Alva Review-Courier -

April Ridgway hosted the monthly meeting of the Tulip Garden Club in Alycen Yoder’s home on April 1. Ridgway welcomed her guests to a brunch of breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, fruit salad, tea and coffee. She chose bright spring colors for the tableware and tablecloths. The centerpiece was a pink gingham metal garden carryall filled with sugar cookies on stems, and the favors were hand-painted sugar cookies. Members present were Mary Ann Crow, Li Brooks, Genevieve Farris, Evelyn Hofen, Helen Janzen, Linda McCoy, April Ridgway, Rhonda Fields, Becky Smith and Donna Rhodes.

Linda McCoy, president, called the meeting to order with members reading the “The Gardener’s Creed.” Members responded to the roll call by telling if they have ladybugs in their garden. The minutes of the last meeting were read by Ridgway, secretary, and approved. Rhonda Fields, treasurer, gave her report.

McCoy reported that the club had reached their Penny Pine project goal, and that she had already received a certificate from the National Garden Club. It will be framed and displayed in the Tulip Club Room at the Cherokee Strip Museum.

Moving on to discussion of the upcoming state convention, McCoy asked club members to hold their bills for monies spent on the convention until it is concluded.

Genevieve Farris reported on status of the centerpiece project, and she showed a prototype she had created for the club’s approval. The club thanked Genevieve for the hard work she had put into the project. Becky Smith presented a centerpiece to be used for the registration table, and the club approved it.

McCoy reported on convention registration. Ridgway reported that the speakers had selected their topics. Friday night, speaker Katie Blunk will speak on the topic “Wildflowers in Our Heartland’s Recovery – Ash to Grass,” and Saturday’s lunchtime speaker, Connie Moore, will speak about “The Art of Flowers from Garden to Canvas.” More convention details were discussed and decided.

McCoy gave a report from the Northwest District spring convention, which she attended on March 24. Next spring’s convention will be held in Alva, and the Petunia Club will be the host. McCoy gave dates for upcoming gardening events around the state.

The club discussed a possible trip to the Bustani Garden and left the date to be determined later.

Hofen opened her lesson on by reading her granddaughters’ book, “The Ladybug Book,” and then she showed some live ladybugs that she had bought to release in her garden. She told the club where they could purchase them and how they could release them successfully. The rest of her lesson was full of useful facts about ladybugs and their beneficial attributes, including how many aphids and moths each ladybug can consume. She said that more information is available at https://tiptopbiocontrol.com/.

Jensen won the hostess gift, the cookie bouquet centerpiece. Members were reminded that the next meeting will be held on May 10, 9:30, at Hofen’s home. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.