmail.com
October 12th Field Trip to Cleveland Roots
ENGC members learned about Cleveland Roots’ 17-acre farm in Richfield, Ohio from CEO/President Doug Fawcett and farm manager Steve Morris. After a casual presentation in the barn by Doug, while seated on straw bales, the group toured the fields. Most of the produce had been harvested from the community gardens, but members met the 2 goats, viewed the 38 chickens of various types in the farmyard and learned about what is grown in the other acreage and orchard. In addition to the community gardens, volunteers work to produce thousands of pounds of food that is provided to food deserts in the Cleveland area and retail outlet in the Clark/Fulton neighborhood. Participants each received a small bottle of honey from the hives on the property.
Brian Gregory Oversees the Service Gardens at Stan Hywet
Brian Gregory, Sr. Horticulturist at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, described the Great Garden at the September meeting of ENGC. His topic, “Useful Beauty: Lessons from the Service Gardens at Stan Hywet” provided tips acquired from his work with volunteers in the gardens that supply flowers for arrangements at the manor house, as well as veggies. The gardens, maintained by volunteers, also contain annuals, trees, vines and perennials.
