Past Program Calendar
HELD SEPTEMBER 2022 through May 2023
Christine Sunda, First Vice President, and Program Chair
May 9, 2023 at 11 am | The Fabulous Fifties spring Luncheon & Meeting
Our luncheon is a combination meeting and celebration of all the year’s wonderful accomplishments. It’s all in the planning phase but looks to be a fun and fond walk down 50s memory lane.
Delicious food: A buffet allows you to wax nostalgic for overly delicious food.
Raffle: Three chances to win a glamorous gift bag.
Tickets are $1 each, or 6 for $5 to win.
Music: Toe tappin’ sounds by our club DJ.
Adult beverages: Cash bar
Prizes are awarded for the decade’s fashion, from flower hats to poodle skirts and leather jackets with a chiffon scarf.
Address: Dominion Valley Country Club, 15200 Arnold Palmer Drive, Haymarket, VA 20169 | MAP
Country Club phone: 571-222-6900
Hostesses: JANE H, Susan, Danielle, Linda, Elsie, Jerole, Judy T
Food pantry: tuna, ravioli, spaghetti, or a cash contribution
April 11 | Jane Huckins | Garden miniatures
This month Jane Huckins will demonstrate how to make a miniature arrangement from your flowers picked from your garden.
Bring a teacup, mug, small bowl, or vase from home and flowers and greens from your garden. We will supplement the flowers and greens and provide oasis floral foam as needed.
Hostesses: PAGE, Michelle, Kathy, Sally, Betty R
Food Pantry: flour, sugar, salt, pepper, masa flour
March 14 | Charlie Grymes | Our First Farmers
Indigenous Tribes that lived in our area, their lifestyle and agricultural practices, are revealed. People who walked here about 20,000 years ago were our “First Farmers,” the first to grow, garden, reap, and sow in our region.
How these very early residents hunted, how they built shelters, and how they farmed initially is largely guesswork based on scattered archeological evidence, but some “common sense anthropology” provides a clue!
Charlie Grymes was with the Department of the Interior for 32 years. That’s just part of the story. On the side, he started teaching “Geography of Virginia” at George Mason University as an adjunct and developed the VirginiaPlaces.org site for that course. In retirement, he is active with different conservation and “smart growth” groups in Prince William County and regularly pesters elected and appointed officials.
Hostesses: BEV, Mary Ellen, Jill, Pam, Ginsey
Food Pantry: flour, sugar, salt, pepper, masa flour, and cash donations
february 14 | Lois Montgomery |
The Evolution of Plants & Everything Else
“I like to show how specific traits and adaptations of plants and animals develop ovetime and serve to make the garden much more fascinating!”
Ms. Montgomery, a former biology instructor, is quite conversant on “The development of life on Earth from a single cell to the many and varied animal and plant forms life has taken in the four and a half billion years since the big bang.” And as a science teacher, she feels it is essential to explain what “evolution” is and what it is not.
Lois is an active member of the Prince William Wildflower Society and brings boundless enthusiasm to her lectures. If the weather is inclement, Lois will give her demonstration via Zoom so we won’t miss her great talk!
Hostesses: AMY, Lisa, Ruth, Christine, Virginia, Betty
Food Pantry: individual servings of ramen and mac ‘n cheese
January 10 | Nancy Vehrs | Attracting birds into your garden
Nancy Vehrs is the president of the Virginia Native Plant Society, an expert birder. She will give a fantastic talk on how we can attract birds and photograph our feathered friends. She will lead a discussion on plants that attract birds and the type of caterpillar birds need to feed their young. President Vehrs and long-time VNPS member Jim Waggener were honored for their service, contributions, and advocacy for conservation by the Prince William Conservation Alliance. Nancy focuses on promoting the use of native plants for home and commercial landscaping. She also leads weekly bird walks and, since 2008, has been a team leader at the Nokesville Christmas Bird Count and leads a sector of the Manassas Butterfly Count.
Food Pantry: Dish and clothing detergent, peanut butter and jelly, and diapers. Plus, cash or a check made out to
”HTC Garden Club” use the memo “Food Pantry.”
