THE COMPOST!Ladies of the Club: !As we approach the end of our “garden club year”, I feel very focused on our responsibilities for the Zone X Meeting in June. I hope you do as well! As we graciously welcome our visitors, host the business meeting, and show off our city, we also will be presenting a significant flower show. I applaud those who have led these efforts and I am grateful to all of you who will make the Zone Meeting and Flower Show a great success! !In addition to the Zone Meeting activities in the next two and half months, we will have our final membership meeting at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in April, and our GCC Annual Meeting in May. Debbie Fitzgerald has organized an informative meeting with Jim Bissell that will probably be our last meeting in the current CMNH space. It is an exciting time for the Museum and it will be good to sense the energy there. Our Annual Meeting is a month earlier this year to accommodate the Zone Meeting in June. We will meet at the Shivericks’ barn on Tuesday, May 26th. Please note the date change from the Green Book. !While many have been out of town off and on this winter, we had an interesting February with a focus on water issues. Melanie Biche, our Conservation chair, organized a meeting on storm water run-off research being conducted by the Cleveland Botanical Garden as well as an evening conversation about the state of Lake Erie and algae blooms. !Claudia Fulton organized a “flash” meeting at the new downtown Heinen’s in early March. This was well attended and enjoyed by all! The creative re-purposing of a Cleveland landmark, wine tasting, and the camaraderie of GCC members, it was a success! Watch your email for other casual opportunities later this spring. !I look forward to seeing all of you in the months ahead! !Brooke !!!!

THE GARDEN CLUB OF CLEVELAND

SPRING 2015

Now that spring is here, the Zone Meeting is just around the corner – just about 2 months to go! We are so exited about the programs and tours that have been set up. We want our GCC members to all feel connected to all of the Zone Meeting activities, so we will publish a “special edition” Compost in early May — focused exclusively on Zone Meeting happenings! It will include information about the Flower Show, the schedule of events, and all of the opportunities to be involved. Stay tuned and please stay connected!* In the meantime, thank you to all who have worked so diligently over the past months to ensure the Zone Meeting is a special time for our delegates and guests to Cleveland!

* Stay Connected! ~ Dale Naylor & Margaret Wilson

THE COMPOST

Zone Meeting Flash!

3

Flower Arranging Workshops with Lorna Mierke !

Just three more opportunities to consult with Lorna Mierke

on your entry in the Flower Show at the Zone Meeting in June! !

Lorna will be available for consultation on Thursday, April 30th … Thursday, May 21st …

& Wednesday, June 17th at her home at 1:00 p.m. !

Please send your check in the amount of $30 to Lorna one week prior to each class. !

We Are on Facebook! !We want to share updates with you! !

If you are a Facebook user, you can join “The Garden Club of Cleveland Zone X

Meeting” Group. !Simply login to your Facebook page, search for our group, and ask to join.

Or, click here.

!2

Hort Happenings … A MUST Read!! !The big news for Spring 2015 is that we are preparing for an outstanding Zone X Meeting and Flower Show! June will come quickly, so we urge you to take a look at the Horticulture classes, which will be very fun to enter. Our gardens will be bursting with color by that time. The upcoming “special edition” Compost will feature many details about the Flower Show and ways to be involved. In the meantime, be sure to check out the Flower Show schedule, which is posted on the GCA website. Simply logon to the Member Area and click on this link to view the schedule:

https://www.gcamerica.org/_uploads/filemanager/common/document/ZoneX/2015ZoneFSSchedule/FS%20FINAL_plusCovrCorrected.pdf

Many of the classes have unlimited entry and it’s not too late to get started! So please consider entering your gourmet greens, culinary herbs, or even an urban pollinator container garden! Questions? We are ready to help! Please contact:

• Consultant: Classes 1-17, and 25-29: Gene Rucker, 440.247.6420, genebrucker@gmail.com

• Consultant: Classes 18-24 and 30-38: Mary Reynolds, 440.423.0204, reynoldsmm@aol.com !We are eager to make it easy for you to enter and prepare for the Flower Show. One way we will do this is to offer the ‘horticulture entry cards’ before the Show - so you can conveniently fill them out at home. These cards will be available for you to pick up at the April 21st meeting at Cleveland Museum of Natural History and at the Annual Meeting on May 26th. This task can now be taken care of before you drop off your specimen for the show.

~ Deb Fitzgerald

THE COMPOST

The Style Section GCC Aprons! !

