Bella Vista Garden Club

WELCOME

If you are interested in gardening in Northwest Arkansas, you have come to the right place.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Registration is now Open!

BVGC Charity and Scholarship Benefit Card Party

Friday, October 21, 2022, from Noon to 4:00 pm

(Doors open at 11:30 am)

Highland United Methodist Church

371 Glasgow Road, Bella Vista

Cost is $15 per person. All other arrangements are the same as last year. Registration will be accepted for tables of 4 ($60), and confirmed when payment is received.

Wonderful lunch with coffee, tea, and water as well as raffle drawings will again be provided.

Bring your own cards or game materials.

Registration begins on Monday, September 19, 2022. Registration requests will be responded to after that date.

Pass the word to your friends who can request to be added to our mailing list by sending an email to bvgcCardParty@gmail.com.

Register Here

The Garden Club Will Meet October 26th

at the Bella Vista Community Church, 75 E Lancashire Blvd., Bella Vista, AR 72714

Social time, 9:30 am with the meeting at 10:00 am.

Program:, Rich Fletcher, BVGC Member - "My Experiment in Least-Resistance Gardening. Envision What You Want and Make Peace with What You Have."

Artistic Design of the Month: Linda Neymeyer

Horticulture: Tony LiCausi “What’s New in Horticulture – Winterizing the Garden”

If you are interested in joining before then, please click here and send your check and membership form to our Treasurer.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS NEEDED

Message from Pat Meyer, BVGC President

BVGC Members, one of my goals as your president is for every club member to have the opportunity to become involved in our projects. This involvement covers a wide range of needs and talents. Some needs involve outdoor, physical labor others will be less physically demanding, but ALL are needed for an active and effective Club.

Please look in your new Yearbook (pages 7-9) for information on committees and projects. Contact the Committee Chairman for more details and to express your interest in participating. I especially encourage our newer Members to find activities that suit their interests, talents and desires to learn.

A critical part of participation is communicating the needs and opportunities of the committees. Therefore, Committee Chairs, please address the entire Club when emailing etc. requests for help or scheduling activities. Alternatively, you can advise me and I will forward the information to the Club. Members, let the Committee Chairs know of your interest in participating and pose any questions you have about that Committee or project. The Yearbook has their contact information.

I also request Members to communicate directly with me on any suggestions you have for improving or broadening our Club. While I am presently serving as your Club President, I am primarily a member who has enjoyed working alongside some very knowledgeable gardeners and mentors with a willingness to share their knowledge. So, new and seasoned Members do not miss out on the opportunities the Club offers to learn new things and make new friends….PARTICIPATE!

Stay well and safe

Pat Meyer

2021-2023 President

MOST RECENT ACTIVITIES

September 28, 2022 Meeting

Program - Scholarships Awarded by Virgina Halman and Marilyn Russell

Left to right: Pat Meyer, GC President; Megan Exner, Dorothy Wallace Scholarship Recipient; Hannah Cravens, Adelina C. McGill Scholarship Recipient; River Dean, Dorothy Wallace Scholarship Recipient; Marilyn Russell and Virginia Halman, Scholarchip Committee; Dr. Wendell Hutchens, University of Arkansas.

Each of the Scholarship Recipients gave a short talk about their journey into horticulture and their goals for the future. Shown at podium is River Dean.

Scholarship Recipients: Hannah Cravens, Megan Exner, and River Dean showing off their Scholarship Certificates.

Photos, clockwise: Penny Pines award to Jim Richardson in memory of his wife, Tony LaCausi talking on "What to do with Fall Leaves", Artistic Design by Linda Nemeyer, Mona Tate and Jamie Hooper with Ways and Means Raffle Items.

Center, Karen Welch and Pat Meyer. This year's Garden Club Yearbook was dedicated to Karen for her many years of service to the Garden Club.

Nature Expo

The Bella Vista Garden Club participated in the Nature Expo at Lake Avalon put on by the Bluebird Society on 9/18/22.

September 2022 - YARD OF THE MONTH

Jim and Nancy Kaiser

4 Kirkpatrick Lane, Bella Vista, AR

Congratulations to Jim and Nancy Kaiser and their dog Chloe, who have been selected as the Bella Vista Garden Club Yard of the Month. They moved to Bella Vista two years ago from Wichita, KS and immediately began a total renovation of their Bella Vista home. They were both accountants with Cargill before retiring. They have totally transformed the yard and house since moving in. All undergrowth was removed from the side yard, plants all replaced around the front and then beautifully landscaped.