December 15, Thursday | Doug Burroughs |
Make & Take a Holiday Arrangement
This bonus program is held at the Flower Gallery in Manassas. Doug Burroughs will give us an entertaining demonstration of floral arrangement techniques. Afterward, we will make arrangements (to take home) under Doug’s guidance. Doug is one of our garden club favorites. He has been in the professional business of flower arranging for 46 years and owns the Flower Gallery in Manassas.
The total cost of the class, container, supplies, and flowers is just $40. Please RSVP to Christine Sunda by Thursday, December 1st, to hold your spot. Seating is limited to about 20.
Get there: Flower Gallery of Manassas 10816 Sudley Manor Drive Manassas, VA 20109 MAP
December 13 | Mike Bishop | Bluebirds and Purple martins, Keeping Our Azure Friends happy & healthy
Mike Bishop is saving our native birds, including bluebirds and purple martins. He’ll talk about his hands-on experiences protecting these friends in multiple locations. Mike will describe how to set up bluebird houses with the necessary protections (baffles, entry tunnels) and the predators they keep out.
Mike speaks about the interlopers willing to kill the bluebirds for their home. You will discover what other seemingly innocent birds enjoy squatting in a bluebird house.
He will explain how to create a trail of bluebird houses on your property and alternate homes for the invasive birds, allowing them to co-exist. Mike also has solutions to ensure that the mosquito-loving purple martins are happy, healthy, and performing their acrobatic flights of fancy in your backyard.
Wear your Christmas Sweaters or Hats!
Food Pantry: potatoes, gravy, rice, stuffing, sweet potatoes, spaghetti sauce, pasta, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Cash donations are always welcome.
Click here to see the December combo gallery
November 9, Wednesday | Nikki Stamps | Bird in the Hand
Nikki Stamps is the director of Bird in the Hand. She is a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator and master falconer. She has provided life-saving medical treatment/rehabilitation and nursed literally hundreds of injured or abandoned creatures along their path to being released back into the wild.
Nikki is a dynamic, fun, and engaging speaker. She is passionate about providing the public with a chance to experience these magnificent birds of prey in an intimate setting, sure to will kindle a fire in audience members to safeguard the future of our native Virginia raptors.
The Toys for Tots Mini-Drive deadline precedes our December meeting.
So please bring an unwrapped toy to our November club meeting.
Food Pantry: potatoes, gravy, rice, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cash donations
October 11 | 9:30 am – 2 pm | Molan Lave Vineyards and Winery
10075 Lees Mill Road, Warrenton VA 20186 | 540.439.5460 | MAP
It is time to celebrate Virginia Wine month, and we’re visiting Molan Lave Winery in Warrenton. It is a Greek family-owned winery that opened in 2009. They grow their grapes on the beautiful rolling hills outside of Warrenton. We start with our business meeting, then enjoy a presentation by the winemaker with a wine tasting. That will be followed by a light lunch. You may purchase wine for lunch or to take home. A fantastic patio overlooking the valley and vineyard is a “must-see.” We’ll also be holding a raffle for a basket of October goodies.
Fees for tasting and lunch: Club members are free, and guests are $20.
We have a limit of 40 people total, members and guests. If you did not sign-up already, please RSVP to Sally Hudson at sgh1150@gmail.com by Saturday, October 1st, so we may reserve your spot.
Food Pantry: potatoes, gravy, rice, stuffing. sweet potatoes or cash
september 14 | Janet Davis | Native Plants | Hill House Farm & Nursery
Our first speaker for the year is Janet Davis of nearby Hill House Farm and Nursery in Castleton, Virginia. Janet is a highly inspiring and very knowledgeable speaker on native plants. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Janet is the owner of her all-native nursery, Hill House Native Plants. After hearing Janet speak, you will believe that cultivating native plants is a path we should all embrace. She not only explains why but what we can plant for a beautiful garden that is sustainable and healthy for our environment. Learn more at: hillhousenativeplants.com
Food Pantry: peanut butter and jelly or cash
