District
VI
 | Garden of the Month
The
Gardenettes of Ponchatoula have awarded the April Garden of the Month
to Brad Chambers of 11497 Autumn Brook Drive. Brad expressed
appreciation for this award for all the time he spent reshaping a
former garden and adding his choice of knockout roses, azaleas,
boxwood, caladiums, golden euonymus, loropetalum, liriope muscari
(Aztec grass), gardenias, and Indian hawthorns. Offering height
for variety are crepe myrtles and little gem magnolias. The cozy
front porch offers a backdrop for the flower beds with hanging baskets
of fern and pots of peace lilies, Christmas cactus, and palms.
Marigolds adorn a birdbath.
The Gardenettes is a Ponchatoula
garden club and a member of District VI of the Louisiana Garden Club
Federation and the Deep South Region of the National Garden Clubs Inc. |
 |
The Gardenettes of Ponchatoula
collect Community Coffee labels and box tops for schools. These
labels enable the schools to purchase items needed for the schools. The
Gardenettes, members of Louisiana Garden Club Federation, donated the
labels and box tops to Perrin Early Learning Center.
Smiling faces in front row are
(left to right); Kyle Gross, Kennide Hill, Peter Cranford, Emily
Villars, Reese Thorn, Naemi Al-Naziat.
Back row are; Kathy Bruce, Joan
Morse, Lorinda Elzy (principal), Patricia Foster (vice principal),
Janice Hickey, Sandra Haro, and Diane Dufour. March 2012
|
March
Meeting
What plants do best in our
area was the topic of Dr. Allen Owings presentation to the Gardenettes
at their March 14 meeting held at the LSU Ag Center Hammond Research
Center.
Dr. Owings is currently coordinator of statewide ornamental
horticulture and writes regularly for the Louisiana Gardener and for
the Hammond Daily Star as a featured horticulture columnist.
According to Owings, you should not water Vincas or cut dead flowers
off Angelonia. When your Lantana shuts down in mid summer, cut it back
and re-fertilize. Owings gave the members “Senorita Rosalita”
Cleome plants to try in their gardens.
President Janice Hickey opened the meeting with the pledge of
allegiance and collect which were lead by Kathy Bruce who also gave an
opening prayer. Hickey explained the program was “There are
no lines in nature, only areas of color, one against the another.” a
quote by Edourd Manet, the French Impressionist painter. She
used the mass plantings at the Experimental Station as an example.
Tonya Ferguson hosted and decorated with an Easter theme.
Co-hostesses included Sandra Haro, Lynda Byrd, Dale Rieth, Joan Morse
and Hickey. Door prizes were provided by Haro, Byrd, Hickey
and Louise Steadman.
The main business was the sign-up for next year’s home meetings and
committees. Officers nominated for the coming year included Reith -
president; Ferguson - vice president; Hickey - second vice president;
Diane Dufour - treasurer; Pat Sweeney - corresponding secretary; Morse
- recording secretary; Steadman - parliamentarian; Bruce -
historian. A breakfast meeting was suggested to finalize the
rest of the committees.
Kathy Bedenbaugh gave a recap of Arbor Day and mentioned that the club
had gotten one of the trees they plated free for Kathy’s litter
clean-up work. She thanked Hickey for the program she
provided and Bruce for having her class from Perrin Early Learning
attend the ceremony.
Haro gave a recap of her garden of the month presentation and told the
club how glad the recipient Joy Mims was to be chosen. Bruce
who nominated the Greater St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church, said
how happy the congregation was to receive the award for their
landscaping. Adrienne Dunn presented the award to the pastor
who works at Perrin Early Learning Center.
The club recently delivered box tops and labels to Perrin Early
Learning for them to cash in. Easter baskets to be filled for
the Youth Horizons center were sold to members and will be delivered on
March 29. Members were reminded of the Lousiana Garden Club
Federation Inc. convention in Houma April 16-18. Gardenettes
are members of the Sixth District of this organization.
Other members present but not mentioned were Debbie Henagan, Vicky
Fannaly, Karen Moran and Mona Middlebrook.
