Quail Valley Garden Club

Phase 2 City Centre Landscaping Announced

The Quail Valley Garden Club continues with a landscaping project at City Centre at Quail Valley first began in February 2013 with tree planting. Working with City Centre's Tyson Stittleburg our Beautification Committee continues its mission of enhancing public spaces.

Enhancing the public’s enjoyment of City Centre is the goal of Phase 2 Project between City Centre and Quail Valley Garden Club. Mary Chan, Beautification Chair of the QV Garden Club said, “City Centre is a beautiful facility that the people of Missouri City feel pride. We wanted the landscaping to reflect the architectural beauty of the building."

 

Pictured in the beautiful arches of City Centre are committee members Mary Chan and Nancy Lindsay; City Councilman Floyd Emery; QVGC President Barbara Thompson; and City Centre General Manager Tyson Stittleburg.

A "Before" Picture . . .

Mary Chan continues, "A bare parking lot detracted from the public’s initial impression. Our plan is to continue landscaping until the areas surrounding the City Centre reflect the quality of the building.

We gave 14 large Live Oaks in the spring under Arbor Day Chair, Jerre Anne Wagner. The planted trees are thriving, but the parking areas detract from overall first impression.

We felt we needed to get started and not wait for the old cart barn to be demolished because that will be a project that will involve multiple civic groups and more phases. We wanted to do something we could start now so it could be growing and enchancing the public's experience of City Centre, which is becoming a popular event facility.”

The Concept . . .

The concept is using plants proven to perform in the doubly harsh conditions of the Texas Gulf Coast and a parking lot environment. The design includes easy-to-care  plants and trees as well as plants that span the seasons. Using the elements of color, texture, varying heights of plantings and rocks to define areas, we want to soften the parking area with beauty, color and more shade."

Quail Valley Garden Club's commitment to community service:

President Barbara Thompson continues, "Overall, in 2012-13, the Quail Valley Garden Club funded $11,300 of community projects, of which $4,500 were scholarships. Our fund raising to fund these projects are geared toward community appearance in our community, homes and gardens as well."

Quail Valley Garden Club is currently taking pre-orders for caladium bulbs through October 31. You can save money by pre-ordering by October 31, 2013, but no payment is due until delivery in March, 2014. Contact Nancy Lindsay at 281 499-2047 for ordering information. We're introducing a new smaller red strap caladium this year. Here's the short story of lasting summer beauty. All photos are taken in Missouri City after a punishing summer of record days over 95 and 100, high humidity and low rain.

Or to see more detailed caladium bulb pictures and information, press here.

 

For examples of our community service, press here and scroll down.

September 2013 Meeting

 Welcome Back! Let's say people were ready for gardening with 44 members present as well as 2 guests!

Coffee at 9:30 . . .

 

Come to "coffee time" at 9:30 so that you can "catch up" and have the break to see even more friends!

 

 

Members Sydrah Williams, Mally Samee and Joan Fox were excited to see friends!

 

Jackie Walker, Jo Ann Mayhall and LaJune McCrea check out the "Swap Table."

 Program

President Barbara Thompson, Speaker and Master Gardener Same Guardiola, and Program Chair Rose Ann Acosta started off the new year with a great meeting on Composting 101!

 

 

New Inspiration Chair Linda Walker led in the Pledge of Allegiance
and provided just the right touch of inspiration!

 

 

Sam had great real life examples in his slides, 4 terrific hand outs and a conversational manner of presenting his subject with lots of practical illustrations on composting. A talk that helped novice or veteran, Sam presented the basics and some new twists on building your own.

 If you have composting questions, contact Sam at [email protected]

Caladium Sale Kick Off

Caladium Chair Rose Ann Acosta kicked off our caladium sales directly after the meeting.
She introduced a new red strap we'll be offering.

 For information on buying or selling caladiums, press here.

For learning more about growing and planting caladiums, press here.

Break and more social . . .

 

Our hostesses: Ann Caraway, Gretchen Cockerill, Social Chair Pat Jones, Lu Lu De La Mora, Patty McKeever, and LaJune McCrea provided great food and fellowship.

