Chester County Town Tours and Village Walks

Though there are only three left for this year, these tours are worth the trip.  Next year you might want to sign up for all of them. 

August 11

Phoenixville Historic District

August 18

Hopewell Furnace, National Historic Site

August 25

Hibernia Mansion and Ironmaster Plantation

Check out the website,http://www.chesco.org/ccparks/cwp/view.asp?a=1551&q=622016, for all the information.

Definitely worth it and FREE!!!

August News from Mt. Cuba

Dear Gardening Friends,


Hot August days are here and the gardens at Mt. Cuba Center are resting. Our public tours will resume on September 15, starting with the Autumnal Wildflower Garden Tour. Just imagine the cooler weather and fall color to come!

Don't stay away, however, as there are still classes going on all month. Come see the progress that Vic Piatt has made on the Mt. Cuba Center Scree Garden (Wednesday, August 10, 10AM-12Noon, $20.) Learn about rock plants of interest in the summer through fall, and take home a rock garden plant. During the next session of Meadow Studies (Saturday, August 13, 10AM-12Noon, $10), meet the lady and gentleman of the meadow, black-eyed Susan and Joe-Pye weed, along with all their friends. One of them may be coming home with you! If butterflies fascinate you, discover the most common types during Butterflies in Your Garden (Saturday, August 20, 1-3PM, $20). Eileen Boyle and Dave Korbonits will show you how to attract these beauties to your garden, and send you home with a native plant that butterflies love. All of these classes include a visit to areas in the garden.

Finally, look for the Fall-Winter Program Guide which will be arriving in your mailbox soon. Favorite classes, a buying trip, and new opportunities are all on the schedule. Plus, you'll learn more about Mt. Cuba Center Connect, our distance learning program that launches this fall.

For more information, visit http://www.mtcubacenter.org/, or call 302-239-4244. I look forward to sharing the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center with you soon.
Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

July at Mt. Cuba Center

Welcome to the sultry summer month of July! As the heat begins to build, the warm-season plants at Mt. Cuba Center begin to shine. Lilium canadense, hydrangea quercifolia, and lobelia cardinalis make a colorful show all month long. See these beauties in the evening cool of our Summer Twilight Tour - Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 PM


The ever-changing meadow takes center stage in July. Our popular Meadow Studies class will be held on Saturday, July 9, from 10AM-12 Noon ($10). Dave Korbonits will walk you through the area that he has tended for over 20 years. If you prefer plant studies, investigate The Wonders of Milkweed (Friday, July 15, 9-11AM, $20.) You'll take home a milkweed plant to grow on your own. Great Native Plants for the Perennial Border (Wednesday, July 20, 10AM-12 Noon, $20) focuses on plants that love the sun, maintenance tips, and design strategies that will enhance your perennial garden. Take home a perennial for your border.

Out in the natural lands area, Limnology Lessons: Pond Study lets you see life beneath our 2 1/2 acre man-made pond. This late afternoon class involves a wade in the water, so wear wading shoes and shorts. (Saturday, July 16, 4-6 PM, $20.) This class will meet at the Mt. Cuba Center stables, 2936 Barley Mill Road.

Registration for the 2011 Native Orchid Conference at Mt. Cuba Center is still open. This four-day event - July 30, 31, August 1 and 2 - includes two days of lectures and two days of field trips. Full conference information and a registration form can be found on the Native Orchid Conference page of the Mt. Cuba Center website, http://www.mtcubacenter.org/. You can sign up for all events and tours there as well.

As always, I look forward to sharing the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center with you.
Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

National, Regional and District Officers, 2011-13

National, Regional and District Officers

 for 2012-13

GCFP President ( Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania)

Theme: 'Growing Stronger Through Seeds of Service'

Gail S. Corle, President

gscorle@verizon.net
website: http://www.pagardenclubs.org/

CAR Director ( Central Atlantic Region)

Theme: 'Gardening with Pride, Honoring Home, Community and Country'

Jeanne Nelson, Director

jtnelson@optonline.net
website: http://www.gardencentral.org/car

NGC President (National Garden Clubs, Inc.)