Click an image to view a larger
photo then your back buttom to return here.
 |
Gardenette president Janice Hickey
presents a
creative planter to Dr. Allen Owings, guest speaker and coordinator of
statewide ornamental horticulture at the LSU Ag Center Hammond Research
Center. Crafted by Sam Hickey, the planter was decorated by
Janice. |
 |
Pat Sweeney enjoys a bowl of red
beans cooked by her daughter Tonya
Ferguson. In the row behind her are Mona Middlebrook, Lynda Byrd,
Louise Steadman and Karen Moran. Lining up for refreshments
are
Ferguson, Janice Hickey, Dr. Allen Owings, Sandra Haro and Joan Morse. |
 |
District VI Director Diane Dufour
samples the fare. Seated behind her are Dale Rieth and Kathy
Bedenbaugh. |
 |
All smiles, Debbie Henagan, Kathy
Bruce and Vicky Fannaly have full plates. |
March 2012 Garden of the Month
The
Gardenettes of Ponchatoula has awarded "The Garden of the Month" for
the month of March to Ms. Joy Mims at 14625 Madison Lane, Ponchatoula,
LA. Joy's main hobby is working in her garden. Joy
takes
great pride in her garden, she has three lovely areas planted with
Coleus, Azaleas, Gerber Daisies, Cyclamen, Falanchoe, Verbena, Mexican
Heather, Blue Liriope, Rose Vinca, Mums, Pentas, and Miniature Roses
all blooming in a vast array of color. There is also a Crepe
Myrtle tree just beginning to sprout leaves and various other shrubs
and evergreens. Joy's full time job, however, is teaching
1st-8th
grade PE at St. Joseph Catholic School.
Gardenettes are a
Ponchatoula garden club and are members of District VI Louisiana Garden
Club Federation Inc. (LGCF) and members of the Deep South Region of the
National Garden Clubs Inc. (NGC)
Pictured are Joy Mims and her granddaughter Annabelle Owen standing
next to one of Joy's beautiful blooming flower beds.
|
 |
Gardenettes
attended the annual Joint Meeting of the Tangipahoa Parish Garden Clubs
held at the Louisiana State Unit Agricultural Center Research Station.
Seated (below)
are Dale Rieth, Pat Sweeney, District VI Director Diane Dufour, Joan
Morse and State President Mary Jacobs. Standing are Mona
Middlebrook, Peggy Austin, Sandra Haro, Kathy Bedenbaugh, Janice
Hickey, Cricket Ayala, Kathy Bruce, Vicky Fannaly, Karen Moran,
Margaret Bailey, Cheryl Kuhn.
|
Busy
Gardenette members attended the parish wide garden club meeting in
February. Kathy Bedenbaugh collected the empty Sub-Way boxes to
recycle. Janice Hickey, Gardenette president, called the groups
attention to Project We Care which sends king cakes to troops overseas.
The high cost of postage as well as the cost of the cakes is very high.
She collected $400 from those present to give to this worthy cause.
|
Gardenettes
were guests of Belle Oaks Garden Club for the annual Joint Meeting of
the Tangipahoa Parish Garden Clubs held February 15 at the Louisiana
State Unit Agricultural Center Research Station.
Of the
approximately 70 garden club members present were Gardenettes District
VI Director Diane Dufour, club president Janice Hickey, Cheryl Kuhn,
Karen Moran, Pat Sweeney, Kathy Bedenbaugh, Vicky Fannaly, Sandra Haro,
Kathy Bruce, Dale Rieth, Peggy Austin, Margaret Bailey, Joan Morse,
Mona Middlebrook and District VI Treasurer Cricket Ayala.
State
president Mary Jacobs was welcomed by Belle Oaks president Darlene
Breland. She introduced the attending club presidents, Gail Diebold
Hammond Garden Club, Peggy Avery Community Garden Club, Shirley Gabriel
Stem and Stamen Garden Club.
Dr. Regina Bracey, professor of
horticulture and resident coordinator of the Research Station, invited
the clubs to a meeting at her home in April. She encouraged the
attendees to visit the Research Station often to see the changing
garden plantings and seasonal blooms.
