The Washington Garden Club’s January meeting, held in the Fayette County Airport’s conference room, was called to order by President Jo Ann Brady with a roll call of “name your favorite tree.”
Tree names called out included dogwood, gingko, maple, evergreen and willow. Linda offered grace and the members enjoyed a carry-in lunch of soups, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and desserts.
Mention was made of the efforts OAGC members from Regions 9 & 16 (we and the Fayette Garden Club are in Region 16) put forth in decorating areas of Deer Creek State Park this past November for their annual Christmas tree and holiday season decorating event. Linda and Nancy Jo participated this past year as they have in previous years and they urge other club members to join them in the future for some fun Christmas decorating.
Jo Ann presented the January horticulture program and also conducted this month’s workshop. The horticulture program “Gingko has it All” covered all aspects of the Gingko biloba tree. Hailed as “one of the oldest trees on Earth,” it is a “living fossil,” with its earliest leaf fossils dating back some 270 million years! The gingko tree is considered both a shade tree and an ornamental tree. Its spreading canopy is capable of blocking sunlight and the tree overall adds visual interest and beauty by virtue of its unique, fan-shaped leaves that turn a stunning yellow color in the fall.
Club members recalled and shared their knowledge of the various locations in Fayette County where they have seen gingko trees. The meeting’s workshop focused on “identification of leaves” with Jo Ann presenting us with many examples of genuine leaves waxed for preservation. And then Jo Ann challenged us to identify as many as we could….. Well,… at least it was fun! Examples include ash, maple, and oak trees, and also leaves from a grape vine, a rose bush, and ferns.
Another activity was a Word Sleuth puzzle asking us to find words in an alphabet jumble diagram. Leaf shapes was the theme of the words to find and they included 15 descriptive terms for leaf shapes ranging from asymmetrical, acicular to lobed and undulate.
Helga Kent was designated as the club member of the month, which allowed other members to ask light questions about her life experiences and likes/dislikes in order for us to get to know her better. Members in attendance were David, Linda, Jo Ann, Nancy Jo, Winnie, and Helga.
