Carlsbad Garden Club

• Our move to Dove Library was a success. The accommodations themselves are better and so is the wonderful staff. We had no trouble reserving our place there, getting on the calendar on the Library’s website, and being able to adjust the amount of tables and chairs as needed. We also had climate control and their mike system worked so I could be heard.
• We acquired new Members, in some degree because of the new location, who have become very involved in a variety of activities and are serving in various offices next year. I’m making an effort to specify everything about all of the positions to make it easier for a new person to handle an office. I completed a detailed list of ALL positions in the Club defining the position and spelling out the entire step by step process. Enclosed in a booklet, it was turned over to the new President, Gretchen Ashton.
• Because of successful fundraising as well as very generous donations, we have been able to expand our community outreach. Not only did we give a scholarship to a Horticulture student a Mira Costa ($800) and renewed in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation as a Community Member ($250), but we also gave a $500 grant to the Magnolia Elementary School PTA to purchase a locked shed to assist them in replacing their garden which was vandalized last year and a $300 grant to the Rancho Carlsbad Seniors who provide a wonderful gardening experience for the Boys and Girls Club of Carlsbad to buy a light weight rototiller. The last 2 groups each also received a signed copy of Pat Welsh’s newest book on Organic Gardening, some organic fertilizer that we assembled, and some plants. I will also be working with the Rancho Carlsbad Seniors over the summer. Mary Tornborg has continued her personal project of collecting pots to exchange for cash from the Evergreen Nursery.
• Our Program was great, thanks to Barbara Manzano. We started with a lovely tea party in August hosted graciously by Sue Kelly-Cochrane. Our September program was Members (Gretchen Ashton, Barbara Diamond and Cindy Phillips) demonstrating “other uses of garden products”. Our October field trip was to the Casa Romantica Cultural Center in San Clemente and the Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano. Aenne Carver provided some great hints and handouts on the “Thrifty Gardener”, while the DIG Corporation Speaker discussed and demonstrated their many drip irrigation products…and left us some samples which I passed on to the Magnolia School. Our March Field Trip was to Daylily Hill and to Southwest Boulder. Jim Zimcik who has hybridized many geraniums (our Club Flower) brought us some of his newest which we got to see before the general public. Kent Horner of C and H Gardens drew various landscape designs to accommodate our drought conditions. He and his wife graciously allowed us to include their own garden in our Annual Garden Tour.
• Our Holiday Party in December was fun as usual with a potluck and the famous auction of mystery wrapped gifts. We had another potluck in May to celebrate the Installation of New Officers by Jane McGee, Palomar District Director, and, to honor Dos Gringos for their generosity in providing the flowers for the Petals for Patriots which is now in its second year. We also had the privilege of Member Anne Smith and Muriel Roston sharing some of their flower paintings with us. Anne also donated the painting of Natalie’s Rose to the Club for an Auction. Lucky Dee Porter won another Anne Smith painting.
• Our Annual Garden Tour in June also included gardens by 2 other designers who were present, (Sergio of Plantplay and Ruth Wolfe) whose designs have been published in the SD Home/Garden Lifestyle Magazine. The other 2 gardens are in Carlsbad: one owned by a Member designed by New Leaf Nursery, and the other whose garden we saw before which she has changed. The Horners graciously showed us their home and shared their art with us in art and music.
• Our Discovery Group showed its resilience when several of the activities had to be cancelled or postponed, and Helena Gillmore came up with wonderful alternatives including Craft Workshops run by Natalie Reed and Cindy Phillips.
• We branched out this year in terms of Community Exposure by participating in the Fall and Spring Cole Library Book (and Plant) Sale as well as the traditional Strawberry Festival. We were also invited by 2 local gardeners to come and take plants and cuttings from their yard. Another gardener brought us a trunk load of black rose anemones. We also had the opportunity to collect a 200 pound stag horn fern which was made into smaller plants, thanks to the cooperative efforts of this year’s President and next year’s, and sold at the plant sales. We continue our efforts helping the AHLF as needed when Mary Hassing contacts us. We have continued to archive our books to the Carlsbad Historical Society.
• Our Membership Chair, Sue K-C, created a brochure about our Club to pass out at various nurseries and public places such as the Visitor’s Bureau, Libraries and Nurseries to attract new Members. We continue to get questions through our email account: carlsbadgardenclub@hotmail.com I made “business cards” to pass out filled with information on the Club plus all of the ways to contact us.
• We participated in District Activities. The President, Secretary and Treasurer attended the Leadership Workshop in September. We participated in the October Fall Meeting by making a centerpiece (Rita Koczela, our District Liaison), and creating a raffle basket showing the “wonders of Carlsbad” for the Winter Meeting. We submitted three entries for the CGCInc Award Program. I am continuing to update the List of Speakers and Tour Options and emailing it to those Clubs who ask for it and to coordinate the 6 North County Clubs for the Petals for Patriot Program in Camp Pendleton. I wrote an article about it for the CGCInc Magazine, and am providing material for an exhibit about this Program for the CGCInc Convention in June.  I will be representing the CGC as a Member of the Nominating Committee for next year’s slate of District Officers. I’ve continued my efforts of connecting with other Clubs by attending some of their events. We will have 4 acres for the Pennies for Pines Project, thanks to Kitty Sparrow.
• Gretchen, next year’s President, continues to amaze with the wonderful website, www.carlsbadgardenclub.com . Her website won First Place in the State for Clubs of that size which included a $50 award to the Club.
• Anne Smith’s Directory/Yearbook received a Blue Ribbon. Our Club also achieved Blue Ribbon status again.
• We renewed our status as a non-profit for the IRS through the CGCInc. and I was able to file for this year…a major triumph!
• We were able to honor Mary Tornborg with the new CGCInc’s new Award of Distinction which includes a certificate and a pin. She is the Member we all “want to grow up and be like”. Congratulations, Mary!
• It’s been a wonderful 2 years for me as President, and now it’s time to pass the gavel for the 78^th year to the new President Gretchen Ashton. I personally wish her and the Club a great year in this long history of people with a common interest coming together to share their questions, knowledge and joy in gardening.

Ellen McGrath-Thorpe, President 2008-10