Belle Oaks members Maude
Abadie and Verlyn Bercegeay gave the opening invocation and
conservation pledge. The group was entertained by a skit entitled Agnes
Accident given by Pauline Devornak, Rosalind Dorsam, Darlene Breland
and Phyllis Berner.
A slide presentation and in-depth program on
camellias was presented by John and Stephanie Grimm owners of Camellia
Heaven. Handouts and a display of blooming camellias rounded out their
program.
Attendees were treated to a picnic motif, with plastic
insects and brown bag favors. Lunch boxes by SubWay and bottled
refreshments added to the theme.
photos/article
submitted Feb 2012 by Vicky Fannaly
|
Garden of the Month
The
Gardenettes of Ponchatoula have chosen for the Feb. 2012 Garden of the
Month award Joan and Tuck Morse, of Weinberger Road in Ponchatoula.
The couple divides the yard work with Joan doing the planting and
weeding and Tuck doing the watering, grass cutting and edging. Their
yard has beautiful old oaks, pines, azaleas, ferns, hollies, camellias,
and just about everything you can possibly imagine a yard can have.
Joan,
who is a Tangipahoa Parish Master Gardener and longtime Gardenette
member, has spent years planning and planting almost every spot in the
yard. She has some azaleas from her Father's old lumber company which
she says are well over 100 years old!
Joan
says that her son Melvin Jr. and daughter Belinda give her plants for
Mothers' Day, birthdays and Christmas. Belinda brought her the
beautiful cyclamen that are blooming around the old oak in the front
yard. Some of the plants in the gardens include every color iris,
confederate rose, angel trumpet, cosmos, amaryllis, begonia, naked
ladies, hibiscus and honey suckle, along with lots of potted plants.
Shown
in the photo are, Joan, granddaughter Ashley, and daughter Belinda who
lives in Crowley La. The garden in this photo includes plantings of
blooming pansies, dianthus and azalea. There are also, stokes
aster, gaura, and daylilies (one of which Ashley planted herself.)
The
Gardenettes, a Ponchatoula garden club, is a member of District V1 of
the Louisiana Garden Club Federation and the Deep South Region of the
National Garden Clubs Inc. Each month the club gives a Garden
of
the Month award to a person or family, in the Ponchatoula School
District with an attractive landscape. The landscape must be maintained
by the family and not by paid landscapers.
|
ARBOR
DAY 2012 - Click Here for (PDF)
article and photos!
The Ponchatoula Gardenettes would
like to recognize Ponchatoula Therapy as the recipients of the Genesis
Award for January and February.
Ponchatoula Therapy is owned by Carrie Layrisson, Occupational
Therapist, and her husband Bry Layrisson of Ponchatoula. They
recently opened their business July 2011 to provide physical,
occupational, and speech therapy to the local community.
Since opening only six months ago, the Layrissons and their friends
have worked on many renovations to the building and property.
It was Smith’s Nursery of Ponchatoula who provided the
landscaping. The landscape started with a basic plan of Red
Formosa Azaleas and Shishi Camellia shrubs in front, with a variety of
trees - Little Gem Magnolia, Dwarf Crape Myrtles, and Japanese Crape
Myrtles that are covered with blooms in the spring time. To add to this
there are Frost Proof Gardenias and Pink Muhly Grass bushes, accented
with Lilly of the Nile and Knockout Rose flowers.
It should be noted that
the Ponchatoula Gardenettes is a local garden
club. This organization is a member of the District VI
Louisiana
Garden Club Federation Inc. (LGCF) and the Deep South Region of the
National Garden Clubs Inc. (NGC).
|
 |
 |
The
City of Ponchatoula and The Gardenettes received a welcome donation of
mulch for the Butterfly Garden in Kiwanis Park from Acadian
Cypress.