Jim is a Benton County Master Gardener and was a Master Gardener in Kansas before moving here. Jim is always working in his yard. He also has several raised beds and raises tomatoes, cantaloupes, and several other vegetables. Nancy is a great cook and makes great dishes from the produce. Basil was especially good this year she says. Chloe supervises and enjoys the sunshine. Jim’s favorite plants are lantanas, coleus and daylilies.

The Bella Vista Garden Club thanks you, Jim and Nancy for yet another example of a well-kept yard and helping to keep Bella Vista beautiful year-round!

The Bella Vista Garden Club promotes and rewards exemplary yard care in Bella Vista and recognizes neighbors who demonstrate above-average efforts in maintaining their property, which contributes to the overall appearance of the community at large. All homes and businesses in Bella Vista are eligible. Nominations are for the front and side yards jointly. One yard is chosen each month by members of BVGC who select the yard that best exemplifies uniqueness, beauty and curb appeal.

Nominate a yard today via email to: portillo.jb@gmail.com. Please provide the address and the homeowners name if known. All nominations will be in the running for future recognition.

Native Bed at Wastewater Dedicated to Lou Jasper

August 18, 2022

Club Members gathered on a misty morning as Joel Miller unveiled the plaque dedicating the Club's recently created Native Bed to Lou Jasper. Lou was instrumental in advising the club about this native bed and is a treasured member for her knowledge and her great personality. Geri Hoerner related some humorous stories about Lou and a newspaper reporter took photos and interviewed Lou for an article.

State of AR Federation of Garden Clubs Conference

Benton County was well represented at the State AFGC Conference in Jonesboro AR August 8 & 9th with members from Bentonville, Rogers and Bella Vista Garden Clubs in attendance.

BLUE STAR MEMORIAL - HWY 71 WELCOME CENTER

Workers doing some cleanup at the Blue Star Memorial Garden on 8/9/2022.

Garden Extravaganza

The Garden Extravaganza was held on Saturday June 11th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The beautiful gardens were a HUGE hit. The decorated bicycles at each garden matched the garden's theme and some were for sale.

THANK YOU to all participants!!

Seven beautiful Bella Vista, AR gardens were featured. Each had a different theme.

Seven minute video of all seven gardens featured in the Garden Extravaganza

Thank You from the Chariman

Dear Garden Club Members,

The garden owners are relieved the day is over, the finances are completed, and Ginny Vance and I proclaim the Garden Extravaganza was a success.

The visitors to the seven fabulous gardens were amazed, complimentary, and so pleased the garden club had offered them this opportunity. The gardeners from our own club worked hours and hours plus spent a great deal of their own money to create memorable places to visit. Most club members either volunteered to decorate bikes, help with publicity, work at the gardens, or sell tickets. For all your efforts we thank you.

A very nice amount of money was raised for the Club's projects.

Ginny and I also want to thank Cathy Wayson for creating the brochure/ticket, Geri Hoerner for helping with printing the brochures, Coleen Walpert for managing ticket sales, and Robyn Kirkland for logistics.

Thank You! Judy Jeffrey and Virginia Vance

Dedication of the New Stained Glass Sign at the Bella Vista Memorial Garden Cemetery as Part of the Club's Celebration of the 50th Anniversary

Mary Doyle and Patti Brierly, Co-chairs of Cemetery Committee; with Pat Meyer, President of the Club and creator of the Stained Glass Sign. Pat said that her daughter and husband helped with the framing and installation of the sign.

Members of the Club joined in the June 7th, 2022 unveiling and dedication of the stained glass sign in the Butterfly Garden. The sign was greeted with applause and comment such as, "Beautiful" and "Amazing".

Plant Sale on June 4th, 2022

It was a beautiful day for the Bella Vista Garden Club's rescheduled Plant Sale. Thanks to everyone who came and bought plants. We appreciate your support!

The BVGC Spring Luncheon and Tour at Crystal Bridges

on June 1, 2022

The Meeting Theme was the 50th Anniversary of the Garden Club. Check out the photos in the Image Carousel.

Veterans Wall of Honor

Penny Frahm & Jamie Hooper

Planted flowers and did some spring cleaning at the Veterans Wall Of Honor today.