 

Business Meeting

One of two business meetings we have a year, Membership Chair Jo Ann Mayhall gave our member count and Treasurer Judy Belt provided our bank balance. Janice Scanlan presented the budget for 2013-14, which was accepted without opposition. In re-capping last year's budget and recording setting fund-raising, she said we gave $11,300 in community service, of which $4,500 went to scholarships.

Committee Announcements

Nancy Lindsay presented the September Yard of the Month as well as the June, July and August winners. Pictures from our August winner are on our Caladium Flier. Nancy mentioned how consistent the gardens of the winners are as well as most of the winners do all of some of the work themselves. To see these beautiful gardens, press here.

 

Mary Chan (right) Beautification Chair presented Phase 2 Concept making the entry through the parking lot at City Centre as attractive as the building itself. Mary, Nancy Lindsay and Barbara Thompson worked this summer with Tyson Stittleberg of City Centre so that we could begin planting later this fall. Shirley Renfrow helped Mary with her rendering and pictures of the beds to be landscaped to make the parking lot more verdant and pleasing to the public.

 

To see more about this project, press here.

 

Yearbook: Another beauty. Our Yearbook has won many awards under Shirley Renfrow. It's a major undertaking and involves many committees and moving parts. It's extremely useful to have a reference. Yearbook is a summer project by Patty McKeever, Danielle Tope and Shirley Renfrow.

 

New Members:

Donna DeRouen is pictured on the left. Our other new member is Lynn Hinshaw. Lynn was our June Yard of the Month receipient.

Guests:

Pictured on the right is Michelle Sims. I failed to get a picture of our other guest Joan Watson, who was Anne McBride's guest.

Next month's program is on lawn care . . . if there is a man in your life who is interested, please invite them. Contact Rose Ann Acosta at 281 437-2234 in case she needs to re-configure the room for a crowd!

Happy Gardening!

2013 Scholarship Winners

by Lynn Ellis, Scholarship Chair

Our Scholarship Committee reviews candidates for tuition scholarships each year. Each committee member reviews the applications independently before the group agrees on the winners.

Our college receipient has to major in Horticulture or a gardening-related subject. He or she must be a junior or above.

 

Cassie Warren related that there aren't
that many tuition scholarships available.

Cassie Warren is our college scholarship recipient. 

Cassie has just completed her first semester of graduate studies in Horticulture at A&M.  She plans to graduate with a Masters of Science in Horticulture.  Last summer she received the Lloyd Noble Ag Scholar Internship from the Noble Foundation.   During the regular school year, she is a student worker in the Plant Pathology & Microbiology Department where she helps with agriculture research.  She also works as a landscaper at the Wesley Foundation and has a Research Assistantship with Texas AgriLife.  She is active in the Horticulture Club, where she attended the regional and national conferences of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences in Alabama and Hawaii, respectively.  She also competed in the judging of horticulture commodities and served as Vice President of the Association of Collegiate Branches. 

Our high school winners are deserving young people with any major who are well-rounded academically, active in groups, and show leadership.

 

Joel Johnson's big smile reflects his thanks for his award.

Joel Johnson is the Elkins High School recipient.

Joel came to this country from India in the 8^th grade.  The family moved to Missouri City when Joel was in the 11^th grade. 

Since he started at Elkins, he has worked hard to master the English language and to excel academically.  He is placed in the top quarter of his graduating class.  His on campus activities include being on the Varsity Tennis Team, Varsity Choir, Student Council, Key Club, Habitat for Humanity, Teens Educating Against Racism, and the Desi Student Association. 

He is also a member of Youth in Philanthropy where he is a student volunteer at Sugar Land Methodist Hospital and the Houston Food Bank.  Honors he has achieved are being selected for the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society.  He is involved in his church’s youth group and choir.  Joel hopes to attend U of H Downtown and major in respiratory care and eventually acquire his masters to become a physician assistant.

 

Joel is pictured with his father at the luncheon.

 

 

 

 

Our members enjoy hearing about our college recipient's horticulture interests and the programs they have worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penny Johnson, Elkins HS Principal Barbara Whitaker and QVGC President Barbara Thompson.

 

 

To learn more about our scholarship process and requirements, press here.

 

Scholarship Chair Lynn Ellis
and Cassie Warren.

