President’s Message

Dear Bolton Hill Garden Club new and returning members,

I hope this finds you well, flourishing, and that you enjoyed a lovely summer. Welcome to the club’s 2022-2023 programming year!  From our emergence from the pandemic last fall until now, the club has enjoyed a full and varied host of speaker programs and activities. Our accomplishments include: an increase in membership, interesting programs by engaging experts, very successful plant sales and recent Garden Walk, community greening grants, and social activities. As you will note from the 2022-2023 attached calendar, in the coming year we have many activities slated for your interest, enjoyment, and participation. Additionally, like last year, we may have two or three ‘pop-up’ clinics during the winter months. Our two-year program theme continues to be on the health and expansion of the Baltimore Tree Canopy. 

All regular membership meetings are scheduled on the third Tuesday of each month and begin at 7:00 p.m. with time to socialize followed by a business meeting at 7:30 p.m. Business meetings are generally followed by an education program or activity. Executive Committee meetings are held the first Monday of the month. In the spirit of spreading horticultural and environmental knowledge and awareness in the community, the club’s educational programs are open to the public. Unless otherwise indicated, tours, special events and parties are reserved for members only. An asterisk* on the program title indicates members-only events. 

Our club continues to grow and currently has 70 members, and has become one of the larger federated garden clubs in Maryland. Its indispensable Executive Committee members are: Joyce Oliner, past president Lynn Pellaton, past president Gwynevere Armstrong, Stephen Oliner, and Chris Mirkovich continues to serve as the club’s talented Web Administrator. Barbara Blumberg, Christine Delise, and Bonnie Legro are trusted advisors who support the work of the Executive Committee. 

As we are a membership organization, the quality of the club’s activities is strongly dependent on member participation as hosts for meetings and in the work of its committees. The organization, planning, and coordination of the committees are the essential drivers and glue that make great club activities happen!  

Please review below the list of committees for the program year. Please consider which you would find of interest or have signed up for. Meeting hosts and chairpersons are needed for the committees where indicated, and committee members are always needed — as many hands make light work and make activities more fun. As the timing for an event nears, the committee chairperson calls upon those who have signed up so the planning and organization of tasks can be assigned and coordinated. This is very important. A new committee this year is Hospitality. We need volunteers to coordinate refreshments and snacks at member meetings. To the best of your ability, please be sure you can commit to a given committee activity, be available to be a part of the committee’s work, and be available on the date of the event. If you have not already done so, please sign up for one or more committees and let Steve Oliner know and/or reconfirm your selections. If you have any questions about the work and scope of the committees please contact me or Steve. Steve can be reached at stephen.oliner@gmail.com.

The club relies on you for your participation and it is greatly appreciated. You are always welcome to reach out to me or any of the Executive Committee members with your program ideas, speaker suggestions, feedback, and resources. Thank you for your continued input and support. I look forward to creating with you another worthwhile, engaging and fun programming year.   

Committees:

  • Garden Shed Sale – (with Spring Plant Sale) – Lisa Johnson, Chairperson
  • Garden Walk 2023 – Chairperson needed. Maria Wawer, who served as this year’s chairperson, will serve on the committee.
  • Greening Grants – Spring 2023 – Bonnie Legro, Chairperson
  • Holiday Greens Sale (Pre-Orders) – Gwynevere Armstrong, Chairperson
  • Holiday Greens Sale (In-Person) – Barbara Blumberg, Lynn Pellaton, Co-Chairpersons
  • Holiday Party – Fri., Dec. 9 – Chairperson needed
  • Hospitality – Chairperson needed
  • June Potluck – Tues., June 19 – Chairperson needed
  • Membership – Chairperson needed 
  • Pansies Sale (Pre-Orders) – Sat., Oct. 8 – Gwynevere Armstrong, Chairperson
  • Pansies Sale (In-Person) – Sat., Oct. 8 – Christine Delise, Barbara Blumberg, Co-Chairpersons
  • Parks, Gardens and Trees of Bolton Hill program/reception – Chairperson needed
  • Plant Repotting & Rx Clinic – Sat., Oct. 22 – Lisa Johnson, Chairperson
  • Rawlings Conservatory Tour & Tea – Sun., Jan. 15 – Chairperson needed 
  • Spring Plant Sale – Sat., Apr. 22 (with Garden Shed Sale) – Christine Delise, Chairperson 
  • Summer Soiree Garden Party – Sat., Aug. 5 – Chairperson needed

Yours in greening and beautification,

Lisa

Lisa Johnson

President

Bolton Hill Garden Club

email: flora.bhgc@gmail.com

cell: (202)997-5965

The BHGC Calendar will be uploaded to our google calendar. The MS Word file can also be downloaded by clicking the download link below.

BHGC’s Focus for 2022 – 2023

Dear new and returning members!

As we are not yet out of the woods from the past year and a half from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bolton Hill Garden Club looks for creative ways to foster close ties for the membership to remain connected and inspired. Given that, all of our regular membership meetings for the 2022 calendar year are planned to be held in person as much as possible, and accessible via Zoom. Most of our general meetings will be held the third Tuesday of the month in the community room of the Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church located at 1316 Park Avenue, Baltimore, 21217.

Our theme for the year is the Baltimore City Tree Canopy. Many of our programs will be ‘tree centric’ in focus as we endeavor with other clubs, groups and organizations to educate, preserve and further Baltimore City’s tree canopy. The city currently has 27 percent tree canopy coverage with the City’s goal to establish 40 percent tree cover by 2037.

We look forward to many programs and activities in the next year to educate and motivate us. Please mark your calendars and check the website for calendar updates and news. We are a user-friendly club, so your ideas and participation are always welcome.

Sincerely,

Lisa Johnson

President