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Arrangers’ Guild Meeting – January 17, 2023

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Chris Austin

The Arrangers’ Guild met on January 17, 2023, for class 3 of 6 units.

Today’s design consisted of a crescent shape to create a curve design with your plant material.

Our class instructor today was Margaret Kirkpatrick, who gave us a demo on bending and manipulating a leaf or any tough plant material, such as a young sago palm. You can condition it to be able to bend and make a curve shape. Here are a few handy tips:

Tip # 1: After you trim the edges on a sago palm, you put three branches together, then insert them in a nylon stocking so you can manipulate by bending it to curve, then remove the nylon sock, and you will have a curve shape.

Tip # 2: When using a softer leaf, like an aspidistra, you can massage it to form a curve shape. If you want to make your leaf shiny, rub it a few times with a soft cloth. This brings out the oils in the leaf.

Tip #3: When using oasis, always soak it for 3-4 hours. Do not remove a flower, reuse the same hole as it will not drink the water and will die. Also, always remove the bottom leaves, or they will rot in the oasis.

After a short break, the students created their own designs. Margaret Kirkpatrick then critiqued each one and showed us how to improve on our designs, and they came out beautiful! Nice job, everyone!

Submitted by: Nancy Iandoli
Photos by: Nancy Iandoli

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Treasures in the Attic Rummage Sale

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Chris Austin

The Garden Club of Palm Coast will host its annual Treasures in the Attic Rummage Sale at Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church.

If you have any items to donate to the sale, please drop them off on March 9th, between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, at the Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church, 101 Pine Lakes Pkwy, Palm Coast, FL 32164.

If you need assistance picking up donations, please call or text Susan McConnell at 215-872-7107.

February 2023 Selection of the Month

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Chris Austin

Kathleen Bolanos of Bayside Drive has been recognized as February 2023 Selection of the Month by The Garden Club at Palm Coast.

Kathleen lived in Tennessee before moving to Palm Coast in 2019. In Tennessee, she owned 79 acres of farmland near the Tennessee River.

She moved to Palm Coast because of her love for Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, where she volunteers at the greenhouse. She is an organic gardener, pulls her own weeds, uses no chemicals, grows food crops, and concentrates on providing a suitable environment for pollinators. She enjoys growing many plants from seed, particularly her vegetables.

The front entrance has several potted succulents, bromeliads, jade, red dragon flower, ground orchid, bird’s nest fern, aloe, flapjack, and lipstick plant.

The center island has several bromeliads mounted on a palm tree, other bromeliads planted in the ground, and a princess flower.

The front yard contains blue and coral porter weed, several shrimp plants that she propagates and has in several gardens, along with mint for a ground cover. There are pagoda plants, lipstick plant, small potted ponytail palm, bougainvillea, bleeding heart vine, assorted baby sun rose, and thornless crown of thorns.

Native plants abound with Carolina jasmine, scarlet sage, button sage, lantana, scorpion tail, creeping sage, Maypop passion vine, coral bean, salt bush, and beauty berry. Several beds have her hand-made beautiful pottery planters, pottery dolls, and fountains. At night she has lighted wine bottles for her edging.

The large backyard has various bromeliads, variegated liriope, several fruit trees, red maple, a Chinese fringe tree, and an orchid tree, to name a few. She had an impressive vegetable garden with tomatoes, lettuce, kale, arugula, peas, beans, asparagus, onions, peppers, beets, cucumber, watermelon, and plantain.