Thanks to the arranging efforts of
Acadian Cypress employee, Bill Hagen, the Gardenettes were able to
secure the mulch. Ponchatoula Rotarian Garnett Bedenbaugh picked up the
mulch and unloaded it for LGCF, Inc. District VI Director Diane Dufour,
also a member of the Gardenettes and former presidents, Kathy
Bedenbaugh and Cheryl Kuhn to spread in four of the flower beds.
posted Jan 2012
|
December Garden of the Month
The
Gardenettes of Ponchatoula have awarded the December Garden of the
Month to Josh and Jessica Millet of 40215 Formosa Avenue.
Josh, a
talented artist, designed and planted flower beds with an eye appealing
arrangement of loropetalum, brunnera macrophylla (Jack Frost), big blue
agapanthus, liriope, trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese windfall palm),
callistemon (bottle brush), and fire power nandina. Anchoring
the
beds are little gem magnolias and blue point junipers. A
variety
of palms throughout the yard include Phoenix canariensis, Washingtonian
robusta, Livistona chinensis, and sago. The inviting entrance
to
the driveway includes azaleas and Indian hawthorns. Lining
the
driveway are white, purple, pink, and dynamite red crepe
myrtles.
The Gardenettes are members of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.,
Deep South Region, and LA Garden Club Federation, Inc., District VI. |
 |
 |
HO HO HO! Mr. Bingle will
celebrate the 25th Anniversary of "Christmas in the Oaks" in City Park.
Pictured are Gardenettes Janice Hickey, Tonya Ferguson, and Sandra
Haro.
The
Gardenettes of Ponchatoula, members of Louisiana Garden Club Federation
Inc., met at the home of Tonya Ferguson and decorated the wreath with
Mr. Bingle flying through the oak tree with moss hanging from its
branches, while the train traveled around the tree. The silver bow and
25th anniversary pin only reinforced the celebration of 25 years of,
"Celebration of the Oaks." |
Hosting
the November
Gardenette meeting are Robin Austin, Kathy Bruce,
Adrienne Dunn, hostess Mona Middlebrook, Cricket Ayala and Aimee
Marcombe. The club had lots of holiday plans for their
favorite projects.
| November Genesis Award to Lions'
Club
The Ponchatoula Lyons Club are the
recipients of the Nov/Dec 2011 Genesis Award presented by the
Gardenettes. Pictured by the flag poles are Lyons Club
member, Joe Lubrano, Lyons Club President, Bill Hagen, Lyons Club
member, Cory Willcox, Gardenettes member and Genesis Award committee
member, Kathy Bedenbaugh, Gardenettes President, Janice Hickey and
Lyons Club Board Member, Joe Corbett.
The Lyons Club members have planted
Crepe Myrtles at the main entrance to the club and English Hawthorne
and Nandina are planted as a backdrop for the flag poles.
At the building entrance, members
have planted Junipers, Blue Daze, several colors of Vinca . Lyons Club
members Wormy and Pat Rodriguez maintain the gardens.
|
 |
November Garden of the Month to
Betty Husser
The Garden of the Month for November has been given to Betty Husser of
Ponchatoula. Betty's home at 40057 Emerald Garden Dr. is a
flourish with a variety of plants and garden accessories, such as a
birdbath, benchs, statues and pots, which add to the beauty and curb
appeal of the garden. Betty has worked tirelessly to create
garden beds from nothing. Among the plants are: Crepe Myrtle
trees, red and white Knock-Out Roses, Mexican Heather, red Hibiscus,
Anchor Azaleas, Day Lillies, Zenna, Amaryllis, Camellias, Snowball
Hydrangeas, Verbena, Mums, Pansies, and Blue Iris.
Shown in the photo is Betty Husser standing in one of her
garden beds.
The Gardenettes are a Ponchatoula garden club and are members of
District VI Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. (LGCF) and members of
the Deep South Region of the National Garden Clubs Inc. (NGC). |
 |
Over 70 people attended the District VI Fall Meet,
held at the Baton Rouge Garden Center October 6, 2011. District
Director Diane Dufour, Gardenette - Ponchatoula, presided over this
Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. (LGCF) major event.