 

May 9, 2013 Installation of New Officers

Jo Ann Mayhall and Sharon Wright greet guests with beautiful flowers!

Mary Chan (L) poses with Gretchen Cockerill.
Mary was responsible for the beautiful flower arrangements on the tables that were given as door prizes.

Scholarship Chair Lynn Ellis presents Texas A&M Horticulture graduate student Cassie Warren
and Elkins HS winner Joel Johnson, who plans to be a physician's assistant.

Mary Francis Ashmore conducted the installation of new officers. She substituted for Founding President Patsy Armbruster, who developed a theme around what tree represents each office.

Mary Francis related that when she was QVGC President, no one had volunteered to head an auction fund raiser. Patsy stepped up and helped her. Mary Francis said, "this was the least I could do for Patsy," whose husband Cliff was gravely ill. Patsy lost Cliff shortly after the installation.

New officers right to left, Barbara Thompson, President; Rose Ann Acosta, First VP/Programs;
Jo Ann Mayhall, Second VP/Membership; Judy Pasadyn, Recording Secretary;
Jerre Anne Wagner, Corresponding Secretary; Judy Belt, Treasurer; Penny Johnson, Parliamentarian.

President Barbara Thompson, as both outgoing and incoming President, wanted to recognize our great year of friendship and working together. Both our Caladium Sales and Backyard Tour set many records.

 Nancy Lindsay, Ways & Means Chair - - Caladium Sales related our club worked hard and had record-breaking sales. Nancy related that it was a tremendous group effort that made her job easy. She recognized the number 1 seller, Joan Fox, our famous red-head!

Corresponding Secretary Jerre Anne Wagner pictured with Number 1 Caladium Seller Joan Fox.
Joan received a gift of appreciation from QVGC.

Backyard Tour Chair, Janice Scanlan (on right, pictured with L- R) Gretchen Cockerill and Joyce Smith, recognized our Tour Sponsors, whose support keeps us from losing money if we have a rain-out. Besides record crowds and proceeds this year for this celebration of gardening, our Tour had more than 50 volunteers plus our garden owners and families,
providing opportunities to make new friends both inside and outside the club.

Guests from Elkins HS included (L - R) Counselor Jennifer Glover, Principal Barbara Whitaker,
Scholarship Recipient Joel Johnson, Joel's father Mr. Johnson, and Scholarship Chair Lynn Ellis.

To read the details about both of our scholarship award winners, press here.

2013 Backyard Garden Tour record setting success!

 

Attendees at Preview Party for garden owners and volunteers.

 

A Sweet Pea Vine was an example of
"winter, early spring blooms" still going strong.

Our April 27, 2013, Backyard Tour set records for attendance in spite of the light showers through the day.

At 3:50 PM with the tour scheduled to close at 4 PM, people were still arriving to view gardens. The heavens were already starting to part; but I feel certain had the rains not broken through, people would have viewed gardens until 5 PM!

An unusual spring with daytime warmth, cooler than usual nights, and mostly gentle rains, produced a garden variety of winter, spring and summer plants all growing together. There were so many "what's that?" questions.

Moreover, each garden had a unique signature of plants. While there was some overlap, people didn't want to miss the unusual plants and many ways of using native and well-adapted plants so attendance at every garden was very even.

If you didn't see our story on what's blooming taken shortly before the tour or just re-enjoy the pictures, click here to feast your eyes.

2014 Tour is April 26, 2014. Mark your calendar!

 

 

Thanks to our Sponsors!

 

2013 Sponsors . . .

Platinum Plus Sponsor:
Lane Pearson, Realtor® of
Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene
713 857-4416

Gold Sponsors:
Hal Elrod, Realtor®, Keller Williams Southwest, 281 798-3853
Quail Valley Proud
Janice Scanlan, Marketing, 713 301-3181
 
Silver Sponsors:
Becky Faust, Realtor®,  Re-Max Fine Properties  713 828-9007
Alamo Landscape Services, 281 686-8645
Quail Valley Fund HOA

Bronze Sponsors:
Joanne L. Gore, CPA

In-kind sponsors:
Roddy Chambless at University Copy Center, 713-741-5200