The Hillsboro Garden Club began the first meeting of the year by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing “God Bless America”.
After the meeting was called to order by president Jennifer West, secretary Lynn Luman took roll call with 14 members and five guests present answering the question, “Have you got a hot frame, greenhouse or window ledge with seeds started?”
The March tip of the month: for an eye-stopping focal point, plant a clump of red flowers.
After the treasurer’s report from Ruth Anna Duff, the group discussed old business with Duff reminding members and guests that the spring meeting for Region 16 will be held Wednesday, April 10 at the Lake View Loft near Hillsboro hosted by the Clinton County Garden Club with $30 as the cost to attend.
Duff informed members that the club donated $25 to the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs (OAGC) in memory of longtime former member Fran Larkin.
The club will make a formal request to member Nancy Baldwin to construct a newsletter article for OAGC to publish in The Garden Path magazine in memory of Larkin.
The horticulture portion of the meeting was given by Andrea Schneider highlighting several varieties of daffodils from her garden, followed by a brief presentation on the beautiful floral species.
Duff encouraged members and guests to attend the annual daffodil show in Granville on April 20-21. The event is free to attend and the theme is “On the Road Again.”
In new business, Luman gave a brief synopsis of the recent seed exchange program and the partnership with the Highland County District Library, which was a resounding success.
With the success of the seed exchange, the library has invited the garden club to give a 60- to 75-minute presentation to patrons on Thursday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. The garden club enthusiastically voted to accept the invitation from the library.
With this invitation, the garden club will convene a special meeting on Thursday, April 4 at 2 p.m. in the floral hall to discuss topics for the public presentation. All members are encouraged to attend the special meeting.
For the educational portion of the evening, Marilyn Hiestand gave a “tummy-loving” presentation on edible flowers as part of an overall healthy diet. Hiestand provided attendees with handouts on edible flowers, which, according to Hiestand, are a great addition to salads.
Provided that the flowers have not been exposed to pesticides, some examples of edible flowers include roses, coneflowers, honeysuckle, lilac and peonies. The handout also included a list of flowers not to be consumed, such as poppies, daffodils and larkspur.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Hiestand made a motion to adjourn, which was seconded.
The next regular meeting will be the spring plant sale on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. with Larry Moore serving as auctioneer and Judith Stivender and Luman serving as assistants. Shelly Rayburn and Baldwin will serve as hostesses.
As always, the public is welcome to attend.
Submitted by Lynn Luman, secretary, Hillsboro Garden Club.