Gardenettes attending included Dufour, Janice Hickey, Cricket Ayala,
Margaret Bailey, Lynda Byrd, Cheryl Kuhn and District VI Cleanest City
Chairman Dale Rieth.
The invocation was given by Clara Earl, president of the Baton Rouge
Garden Club, and the pledge of allegiance was lead by Hickey, president
of the Gardenettes, Ponchatoula.
LGCF president Mary Jacobs gave an address to the members, and the many
state officers and committee chairmen were recognized.
Gail Lonibus of Gonzales and Baton Rouge Garden clubs was nominated as
District Director Elect and approved. According to Dufour, she is very
proud to be working with Lonibus. She also thanked Hickey, Gardenette
president in Ponchatoula, for all her work on the Fall meet. Dufour
said that Hickey was a blessing in all her many projects.
Dufour thanked the Baton Rouge Garden Club for sponsoring the event and
the many clubs who donated to the silent auction. Items were given by
the Baton Rouge club, Gardenettes, Home & Garden Garden Club,
Westchester Estates Garden Club, Magnolia Forest Garden Club, West
Baton Rouge Garden & Civic Club, Covington Garden Club, Town
&
Country Garden Club, Plaquemine Garden Club, Hammond Garden Club, Mt.
Hermon Garden Club.
|
Gardenettes supporting our past
president and District VI director Diane Dufour, enjoyed the District
VI Fall Meet.
They included standing - club president Janice Hickey, Cricket Ayala,
Dufour, second generation Gardenette Margaret Bailey; seated District
VI Cleanest City chairman Dale Rieth, past president Cheryl Kuhn, Lynda
Byrd. |
Circle
of Roses honors were given to three ladies from Covington Garden Club
who had reached the 70 year age distinction. They were Hilda Champagne,
Gerri Dirman, Donis Jenkins. Started by Bera Smith, the program was
begun in 1995.
Guest speaker Annie Coco, retired horticulture agent who had been with
the LSU AG Center for some 30 years, gave a presentation on "Gardening
in Raised Beds and Containers."
Grant winners were announced in different categories. They were
Conchita Richey, Rita Bourque - Flower; Carrie Martin - Environmental;
Dana Truxillo; Landscape and Janice Poche Landscape Design,
Environmental Studies and Flower Show Judges.
District VI business reports were given by secretary Poche, President
of the Gonzales Garden Club, and Hickey who was filling in for
treasurer Kathy Bedenbaugh. State chairmen also reported. They included
Margo Racca, Mary Ellen Miller, Carrie Martin, Clara Earl, Minnie
Posey, Yvette Hebert, Sue Wallner, Mary Hazen, Laura Broussard, Lena
Bateman.
Prizes were given to anyone who had dental floss in their purses, a
scarf or red shoes. Table prizes went to the person at each table who
had a birthday closest to the date of the meeting.
Special gifts were given to Mary Jacobs, Yvette Hebert, Annie Coco and
Clara Earl. Jeanette Gatzman, LGCF treasurer gave the benediction. |
October Breast Cancer Awareness Month
 |
| Delivering Bosom Buddy bags to North
Oaks Hospital for breast cancer patients are Gardenettes Pat Sweeney,
Vicky Fannaly, Community Garden Club president Peggy Avery, Cricket
Ayala, North Oaks Rachel Fitzgerald, Mona Middlebrook, Janice Hickey,
Margaret Bailey, North Oaks April McIntyre, Diane Dufour, North Oaks
Loren Hux, Kathy Bedenbaugh and Lynda Byrd. |
OCTOBER
2011 MEETING
Be alert, scream as loudly as you can, run away as soon as possible -
this was some of the advice offered by Deputy Stacy Newsom guest
speaker to the Gardenettes at their October 12 meeting, held in the
home of club president Janice Hickey. Click
here to read article.
|
|
COLLINSWOOD
MUSEUM PLANT SALE - October 2011
Click
here for article and photos (PDF)
 |
The Garden of the Month for
October 2011 has been given to Laurie Gregersen of Ponchatoula.