We have purchased 50 aprons with our new GCC logo embroidered on them. 25 of these are for our clerks at the Zone Flower Show. Please consider helping us defray the costs of dressing our clerks in style! Whether you are working on a floral design or just cooking dinner … everyone could use a new apron! !The aprons are full length with 3 pockets across the front and long ties and are $25.00 each - please makes checks payable to the Garden Club of Cleveland. They will be available at the April and May membership meetings. Any questions, please give me a call at 440.552.4045.

~ Lisa McConnell

!3

THE COMPOST

Drink Up Ladies…. Your Empties Are Needed! !!

For the Zone X Flower Show, we are still in need of some large green glass bottles:

Perrier or San Pellegrino in the750ml size.

Please contact Mary Reynolds if you are able to contribute your empty bottles. Thank you!

reynoldsmm@aol.com or 440.423.0204

Important Vote! at GCC Annual Meeting

!We will vote at the Annual Meeting to amend

The Garden Club of Cleveland Code of Regulations in compliance with recent

Garden Club of America rules concerning Provisional Members.

Don’t Miss A Thing! Keep our Green Book Current !

Please review your address, phone number, and email address listed in the

Green Book to be sure we have your correct contact information. If there are any changes, please send the corrected

information to Paula Coleman: pwscoleman@gmail.com. Thank you!

Stay Connected…. with your GCC website !

We hope you are enjoying our GCC website! If you have not had a chance to visit the site recently, you will find a calendar of

events, archived Compost newsletters, fun photos, and more! !To access the Members’ Only section of our website: !

Website: www.gardenclubofcleveland.org User ID: gccmember Password: daisies2014

! 4

Important Date Change! GCC Annual Meeting !

The date of the Garden Club of Cleveland 2015 Annual Meeting has changed. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 26th. !

The time and location remain the same: 11:30am

The Shiverick Barn, 2710 Chagrin River Road, Hunting Valley !

Annual Meeting Optional Hike In Search of Mushrooms & Other Wild Edibles !

Following the Annual Meeting and Picnic Luncheon at the Shiverick Barn, there will be an optional short hike (weather permitting) led by

Jeremy Umansky, pictured on the right. !Jeremy is Chef Jonathon Sawyer’s “Master Larder & Wild Food

Forager” at Trentina Restaurant, and is passionate about foraging for mushrooms and other wild edible plants. He will lead us on one of his regular routes up behind the Shiverick Barn and enlighten us on the

variety of delicacies to be found in the wild. !PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR APPROPRIATE SHOES FOR MUD & TALL GRASS.

THE COMPOST

Mushroom Matters… !There are over 2,000 kinds of mushrooms in Ohio. Some are poisonous and others are edible and delicious. Jeremy Umansky seeks the edible (and delicious) varieties, allowing Chef Sawyer to serve seventy species of wild fungi and use over 180 wild plants that grow in the region at Trentina. 

Edible vs. Poisonous…. • Poisonous mushrooms tarnish a silver

spoon….. FALSE • If it peels, you can eat it ….. FALSE • All mushrooms growing on wood are

edible …. FALSE • All white mushrooms are safe … FALSE

(In Ohio, the most common “deadly” mushrooms” are white!)

Know your mushrooms!!

Source: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/HYG_3303_14.pdf

!5

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND

say Hello to Heinen's... ON THE CORNER OF EAST 9TH STREET & EUCLID AVENUE

!On March 12, sixteen GCC members had a very special wine tasting and tour of the new downtown Heinen’s. Jeff Heinen organized a wine presentation by Ed Thompkins, the wine and beer buyer for Heinen’s. We met Ed on the 2nd floor of the store in the beer and wine department, looking down on the beautiful first floor — filled with cases of delicious take out foods and looking up to the magnificent dome - shining and so colorful. That day the store was filled with many shoppers and “lookers” alike! !Ed had cabernet, pinot noir, shiraz, pinot grigio, and several other varieties for us to sample and in most cases drink! Many of us bought the various wines to take home. We munched on cheeses that paired well with the wines as Ed talked about his research and shopping for the stores — a constantly changing and evolving task. !After the tasting, Ed showed us around the store, pointing out the different sections — among them his favorite, the cheese section! The store has tables for dining, as “take out “is a wonderful offering for the downtown shoppers – people can grab a bite before a play, ballgame or concert. !I hope everyone gets downtown to see this wonderful addition to Cleveland’s renaissance — cheers and many thanks to Heinen’s for a fun day and a job well done! !~ Claudia Fulton !!

THE COMPOST

Wine tasting & tour of downtown Heinen’s was

enjoyed by all!

! 6

An Update! Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve !

The Port has begun a five-year management plan for the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve. To commence the project, Davey Tree will conduct a mapping of the entire site this month. Implementation of Phase One will begin at the end of the summer and will focus on treating phragmites along the trail from the Meadow to the Overlook and then reseeding and planting quickly to establish natives. I am on the Advisory Committee along with representatives from Davey Tree, CMNH, CBG, Metroparks, Soil and Water Conservation, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes and the Lepidoptery Society. We will meet one or two times as the plan unfolds. The goal is to make the area even more “native “ and attractive to people and birds alike! !I hope you all will get to the Preserve this season: see the benches along the trail that feature plaques that acknowledge GCC for our support of the Preserve and walk the many trails that have been opened to enjoy the sounds and sights of spring returning! !~ Claudia Fulton

THE COMPOST

Cleveland Lakefront

Nature Preserve

!7

February NAL Meeting In Washington, D.C.

Ladies,  !The  Garden  Club  of  America  NAL  (National  Affairs  and  Legislation)  meeting  was  an  amazing  experience.    I  had  no  idea  what  to  expect,  but  I  am  so  incredibly  glad  I  went!    It  was  two  and  a  half  days  chock  full  of  information  and  incredible,  knowledgeable  speakers.    In  this  difEicult  time  of  gridlock  in  Washington,  the  NAL  Meeting  truly  renewed  my  faith  that  we  as  individuals  and  community  members  can  make  a  difference  if  we  get  educated  and  involved,  speak  out,  and  contact  our  legislators!  !On  the  way  from  Dulles  to  my  hotel,  I  read  an  article  about  the  Pentagon’s  concerns  about  climate  change.    Rear  Admiral  Jonathan  White,  Oceanographer  and  Navigator  of  the  Navy  and  Director  of  the  Navy’s  Task  Force  on  Climate  Change  was  extensively  quoted  in  the  article.    On  day  one  of  the  meeting,  he  was  one  of  our  speakers.    It  felt  very  serendipitous!  !Highlights  of  the  Meeting:  !Climate  change  was  one  of  the  big  topics  of  the  meeting.    Speakers  such  as  Gene  Karpinski,  President  of  the  League  of  Conservation  Voters,  and  Senator  Sheldon  Whitehouse  (D-­‐RI),  spoke  of  the  urgent  need  to  address  climate  change  on  a  federal  level.    !The  Land  and  Water  Conservation  Fund  (LWCF),  enacted  in  1964,  expires  in  September  of  this  year.    The  LWCF  is  a  conservation  program  that  provides  funds  for  parks  and  recreation  facilities,  historical  sites,  and  wildlife  habitats  in  all  50  states.    It  has  bipartisan  support.    Each  of  us  can  help  insure  this  important  program  is  reauthorized  by  contacting  our  legislators!  !2016  is  the  100-­‐year  anniversary  of  our  National  Park  Service.    Festivities  begin  this  month!    Our  national  parks  need  help  securing  funding  and  GCA  is  partnering  with  NPS  to  educate  and  engage  the  public  in  order  to  usher  in  the  next  century  with  an  emphasis  on  stewardship,  conservation  and  preservation.    For  more  information,  visit  nationalparks.org.  !Our  pollinators  are  in  peril.    GCA  is  actively  encouraging  members  to  “plant  for  pollinators”,  reduce  pesticide  use,  and  educate  others.      !The  Clean  Water  Act  governs  discharges  of  pollutants  into  US  waters.    Current  legislation  is  underway  to  deEine  which  waters  can  be  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  EPA.    GCA  advocates  for  the  broad  jurisdiction  by  the  EPA  of  lakes,  rivers,  and  streams  under  the  Act.    Once  again,  contact  your  legislators  to  advocate  for  this  important  legislation  impacting  clean  water.  !Educating  future  conservationists:    One  of  our  primary  goals  as  conservationists  must  be  to  educate  our  children  about  the  important  conservation  issues  impacting  us  today.    In  order  to  do  this,  we  need  to  get  children  outside,  connect  them  with  the  natural  world  and  educate  them  on  the  importance  of  protecting  our  environment.  !Ladies,  I  will  reiterate  what  an  amazing  experience  the  NAL  meeting  was.    If  you  have  any  questions  or  would  like  any  more  information,  please  feel  free  to  contact  me.    I  am  very  appreciative  of  the  opportunity  to  have  attended  this  outstanding  meeting!                    ~  Melanie  Biche’  

THE COMPOST

! 8

THE COMPOST

From The GCA Website National Affairs & Legislation and Conservation Committees !

