The home of Susan Virgin

HOSTESSES: Susan Virgin, Margie Hutchinson, Guerry Redmond, and Mildred Spalding

CALL TO ORDER:  Welcome by Mary Huntz

Mary reminded everyone to sign in.  We are continuing to keep an attendance chart. Mary recognized and thanked the Hostesses.The minutes from the March meeting were approved and seconded.  The Minutes were approved as submitted.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Treasurer Report: No report

Speech School Report: Terri Alston

Terri thanked the eight people who came to the Speech School Workday.  Solterra was there as well. The kids came out and admired the newly renovated garden.  Lots of questions were asked.

Quarry Garden Report: Parker Tekin

The Quarry Garden looks very good.  Everything is in bloom.  There is a bird walk.  FYI, Souper Jenny is now open for Sunday Brunch.  It is $20pp and very delicious.

Amaryllis Project: Leslie Morgan and Lindsey Sones

Leslie and Lindsey recognized 35 entries in the Amaryllis Flower Show Project.

*  Best Problem Solver – Emily Ferguson

*  Best Effort – Gerry Redmond

*  Most Original – Marianne Craft

*  Least Effort – Lois Yates received lots of laughs

*  Best Overall – Terri Alston, compliments of son, Philip

 Mimosa Garden Party: Jennifer Euart

The Party will be at the home of Rae Knox.  Remember to buy your raffle tickets.  Raffle to include:  Blair Mann painting, signed coffee table books, shooting with Mary Huntz, Lucy’s basket, an evening with Spalding Nix, GA/GA Tech tickets with parking pass, and Styles by Liles

Silent Auction to include:  Jean Glenn painting, Wine Pairing Dinner in your home:  donated by Sarah Kennedy ($2500.) and Linton Hopkins ($2500.)

Valet parking available for the Party.

Programs: Jinny Keough /Aimee Nix

The May meeting will be at the Urban Farm at Chastain Park.

OLD BUSINESS:

Re-stating:  Emily Jordan and Margaret Warren, of the Special Membership Committee, recommend the following changes in the By Laws concerning Membership:

*  Members will be eligible to move up to Sustaining after 25 years of active service.

*  Mimosa will take up to three members each year.

Our By Laws state that after presentation of a change in the By Laws, we have two months for everyone to review the recommended changed.

We’ll vote on this issue at the May meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:

Mary presented the Slate of Officers for the Mimosa Year 2016-2017

President – Margaret Warren

Vic President – Jinny Keough

2^nd VP-Speech School – Karen Brown and Caroline Davis

3^rd VP-Quarry Garden – Parker Tekin andLouise Moore

Recording Secretaries – Julie Yates, Nell Mitchell and Elizabeth Hogan

Corresponding Secretary – Hallie Crawford

Treasurer –  Julie Harlan

Programs – Shelby Drinkard and Nancy Powell

The 2016-2017 Slate of Officers was unanimously approved.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A big congratulations to Lindsey Sones.  Lindsey’s garden was on the Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens April 22-24.  Sneak Peak was on Thursday, April 21.

PROGRAM:

Aimee Nix welcomed and introduced our speaker, Martha Tate.   We enjoyed many humorous antidotes about Margaret Moseley from Martha’s book, “A Garden to Remember”.

Respectfully submitted,

Louise Moore

The Home of Blair Mann

HOSTESSES: Elizabeth Hogan, Blair Mann, Margaret Warren and Nicole Warren

CALL TO ORDER: Mary Huntz
Mary called the meeting to order, welcomed everyone and thanked the hostesses. Minutes from the February meeting were voted on and approved.

DUES TREASURER REPORT:
We have only one outstanding unpaid dues.  We are following up on that one to see if there is an issue we should know about.  Please remember that Mimosa dues are due in September.

SPEECH SCHOOL REPORT: Terri Alston
Sign up for The Speech School Garden Work Day on Wednesday, April 13^th at 10:00 am.  It would mean a lot for many of us to show up for this workday.  The trees will be pruned in the garden for $350.

QUARRY GARDEN REPORT: Parker Tekin
Everyone is very excited about the ginseng coming back from the tiny starts we put in the ground last year, and that we have so many pawpaws blooming. In another week we’ll probably be at peak bloom for the spring ephemerals (if the cold snap doesn’t slow it down!)