The pretty mill cottage house and garden located at 235 Piney Woods is
always perfectly manicured and attractive.. The white picket
fence adds to the charm of the home, along with plants like deep purple
loropetalum, agapanthus, (lily of the nile), spirea, (bridal
wreath bush),crepe myrtle, and colorful vinca. Laurie's
harvest display also adds to the curb appeal.
Shown
in the photo are Laurie Gregersen, her aunt Edna Gregersen, and
Gardenette Mona Middlebrook.
The
Gardenettes are members of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South
Region, and La. Garden Club Federation, Inc., District V1.
|
|
OMNI
STORAGE WINS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 GENESIS AWARD
Click
here for article and photos (PDF)
Bosom Buddy Bags
Working
to make Bosom Buddy Bags, Gardenettes gathered at the homeof Janice
Hickey, club president. This Deep South Project of the Louisiana Garden
Club Federation (LGCF Inc.) provides an opportunity to make everyday
living a little easier for breast cancer survivors.
These bags
hold the drainage bottles after surgery. The Bosom Buddy Bags will be
donated to North Oaks Hospital and surrounding oncologists during
October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Gardenettes
completed fifty bags. Refreshments were served and the fellowship was
great! Eleven ladies, almost half of the club, made this project
possible.
Peggy Avery, president of Community Garden Club, and
their members have also contributed their time and sewing to make the
Bosom Buddy Project an even greater success. They have at least another
fifty bags.
Hickey, Gardenette president, said, "Way to go
fellow chicks. We can do so much more in our community by working
together as a family of gardeners. "
Participating in the
stitching were Hickey, Cheryl Kuhn, Joan Morse, Diane Dufour, Mona
Middlebrook, Robin Austin, Pat Sweeney, Tonya Ferguson, Lynda Byrd,
Cricket Ayala, Margaret Bailey. Past president Cynthia Orgeron donated
some of the material used. |
During October Breast Cancer
Awareness Month, Gardenettes
Tonya Ferguson, Robin Austin and Pat Sweeney work on assembling the
bags for breast cancer survivors.
Sewing
Bosom Buddy Bags, Gardenettes Cricket Ayala, Mona Middlebrook, Margaret
Bailey and Lynda Byrd, participate in the Deep South Region Inc.'s
project.
|
SEPTEMBER 2011
MEETING
>>
Click here to read article and view photos. <<
Janice Hickey was installed as president of
the Gardenettes at their annual banquet, held this year at
Rockefeller's Restaurant in Ponchatoula, LA. May 2011
Click
here to read the press release. (PDF)
Genesis Award - July 2011
What is the 4th of July?
Is it barbecues, family gatherings, fireworks, swimming pools? Or is it
this?
July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of
Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. Thirteen
colonies were free.
The Gardenettes honor the men and
women who have made this freedom possible and still do today. The
Gardenettes give the Genesis Award to The Ponchatoula Cemetery. The
entrance road with the flowing American flags is breathtaking. The
headstones of the military that gave their lives so we could be free is
overwhelming.
Thank you for your service!
|
 |
The
Gardenettes have given the Garden of the Month Award for July to Sarah
Thomas.
The
Gardenettes are part of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation and the
award is made to individuals who have a lawn with curb appeal, and do
the gardening themselves. |
Garden of the Month - July 2011
When SARAH THOMAS
was a young girl, her grandmother would have her help in the flower
garden. She told her grandmother that when she grew up, she would NEVER
have flowers in her yard. Her grandmother must be smiling on her now,
because she has just about every flower you could possibly grow.
The garden at 285 N.W. Railroad Ave. in Ponchatoula is full of flowers,
shrubs, hanging and potted plants lovingly tended to by Sarah and her
grandson Kristian Dunbar.
Ms. Thomas says the secret to her healthy plants is cow manure and
manure tea added to good potting soil.
She gets manure from a local dairy farm. The manure tea is made by
putting fresh manure in a bucket and adding water. Swish the mixture
around and then take the water out and use it to water the plants. Some
of the plants are so healthy, they look fake!!!
I'm sure that Kristian will have a garden of his own one day and
remember fondly, the days of helping his grandmother in hers.
 |
|
