Charlottesville Horticulture Club
September 2005

The Charlottesville Horticulture Club met September 20, 2005, at the
Senior Center. President Mary Anna Rushia opened the meeting by
welcoming returning members and thanking Charles Greiner for hosting
the annual picnic at his lovely home. President Rushia said the club
had received a thank you card from Louise Ziegler who is enjoying her
new home in Mint Hill, N.C.
The President welcomed a new member: Katherine Dugger. Katherine
had
a few questions about identifying plants. There was a short
discussion
on plant identification and general pruning. It was stated that the
Extension Office in Charlottesville has a variety of publications
available to the public and a website: vatech.edu that has
information on many aspects of horticulture. There was a reminder
about participating in the plant exchange and the sign up sheet for
refreshments. President Rushia thanked Mr. & Mrs. Minutolo for
bringing the refreshments and a door prize for tonight's program.

Jane Whitworth, former secretary of the Charlottesville Horticulture
Club, turned the minute book over to the new secretary, Sherry
Minutolo.

Al Minutolo, Vice President, discussed the program for the 2005-2006
year.
The following programs have been finalized :

9/20 Pamela Peltier "Gardens of the Mediterranean"
10/18 Mark McVicker "Victorian Era Flowering Shrubs"
11/15 Bob Hammond "A Local Paradise-The Ivy Creek Natural Area"
1/17 Ian Robertson "English Cottage Gardens"
2/21 Amy Barton "Waterwise Gardening"
3/21 Jim Weirich "Peony Meadows Gardens"
4/18 Maude Henne TBA
5/16 Al Minutolo Roses
6/20 Annual Picnic

The Vice President stated copies of the September Gardening Tips,
Timely Tips and Applications for New Members were available at the
back of the room. He talked about the Piedmont Master Gardening Help
Desk which answers gardening questions and helps to identify plants
for the public. He encouraged all members to seek new members for the
Horticulture Club by discussing our 2005-06 Program and our goals.

Dot Clark, Treasurer, stated that as of June the account balance was
$280.44, and with 8 paid couples and 3 paid singles, the new balance
was $485.44.

Maude Henne announced that she was the new President of the
Southeastern Region of the American Conifer Society. She stated the
next meeting will be held in Roanoke, VA, on September 30 and
October
1, 2005. The Society will visit four places: Va Tech, two private
gardens and Western Virginia Community College.

President Rushia stated that everyone was welcome to help in the
Senior Center Rose Garden. She also said that although our webmaster
had moved to Oregon, she would continue to update our website.

The President stated that the rental contract for the Senior Center
has been deferred for now. The cost is $40.00 rental per meeting.
She also asked if anyone would be interested in organizing a trip
to
the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. or the Lewis Ginter
Botanical Gardens in Richmond.

Vice President Al Minutolo introduced the evening's speaker, Pamela
Peltier. Ms. Peltier is a member of a local a garden club, member
of
the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, master gardener, master
flower show judge, author and landscape designer. She willingly
shares her horticulture knowledge and gardening expertise through
lecturing and teaching. She presented a slide show on her trip to
France and Italy highlighting "Gardens of the Mediterranean". It was
very interesting to see how familiar plants are grown and used
differently in the landscape in other parts of the world and that
gardens as we define them rarely exist. She was a delightful speaker
who shared her knowledge of botanical names and plant habitat in the
Mediterranean.

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectively submitted,

Sherry Minutolo