Theme: 'Proudly Serving Our Members and Communities'

Shirley Nicolai, President

shirleynicolai@verizon.net
website: http://www.gardenclub.org/

District I Director

Theme: "Sharing Plants, Knowledge, and Friendship"

Mary Jo Schlomann, Director

mrsrags1@verizon.net

blog: http://www.gardenchatpa.org/

GCFP headquarters

Lee Ann Stine

1525 Cedar Cliff Drive, STE 103

Camp Hill, PA 17011-7707

717-737-8219

gcfp2@aol.com

Keystone Gardener Editor

Marcy Cunkelman

kgeditor@dish.net

Mt. Cuba Center in June

The Delightful Diversity of the Heath Family - what a delightful way to start your June garden education! From azaleas to blueberries, the heath family (Ericaceae) has a broad appeal. Join our director, Rick Lewandowski, for talking and walking, Wednesday, June 8, 1-3 PM, $20, and take home a plant from the heath family.


The following Wednesday, June 15, learn about ferns with Marcie Weigelt, the Pond Garden horticulturist, as she leads the Fern Walk, (10-11:30 AM, $20.) Wear comfortable shoes and enjoy these feathery delights.

As always, the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center can inspire the inner artist in you. For two Saturdays in June, enjoy Painting by the Pond in Summer, led by Sarah Yeoman, watercolor artist and teacher (June 11 & 18, 9:30 AM-4:00 PM, $60). All media are welcome. Check the full class description on our website.

The Native Orchid Conference at Mt. Cuba Center will be held on July 30, 31, August 1, and 2. This is the first time this conference has been held in Delaware - join your fellow orchid lovers in sharing knowledge of and interest in these elegant beauties.

Summer twilight tours continue until the end of July - consider getting together a group of friends after work - relax and refresh in the cool of late afternoon.

As always, you can register for classes and tours at www.mtcubacenter.org, or by calling 302-239-4244. Finally, help spread the word - forward this message to a friend!

I look forward to sharing the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center with everyone.

Sincerely,

Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

See the gardens in a different light!

Summer Twilight Tours

Mt. Cuba Center

Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 PM through July 28

$5 per person

Make your reservations at http://www.museumtix.com/program/program.aspx?vid=827&pid=148428&pvt=mcc

May at Mt. Cuba

First of all, thank you to everyone who visited us on Sunday, May 1. Nearly 3,000 guests came to see our gardens in all of their spring glory. I hope you were one of them.


Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 4, (7 PM-9 PM) please join me in welcoming Eric Toensmeier, co-author of Edible Forest Gardens, to talk about Gardening Like the Forest. This course introduces the vision of forest gardening with some scientific background, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own garden. You'll take home a plant as well. Cost of the class, including refreshments, is $25.

Other classes coming up this month include Backyard Invasive Plants, (Saturday, May 7, 10 AM-1 PM, $25), with Jim Subach, our natural lands manager. You'll see over 30 live specimens of alien/invasive plants. Seating is limited for this class. Jeanne Frett continues her study of native spring wildflowers on Tuesday, May 10 & 11 (An Introduction to Native Spring Wildflowers, 1-3 PM, $40). Also on May 11, Vic Piatt highlights scree garden plants for spring and summer and how to use them in a garden setting. (10 AM-12 Noon, $20). For artists, sign up for Botanical Illustration: Native Azaleas on May 12 &19, (2 sessions, $55, 1-3 PM for both days.) Finally, on Saturday, May 14, join Dr. David L. Wagner from the University of Connecticut as he explores the secret world of caterpillars in The Myriad Defenses of Caterpillars (1-3 pm, $25.)

Finally, our daytime public garden tours will continue through May 27. For a different look and feel, the Summer Twilight Tour begins on Thursday, May 19. For a complete list of events, click here or call 302-239-4244

It's spring at Mt. Cuba Center and there's no better time to come and visit. I look forward to sharing the beauty of this place with you soon!

Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager