By Lisa Lonsdale

The Garden Club held its annual Planning Meeting on January 27th at the home of Frances and Norman Monk, who live in the beautiful area of High Mountain on the southwest corner of Hidden Meadows, with its huge boulders and stately homes.  The meeting was postponed from the previous week due to heavy rains and wind.  The bad weather was forgotten with the return of sunshine and mild temperatures.  The gathering consisted of 26 members who enthusiastically participated in the tasks at hand.

The meeting started with introductions of attendees, where we welcomed three new families, Lois Humphreys, Linda & John Shreve, Geri & Ron Beam.  The announcement that Francoise Geiser will continue for a third year as our club president was welcomed by all.  Thanks Francoise for your commitment to the group.  We moved on to the treasury report by Lisa, which showed that the club has enough reserve from last year, when added to this year’s dues ($10 per household), will cover the costs for the year’s workshop supplies, potluck supplies and more.

Discussion moved to the main topic of the meeting; deciding on the year’s event schedule.  The club usually meets on the third Friday of each month, at 10 a.m. and holds an annual potluck in August, at a member’s home.  Some variations to dates and times were made with some still to be determined.  The 2017 Schedule of Events is as follows:

After successfully coming to agreement on the proposed activities, the meeting was adjourned.  About half of the attendees stayed for a brown-bag lunch, goodies provided by our hostess and to catch up with their gardening friends.  Thanks to the Monk’s for inviting us into their beautiful home for this occasion.  If you are interested in our club, please contact Lisa at (760)749-8723 or email at ldlonsdale4@gmail.com.

For the second month in a row, the weather continued to play havoc on the Garden Club’s schedule, causing a postponement of one week and a reorganization of the planned February event.  The nursery visit couldn’t be rescheduled, so we planned to paint garden rocks and proceed with our planned plant exchange.  The day of the 24th dawned with temperatures in the 40’s but by the event’s start-time of 11:00, it had warmed up to about 60 degrees.  In the full sun of the Lonsdale’s south-facing patio, the temperature was warm enough to keep the 24 participants comfortable and smiling.

Members arrived bearing succulent cuttings and small potted plants, from their own gardens, to share with others.  This turned out to be the biggest plant exchange the club has ever had.  The plants were laid out in a long line and everyone had access to take as many as they wanted.  There was such a large quantity that a few ladies were able to fill the backs of their SUV’s with what was left over.  The great thing about succulents is that they don’t have to replanted immediately and can still be viable for weeks, if stored in a cool location, allowing more time to decide what to do with them.

The group then moved to tables set up on the patio, where art supplies had been arranged by the hostess.  Starting with black river rocks as their canvas, each person decorated their rock using acrylic paints, creating stunning art that could be displayed indoors, on top of the soil of a potted plant or out in the garden.  If protected with a weatherproof clear sealer, they will stand up to the weather for several years.  During this fun activity, the members enjoyed much conversation and took a break to enjoy a lunch of sandwiches, salads and desserts.  It turned out to be a perfect day to enjoy the company of friends, the gorgeous view of the mountains and a walk around the Lonsdale gardens.

We welcomed two new member families this month:  Doreen and Patrick Poling and Robin Rabens, who have lived in the Meadows less than two years.  The March 17th event will be at the home of one of the members who wants help with ideas for re-landscaping part of their large property.  This is called a Design Charrette.  The April 21st event will be a visit to “Grand Traditions” in Fallbrook, which is Wedding Venue featuring large gardens; they offer paid tours to large groups on the weekdays.  Part of the fee is picked up by the club’s treasury for club members.  If you are interested in our club, please contact Lisa at (760) 749-8723 or ldlonsdale4@gmail.com.