Achievements in Horticulture and Preservation Celebrated by the Garden Club of America
The Garden Club of America is pleased to announce that three individuals of distinction have been named honorary members for 2023. Since 1916, the GCA has recognized the extraordinary achievements of more than 400 honorary members in the fields of horticulture or conservation, or whose knowledge and interests align with the GCA purpose. With appreciation for their achievements, the GCA welcomes the following new honorary members for 2023:
John L. Turner
Proposed by South Side Garden Club of L.I., Zone III
Seconded by North Suffolk Garden Club, Zone III
For more than forty years, John Turner has been an extraordinary environmental advocate, educator, and protector of open space. He is the Senior Conservation Policy Advocate for the Seatuck Environmental Association and President and Founder of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.
John co-founded the Long Island Pine Barrens Society which introduced and spearheaded the passing of the landmark 1993 Pine Barrens Protection Act. This act has saved 100,000 acres of Long Island wilderness and protected a critical aquifer. The Pine Barrens are a 900-square-mile ecosystem that plays a crucial role in filtering rainwater. He’s also led efforts to save the Diamondback Terrapin, prevent bird strike deaths and help wood frogs and other wildlife move safely to their breeding grounds by building an under-highway tunnel.
A knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide and presenter, he has written numerous articles and published two books, Exploring the Other Island and a children’s book Waylon’s Wandering Waterdrop. A teacher at heart, John generously shares his knowledge about open space, birds and other conservation topics with others including GCA club members.
We are thrilled to share the news that John Turner is one of three people who will be honored at the Garden Club of America’s Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio this June.
Below is the news taken from the GCA website:
Celebrating Olmsted
2022 marks the 200th birthday of landscape architect, conservationist and author Frederick Law Olmsted
South Side Garden Club is honored to join the Garden Club of America in celebrating Olmsted’s 200th birthday this year. As a tribute, the club is planting a dwarf Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Murasaki Kiyohime’ at Bayard Cutting Arboretum along the Connetquot River in Great River, New York.. The arboretum staff is renovating the area known as the Pavilion Juniper Garden and will plant the maple under a magnolia tree near the gazebo, as shown in the photos below. The Murasaki is a vigorous dwarf Japanese maple that has very dramatic spring color and has not been a part of the arboretum’s collection until now. Visitors will be able to locate this tree by going to the BCA’s website, www.bayardcuttingarboretum.com, and clicking on the tree explorer link.
In 1886, William Bayard Cutting worked with Frederick Law Olmsted to transform a part of his Long Island estate into a landscape of natural beauty. They shared the vision of a park-like setting for all to enjoy, with a great appreciation of the natural world. In memory of Mr. Cutting, his wife and daughter donated the property to the LI state parks in 1936. The arboretum thrives with visitors and programs and volunteers today, as the gardens are continually replenished in keeping with the native habitat envisioned long ago.
June 2022 : Art In Bloom
Three teams of two members of South Side Garden Club, along with teams from North Country GC, Three Harbors GC and North Suffolk GC, designed floral arrangements in connection with artwork selected by staff of the Heckscher Art Museum. The designs were on display at the museum the weekend of June 11-June 12 to coincide with the exhibits Moonstruck:Lunar Art from the Collection and Global Asias:Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art. The designers were quite creative, considering some of the artwork they were given! Here are a few examples of the entries.
Designers: Becky Halleron and MaryAnn Moynihan Artist: Jacob Hashimoto
Designers: Marilyn LaPenta and Jane Arbeiter Artist: Keith Sonnier
Designers: Michelle Pittman and Jeanmarie Sheehan Artist: Ralph Albert Blakelock
Some of the designs from North Suffolk, Three Harbors and North Country Garden Clubs
February 2022
Our annual Valentine’s Day Workshop was held on Friday 13 February. Floral arrangements were created by our members for the residents at Momentum Rehab in East Islip, NY.
JANUARY 28, 2022
On a crisp and sunny Friday afternoon, members enjoyed a wonderful Winter Solstice luncheon and gift exchange at the home of President Michelle Pittman.
September 30, 2021
Club members met on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood for a tour of the Long Island Native Plant Initiative given by Brian Smith, VP of LINPI. First we were treated to an introductory talk by Amanda Furcall, who is the land ecologist for the property. Spearheaded by Sister Karen Burke in 2015, the land has transformed from estate-style gardens to native gardens with meadows, woodland, organic farmland, farm stands and a ground mounted solar array system.
Since our focus that day was the LINPI, Brian took us through the Founder’s Plot, which contained switchgrass, Indian grass, milkweed, asters, white snakeroot, goldenrod and little bluestem, explaining their benefits and answering our questions. We then walked over to the greenhouses where harvested, cleaned and banked seeds, small plantlets will be cared for by volunteers during the cold winter months. A plant sale is held in the spring (and sometimes in the fall) here by the greenhouses, as well.
It was such an enlightening day, learning about all that the Sisters of St. Joseph have been able to accomplish in their goal to preserve and improve the acres that they tend. You are invited to visit their website for more information, but even better, visit the grounds to see for yourself.
The Sisters Of St. Joseph www.brentwoodcsj.org Long Island Native Plant Initiative www.linpi.org
VISIT TO THE LONG ISLAND NATIVE PLANT INITIATIVE IN BRENTWOOD
JUNE 23, 2021
Our end-of-the-year annual meeting was held on a perfect June evening at the home of Beth and Brian McCurdy. The long-awaited days of summer are here and we will be back refreshed and eager to start up again in September. Enjoy your gardens!
ART IN BLOOM
The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, L. I. invited four local garden clubs to take part in the Art In Bloom exhibit, celebrating the museum’s 100th year. Three teams of two from each club-North Suffolk GC, Three Harbors GC, North Country GC and South Side GC-were given an artwork as inspiration for their floral design. Arrangements were set up on Friday morning, ready for an afternoon viewing by family and friends. The museum was open for ticketed patrons to view the exhibit on Saturday and Sunday.
The South Side members who volunteered their time and talents were Becky Halleron & MaryAnn Moynihan, Michelle Pittman & Marilyn LaPenta and Jane Arbeiter & Barbara Limpert.
FEBRUARY 2020
What a great way to start 2020! South Side members joined those from North Country GC, North Suffolk GC and Three Harbors GC for a slide show presentation by noted floral arranger and owner of Stonekelly Events, Jen Stone. The setting was the beautiful St. John’s Episcopal Church adjacent to the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery. Many of the guests were lucky recipients of Jen’s raffled arrangements, and we all enjoyed a fabulous light lunch afterward.
DECEMBER 2019
Holiday Time! This year’s fundraiser was held on Friday night, December 13, at Seatuck Environmental Center in Islip, and what a success it was, despite the horribly unpleasant weather. So much work goes into a function like this and it is all done by each of our members, from the handmade raffle items to the food and drink, the decorations to hosting our friends and neighbors who attended the party.
