January Meeting is cancelled due to COVID.

From the President:

I regret to inform you but I feel that I must cancel the Garden Club meeting this month due to Covid.  I’m nervous about the heightened  “RED” category so   am playing it safe.  Safety & Health First!  I look forward to more & more people being vaccinated in the upcoming months so we can safely meet again. 

February Meeting is cancelled due to COVID.

From the President:

I am going to be cautious again this month; many have had at least Dose 1 and some Dose 2 of the vaccine. 

Hopefully by the March meeting, the majority will be vaccinated and we can again meet safely.

First off, if you weren’t aware, the winter storm of Valentine’s Week was named Uri! And now, we're facing a horticultural Armageddon.

There’s a lot of misinformation being shared on the internet, but what’s below are rock-solid rules that will help you decide what to work on first, when to have patience, and what stays and what goes.

Join us to hear 9 practical ways of dealing with your frozen yard disaster!

See more info below...

 Linda Gay is in the house this month instead of Gerry Aitken.  The Museum of Fine Arts won't allow their docents to make presentations during COVID.

When Linda became the director at Mercer Arboretum she was quoted: “I don’t spend much time in the office. The garden is not in the office. I’m a hands-on person, and I want to continue learning. 15 years at Mercer are the most wonderful experience for a horticulturist: doing things with plants, educating the public, helping gardeners become better gardeners, helping newcomers.” And true to her words, she never stops teaching others how to grow plants.

Visit her at her Linked in page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-gay-9b56a12b/detail/recent-activity.  Linda will speak on “Gardening for Butterflies and Hummingbirds.”  

Oh my what a year!   We haven't had our normal meetings and socialization.... so we are due for a BIG party. Come  join us under the tent in Linda'a backyard.  A true garden party is in store and the food will be amazing and the champagne will be flowing.  Let's say Good-Bye to COVID and mix and mingle like the old days. 

Angela Chandler is in the house discussing "Companion Plants to Roses".  Her program will enlighten us on what to pair with our beloved ROSE.

We will also have the Installation of New Officers. Marie Fuller will be master of ceremony and assist us with getting those ladies installed for the next year.  Judy Childress has the Scholarship Recipients coming where she will award them with their $2,000 check. They will also speak on their thesis.   AND the Ginnie Russell Award will be awarded by Connie Bingham.    Reservations are required for this event.

Angela comes to us from “The Garden Academy, teaching gardening and micro-homesteading, Gulf Coast style.” She is a lifelong gardener with a passion for learning and for teaching. She and her husband Fred enjoy a half acre micro-homestead in Highlands, Texas, where they grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and bee-friendly plants. They have chickens, beehives, and pet goats.

Angela is a frequent guest on Randy Lemmon’s Gardenline (KTRH-AM radio), a member of the Garden Writers Association, and a retired Texas Master Gardener and Texas Master Naturalist. At The Arbor Gate Nursery in Tomball, Texas, she currently teaches classes, provides a wide variety of horticultural advice, and handles their monthly blog. 

Angela can be found at www.thegardenacademy.com or the Garden Academy Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thegardenacadem

50 YEARS YOUNG!!!  Happy Anniversary Sugar Creek Garden Club.

Half a century ago, they say, a wonderful club began that day, 

beautiful people joined as one, and worked together to make it fun.

We celebrate now these fifty years, 

We raise our glasses and give three cheers, 

We are friends for life in both work and play,

It's our honor to share this Golden Day.

Michael Merritt will be the program speaker.  Michael works for the Texas A&M Forest Service, since 1999 as a Regional Community Forester.  Prior to the that, he worked in residential tree care, worked as a HL&P Vegetation Management Forester and owned his own consulting business that focused on working with NGO's.  

He has a goal of helping communities in the West Texas region develop sustainable tree care and maintenance programs in order to provide their constituents with the benefits of healthy trees and forests.He was involved in the development of arborist certification program for West Texas. and acted as part of the “Operation Pondo” project, a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and Texas A&M Forest Service on ponderosa pine restoration at the Davis Mountain Preserve.         

WELCOME SUSIE MILLER! 

We are anxious for Fall and Susie has great ideas for us. Join us on October 21st at 9:30 AM.  

Susie Miller is a floral designer, landscaper, wedding, and private event coordinator. Her talents have been admired for 22 years at Houston Country Club. Twenty years in landscaping and two years as supervisor of the Floral department. She has been an honorary member of the River Oaks Garden Club since 2009 where she volunteers her services for the Azalea Trail. Susie loves helping others, creating beautiful designs and spreading joy and love to all who come across her path. 

Susie Miller – with dear friend and coworker – Walter Gutierrez

Mercer Botanical Gardens

Named after Thelma and Charles Mercer, Humble’s Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens entices visitors daily with free admission and 250 acres of land along Cypress Creek.

Although 14.5 acres of the land originally belonged to the Mercers—who used it for their home and garden—the area has since been purchased by Harris County and expanded to include several well-maintained hike trails, a butterfly house, restroom facilities and picnic areas.

The nationally-recognized arboretum and botanical garden boasts the largest collection of native and cultivated plants in the region. Among the many highlights are native Dogwood trees, vibrant pink camellias, rare camphor daisies and orchid trees. Pack a picnic and spend the afternoon spotting colorful Pine Warblers, Black-capped Chikadees and Cardinals as they flit overhead.   

Bart Brechter

"Landscapes and How to Recover from Weather Events"

Head of Gardens and Landscape Operations, Museum of Fine Arts Houston

For the past three years Mr. Brechter has been developing the newest department of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts as Head of Gardens and Landscape.  The Department emphasizes the beautification of the museum's landscape.  Prior to this, he served for 16 years as Curator of Gardens at Bayou Bend, the decorative arts museum in the former home of Miss Ima Hogg, noted philanthropist.  Previously, he was Curator of Azaleas at Callaway Gardens in Georgia.

Bart Brechter has been hard at work restoring the Museum's gardens, including Rienzi and Bayou Bend, after the February freeze, and he will share his tips for restoring our own home gardens.

An annual holiday tradition with our friends at Sugar Creek Women's Association

The Kinder High School for the Visual & Performing Arts Young Performers

Tomorrow's best and brightest in music will regal us with holiday cheer!  

Kinder HSPVA is fully accredited and offers the same academic curriculum and graduation requirements as all HISD high schools; the major difference in the academic program is that we offer the added ingredient of correlating the arts with academics, rather than treating either as isolated disciplines. All students spend approximately three hours per day in their art areas, and the remainder of the time in academics or electives. The arts offered for in-depth study are: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, and Vocal Music.