President's Letter September

Dear Fellow Gardeners,

I thought that I would begin this year by sharing with you the first stanza of one of my favorite poems, 'To Autumn'. This has often been referred to as John Keat’s most famous and beloved work, and Yale’s inimitable Harold Bloom described it as "one of the subtlest and most beautiful of all Keats's odes, and as close to perfect as any shorter poem in the English Language."

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

The vivid visual images, the ripe fruit and late-blooming flowers, suggest a time of warmth and plenty, perched on the brink of winter’s chill.

What could have been a better bridge to autumn and the change of seasons than the beautiful pictures of spring and fall blooming bulbs that Russell Stafford shared with us at our first meeting? The solid yellow Colchicum, the tiny white blossoms of Corydalis vittae, the strong-growing Fritillaria stenanthera, the diminutive Allium nevskianum, the deep-blue Crocus pulchellus might find a welcome place in our garden beds now that we are dividing the daylilies and cutting back the asters. Russell’s informative presentation, during which he “touted cool plants”, opened new windows for us to discover unusual, exotic bulbs. Be certain to visit his web site: www.odysseybulbs.com!

During the general meeting, committee chairs spoke about their plans for the year. It would be wonderful if everyone could become involved in a Club activity. Do sign up for a floral design class, learn the intricacies of garden photography, help in the beautification of Phelps Triangle, participate in a horticulture workshop, focus on conservation and preservation, send in a recipe for the Garden Club Cookbook, and buy gorgeous amaryllis and paperwhites for the holidays! [Betsy Hartmayer welcomes all recipes and Vicki Arkins will place your bulb orders. Please contact them soon.]

I hope that you have all had an opportunity to read through the 2010-2011 Directory and have noted the interesting, informative programs that have been planned for this year. I do want to point out, specifically, our special meeting in October on Friday the 22^nd from 5:30-7:30. Vicki Arkins has invited us to her home (12 Olde Country Road, Woodbridge) to celebrate.Please come (spouses are included) and bring a favorite hors d’oevres to share!

In the meanwhile, enjoy these cooler days – a time for bulb planting, apple picking, and pumpkin gathering.

Carol