Minutes, May Meeting

Garden Club of New Haven

General Meeting

May 11, 2009

The meeting was called to order by Billie Ladd, co-president at 1:30pm.

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved with corrections.

The President made the following report:

There will be no issue of the newsletter in May. There will be an issue in June.

Thanks were expressed to Ina Jaffee for allowing the Club to visit her garden. Other trips planned are a visit to Daphne Murray’s home on May 14 and a trip to Phyllis Warden’s Gardens in Bedford Hills on July 14.

The Club is reminded of the importance of Phelps Triangle, one of our major projects. A lot of money was spent recently to improve the Triangle and now more help is needed to maintain it. Everyone is encouraged to respond to calls for help with the Triangle.

On 5/20/09 volunteers are needed to plant planters at Fellowship Place from 1:30-3. Donations of perennials would be welcome.

The annual meeting on 6/1/09 will celebrate the Club’s 85^th anniversary. It will be held at Martha Alexander’s house. Anyone with historic pictures or other memorabilia is encouraged to provide it for display at the meeting.

The Shakespeare Garden at Common Ground High School is in process of being planted and will be revealed at the performance on 6/3/09.

Thanks were expressed to Mikey Hirschoff for the wonderful Conservation program and to Betsy Hartmayer, Louise Carter, Vicki Arkins, and the committee for their work in making the annual ‘Buds to Blossoms’ event a success.

Corresponding Secretary

Susan Ehrenkrantz reported that the Club received the following letters of thanks:

A letter from Yale/New Haven Hospital Auxiliary thanking the Club for the plantings in the pediatric ward..

A letter from Fellowship Place thanking the Club for the flower arranging workshop.

And a letter from URI thanking the Club for its donation to The GreenSkills program.

Treasurer’s Report

Pamela Hamilton presented the treasurer’s report which was approved.

2013 Trees on the Green Project

A report from the 2013 Trees on the Green committee was submitted to the Board at its meeting and was unanimously approved. This related to the expenditure of funds for this project. The expenditure now needs membership approval.

The committee includes Kathie Lundgren, Karyl Evans, Bonnie Byers, Rosita Murphy, Amy Estabrook, Mikey Hirschoff, and Cordalie Benoit.

The mission of the project was discussed. Rosita Murphy reported on the legacy of the Club in providing trees on the Green. Cordalie Benoit presented a brief history of the Elms on the Green and of the original and subsequent plantings and the Club’s involvement in this.

This project will have three parts.

First, propogation of various Elm seedlings. Amy Estabrook described how this would work and how the project will include a determination of which species will survive.

Second, will be a short documentary on the New Haven Elms. Karyl Evans will do this documentary for the Club.

Third will be the development of a self guided walking tour of the New Haven Green. Mikey Hirschoff reported on what this would involve.

The request for funding was made to the Club by Mikey Hirschoff and Rosita Murphy. The specifics of the request was set out in a prepared report, noting that the Club plans to raise matching funds for this project.

There was a suggestion that the aesthetic value of the trees be discussed. There was some discussion regarding keeping the trees in good health.

The request for funds was voted on and approved with one abstention and one vote against the funding.

Garden History and Design

Karyl Evans announced that the slides of the garden chosen for inclusion in the Smithsonian’s archives are being reviewed.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:15pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Katharine Goodbody

Recording