From the time of its founding, GCA has been an active force in the promotion of environmental awareness and the preservation of natural resources. In 1921, one of the four founding GCA members testified before Congress on behalf of the parks of Washington, DC. The Conservation Committee was one of the earliest GCA committees established, and many GCA members were active in the 1930s in the battle to save the redwoods. !In the 1960s, as the environmental movement grew strongly in response to growing alarm about pollution and species loss, the GCA's legislative involvement grew along with it. In June, 1969, the National Affairs and Legislation Committee was established as a separate entity from the Conservation Committee. In the words of Mrs. Thomas M. Waller, a primary founder and former GCA president, the purpose of NAL is to "bring to the attention of the membership important legislative proposals in Washington which fall within the fields of our endeavor." !The NAL and Conservation Committees work in tandem to enhance the GCA mission to "restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement." Although NAL and Conservation committees meet together, their purposes and functions are different. NAL follows in detail legislation that ultimately affects the above purpose, while Conservation provides education on the environmental issues themselves. Conservation Committee members work with youth, member clubs, and the general public to promote local conservation projects and responsible environmental stewardship. !

Preservation of native habitats is a concern of the NAL and Conservation Committees

!9

Come Walk with Your GCC Friends! !Our final hike this spring is Friday morning, May 8th, to Lake Erie Bluffs, the newest park in the Lake Metropark system. Lake Erie Bluffs is the recipient of the National Conservation Award and is a mix of beach bluffs with open sandy beach areas hosting many of the park’s rare plants.  This 600 acre park is attractive to migratory birds, Steelhead fishermen and folks interested in a beautiful lake view. !We will meet at 9:30am in the Kirtland Country Club parking lot, where we will carpool to the Perry Township park. !Please let me know if there’s space on your calendar for this. !It has been a pleasure to hike throughout the wonderful parks of Northeastern Ohio with my Garden Club of Cleveland friends - thank you to all who have journeyed afield with me! !

~ Paula Coleman pwscoleman@gmail.com !

THE COMPOST

! 10

T H E C O M P O S TTHE COMPOST

Common Reed Grass (Phragmites) Phragmites australis ssp. australis !!

DESCRIPTION Common reed grass is a tall, perennial wetland grass, 5-10 feet in height. Both native and introduced Phragmites are found in Ohio. The introduced Phragmites forms a dense network of rhizomes with deep roots. Vertical stalks arise from the rhizomes forming dense colonies. The stiff, hollow stalks support elongate and flat 1 ½ to 2 inch wide leaves. Flowers form bushy panicles in late July and August and are usually purple or golden in color. As seeds mature, the panicles begin to look “fluffy” due to the hairs on the seeds and they take on a grey sheen. !It is difficult to distinguish native Phragmites from the introduced. However, a number of morphological characteristics have been identified that can be used to determine a population’s type. Characteristics that separate the native from the introduced Phragmites include stems that are smooth, shiny and often purplish, and short ligules between 1-1.7 mm in length, for the native type. !Introduced common reed grass is thought to have arrived in North America accidentally, most likely in ballast material in the late 18th or early 19th centuries. It established itself along the Atlantic coast and over the course of the 20th century, spread across the continent. In Ohio, the introduced subspecies is found throughout the state with it being more common in northern half. !INVASIVE CHARACTERISTICS Common reed grass quickly invades a site and can take over a marsh community, crowding out native plants, changing marsh hydrology, altering wildlife habitat, and increasing fire potential. Its tall stems and dense growth pattern block light to other plants and its rhizomes spread rapidly across the soil surface (10-20 feet in length), creating a monoculture stand. Phragmites can spread to new areas by seed dispersal and vegetative rhizome fragments. It had been thought for years that Phragmites did not produce many viable seeds, but recent research at The Ohio State University has documented that seeds are typically viable and germinate in mudflat conditions (Campbell 2010). !Source: http://www.oipc.info/FactSheets/5Factsheetcommonreedgrass.pdf

!11

The speakers at February’s GCC Conservation Evening addressed the formation of algae blooms in Lake Erie and discussed the contributing factors. Agricultural runoff in the Maumee River Basin is the most significant issue, but this is a concern for our entire region. In March, Marcy Kaptur announced that Ohio will receive $6,000,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative monies for projects that prevent runoff and protect wetlands and streams. The bulk of the grant will go to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency but almost half will go to the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc. and Western Reserve Land Conservancy. This is truly an issue in our own backyards! For more info: !http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/03/ohio_projects_get_more_than_6.html

THE COMPOST

Lake Erie Water Quality, Lake Health, Algal Blooms

& How We Can Affect Positive Change

GCA Plant of the Year !Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak, has been named Plant of

the Year by The Garden Club of America (GCA). Annually since 1995, the GCA has identified a stellar North American

native plant to receive its Montine McDaniel Freeman Medal for Plant of the Year. !