Raffle

Mona Tate and Jamie Hooper announce the winners.

Artistic Design

Elaine Rooney provided a fresh spring floral design.

Annual Tomato, Coleus, and Zinnia Sale on 4/23/22

Hello everyone - I first want to THANK YOU for coming out and making our tomato, coleus & zinnia sale last Friday the best yet! It was so successful that we totally sold out of everything on Friday and had to cancel our Saturday sale. The garden club appreciates your support.

Please return your one gallon pots and any other one gallon pots you may acquire if you can. This is an enormous help to us.

And lastly, please remember our upcoming perennial sale May 20th & 21st.

Joal Miller, Plant Sale Chairman

Dedication of the Club's History Books

at the Bella Vista Historical Museum on April 13, 2022

President, Pat Meyer, dedicated the Club's 50 years of History Books (also called Scrapbooks).

After the dedication, members traded stories, checked out some of the books and enjoyed cookies.

Garden Therapy

BVGC Club members took fun projects to Concordia and Brookfield in April, 2022.

Concordia

Brookfield

50th Anniversary Year Kickoff

Tree Planting at Fire Station #3 on March 25th, 2022

Garden Club President Pat Meyer, Mayor Peter Christie, and Fire Chief Sims spoke about the Club's donation of the tree in honor of the Club's 50th Anniversary and in recognition of Bella Vista's First Responders.

Bella Vista Memorial Garden Cemetery Work Days October 2021

It was a beautiful morning for our Garden Club Members to work at the Bella Vista Memorial Garden Cemetery.

During our clean up we even found a Monarch caterpillar on one of the fennel plants.

New Sand Bed Preparation

This just in from Ginny Vance.

We are so thankful for the workers at the Bella Vista Waste Water Company. They made a brand new sand bed area for our plants that we sell in the spring!! Landscape blocks were added too!! They are an awesome group of men & women.

THINGS TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN

Things to do in October

Annuals & Herbs - Annuals and Herbs like basil will be fading fast in October. Enjoy their last blooms and make herb vinegar or oil or dry herbs for winter cooking. You can plant winter annuals like pansies and kale in October.
Tropicals & Houseplants - The first frost date could be early October so tropicals should be brought in when the nighttime temperatures start to dip down to 48 or so. Move pots of caladiums indoors or pull them before foliage completely disappears. Spray with insecticidal soap so you do not bring any unwanted critters in the house.
Perennials - Mums should be blooming. Add more mums to your garden where you need fall color. Finish planting perennials and remember to mulch them.
Bulbs & Iris - Buy bulbs now for best selection. Plant crocus and daffodils after the soil has cooled. Plant in groups of odd numbers … at least five to seven. Start planting lily bulbs and tulips at the end of October. Plant or divide iris.
Roses - Stop deadheading and let roses set rose hips. If new growth is encouraged it will be susceptible to freezing. If roses are too tall and will rock in the wind over the winter, cut them back to about 3 feet or so.
Lawns - Apply fall pre-emergence herbicides, if needed, to control winter weeds. Seed fescue lawns or overseed existing lawns. Keep lawns free of fallen leaves.. they smother the grass. Lawns should be 2” high going into winter.
Trees and Shrubs – October is a good month to plant trees and shrubs. Monitor water over the winter months. Vegetables Enjoy the end of your harvest. Plant garlic in October to harvest next summer. Add organic matter to your beds to be ready for spring planting.

LINKS OF INTEREST

New Links

New Link: How to Grow your own Butterfly Garden - This page has a step by step guide to build a butterfly garden. The site was suggested by a student in an alternative learning program.

New Link: Toxic Pesticides - This page on the ConsumerNotice.org site has a lot of information on toxic pesticides outlining the different types and how to protect yourself from their negative effects.

New Link: Yard Care Guru - This site has a multitude of links of information and this link has the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Gardening with Kids.

New Link: Consumers Base - This site has A Comprehensive Guide to Container Gardening that is very informative along with other gardening information.

New Link: University of Arkansas Yard and Garden - Pruning Crepe Myrtles - This page has information on pruning crepe myrtles and other links to more information on this plant.

New Link: Plant Care Today - This page of the site covers companion planting with tomatoes. Other pages have more gardening information.

New Link: Ultimate Guide to Gardening Resources - This site is full of links with information on general gardening, planning a garden, educating children, indoor gardening, blogs and podcasts.