Bur Oak is noted for its beautiful shape, long horizontal branches and tolerance for pollution, drought, wind and

cold. Hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8 and parts of Texas, the tree often reaches 100 feet at maturity and commonly lives 200-plus years. Nine-inch, fiddle-shaped, dark green leaves

turn yellow-brown to russet in fall, and the fringed-cap acorns are the largest of all native oaks. !

“Oaks are critical in supporting native pollinators and providing food and shelter for wildlife,” says Alice Thomas of the GCA. “This outstanding specimen is ideal for parks, street-side locations and large yards,” she says. Bur Oak was nominated for the award by a member of Garden Club of

Cincinnati. !For more info: http://gcamerica.org/index.cfm?

action=news.get&id=453

Bur Oak, GCA Plant of the Year 2015

! 12

Spring has Sprung! ! !

THE COMPOST

#firsttobloom Brooke Garratt’s Iris Reticula,

from the GCC bulb sale

“My whole life has been spent waiting for an epiphany, a manifestation of God’s presence, the kind of transcendent, magical experience that lets you see your place in the big picture. And that is what I had

with my first compost heap.” !~ Bette Midler, quoted in the Los Angeles Times

Gardener’s Hand Salve !As lovely as digging in the soil feels come spring,

working with our hands (and vigorously scrubbing afterward) can leave them cracked and dry. !

4 Tbs grated beeswax 4 Tbs coconut oil 8 Tbs almond oil 25 drops lavender essential oil 10 drops tea tree oil 6 drops spearmint oil !1. In a double boiler, melt beeswax. 2. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and

almond oils, then essential oils. 3. Pour into a small jar and let cool before

putting on the lid. 4. Massage into hands as needed. Enjoy! !~ Source: Mother Earth Living March / April 2015

!13

News From Holden Trees, Plants, and Wine…

!Arbor Day: April 24-26th — Arbor Day is the annual observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care. Holden will celebrate with a weekend filled with activities, as well as a Scientist Lecture and story times for children held at regional libraries. Free admission all weekend! !Plant Sale: May 15-17th — Talk to the experts and tour the gardens to discover ways to enhance your home landscape. This year's sale will feature Holden propagated and grown wildflowers as well as selections of woody plants, perennials, annuals, herbs, container plants, garden accessories and wood crafts from area vendors. New! Sharpen Your Garden Tools! For a reasonable fee, reps of the Cleveland Knife Sharpeners Guild will be on hand to sharpen your non-electric garden tools. Be sure to catch Member Preview: Friday, May 15, 12-6pm! !Bouquet Wine Tasting: May 30th — Thousands of spring blooms become a picturesque backdrop for an evening of sampling a variety of international, domestic and regional wines accompanied by great food and live music. Dress for the weather!

News From CBG Calling All Photographers! !

Cleveland Botanical Garden is calling all photographers to submit their best tree photo to the Branch Out Photography

Competition!

This is your chance to display your work to thousands of Clevelanders who will visit the Garden’s special summer experience, Branch Out – a show of interactive treehouses and

themed nature exploration. All entries will be on display at the Garden throughout the run of the show, May 23 – August 23, and each entrant will receive two complimentary guest passes

per photo submitted. Winners in competitive categories will receive fabulous prizes!

For official rules and an entry form, click here. All entry forms must be completed and submitted by May 10, 2015.

THE COMPOST

! 14

!Mark Your Calendars!!!

Upcoming GCC Events !

Horticulture Meeting Save the Habitats! Preserving Endangered Habitats in Northeast Ohio

Jim Bissell, Curator of Botany, Cleveland Museum of Natural History April 21, 2015 at 9:30am

Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, OH

** Following the meeting, stay to visit the herbarium and Woods Garden, weather permitting.** !Hort Meeting RSVP to Mary Reynolds: reynoldsmm@aol.com or 440.423.0204 !!

The GCC Annual Meeting Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 11:30am

Luncheon and Meeting The Shiverick Barn

2710 Chagrin River Road, Hunting Valley *Optional hike to follow, weather permitting*

**Please note: this date has changed from what is printed in the Green Book.** !Annual Meeting RSVP to Nancy McGuinnis: crossmanla@aol.com or 440.448.7008 !!!

  Other Upcoming Events !

Arbor Day April 24 - 26

Holden Arboretum !Holden Plant Sale

May 15 - 17 Holden Arboretum !

Branch Out! May 23 - August 23

Cleveland Botanical Garden !August 24th, article submission deadline for Late Summer Compost

THE COMPOST

!15