Here is what’s in bloom and happening below:

• Virginia bluebells in bloom
• Mayapples emerging
• Atamasco lily in bloom
• Royal fern fronds unfurling
• Geranium in bloom
• Cinnamon fern fronds unfurling
• Bloodroot in bloom
• Ginseng emerging
• Rue anemone in bloom
• Yellowroot in bloom
• Red and white redbud in bloom
• All Pawpaw trees have flowers – only one had them last year

AMARYLLIS REPORT: Lindsey Sones
Thanks to everyone that have emailed photos of their amaryllis.  The contest is over in April with fabulous prizes.

MIMOSA GARDEN PARTY REPORT: Emily Ferguson
Please remember to write your check for the Garden Party tickets.  Each member is required to purchase 4 tickets at $75 per ticket.  Each invitation equals two tickets.  It is a “May Day” theme.  There will be a signature cocktail.  We may need more raffle items.  A private culture club evening with Spalding Nix has been donated.

PROGRAMS: Jinny Keough
The April 26^th meeting will be at the home of Susan Virgin.  Author Martha Tate will be speaking about her book.  There will also be a book signing.

We will be voting on the slate of officers for the Mimosa year 2016-2017 at the April meeting.

HOSTESS CHART: Marianne Craft
Sign ups for next year are on the website.

WEBSITE HEADSHOTS: Guerry Redmond
Guerry has her camera if your picture has not been taken for the directory.

THE SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Emily Jordan & Margaret Warren
First of all thank you to the whole committee as well as our trusted advisors who chimed in with their opinions.  We were tasked with looking at the membership and if needed, proposing a solution to the issue of lack of new member spots available this year and next.

We reviewed the membership for the next 10 years, if we do not make any changes we will only be able to accept 13 new members.  The majority of the committee feels this is a problem for the longevity and energy of Mimosa.  New members and meaningful participation are critical to any club.  While no one wants Mimosa to grow too large, we all want our friends and family to be able to join us in the best garden club. The solution the majority of the committee feels is best, is a bylaw change to the classes of membership bylaw.  We would like to propose changing the years of membership required to achieve sustaining status from 30 years to 25 years.  By doing this we create 21 spaces in the 10 years.

Keep the cap of 3 spaces each year should more spaces be available.  For example, next year, if we change the by laws to reflect this change, we have 6 spots but only 3 would be available.

NEW MEMBER OPENINGS          NEW MEMBER OPENINGS
NO BYLAW CHANGE                CHANGE SUSTAINING STATUS TO 25 YEARS

                                       Year                                                       ­
0                                 2016-17                           6
1                                  2017-18                           0
1                                  2018-19                           1
1                                  2019-20                          2
2                                 2020-21                           6
1                                  2021-22                           0
0                                 2022-23                           3
0                                 2023-24                           0
2                                 2024-25                            2
5                                 2025-26                            1

These numbers do not take into account resignations, moves, etc.

We clarified that sustaining members have all the privileges of membership but are not required to attend meetings, however they are encouraged to attend.  They pay dues, for party tickets, and host meetings.

Our current membership numbers:
Members elect: 6
Active: 41
Associate: 21
Sustaining: 28
Honorary: 10
Non Resident: 8
Professional: 3
Total: 117

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mary Hunyz
A big congratulations to Lindsay Sones.  Lindsey’s garden is going to be on the Druid Hills Tour of Homes and Gardens April 22-24.  Please see the website for tickets and to volunteer:  www.druidhillstour.org

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION: Jinny Keough
Sarah Price from Bellwether Landscape Architects

Respectfully submitted,
Rae Knox

The Home of Mary Huntz

HOSTESSES: Gregg Irby, Liz Irby, Linda Beth Loughlin and Laura Irby Smith

CALL TO ORDER: Mary Huntz
Mary called the meeting to order at 10:51 and thanked the hostesses. She announced that due to the weather, our pruning lesson might take place inside.

JANUARY MINUTES: Mary Huntz
Mary reminded the members to read the minutes on the Mimosa website and asked if there was a motion to approve the minutes from the January meeting. The motion was seconded and approved.

DUES: Mary Huntz
Mary announced that Sarah McElroy reported that most of the membership has paid dues with only a few remaining. Sarah has reached out to those who haven’t yet paid.

QUARRY GARDEN: Parker Tekin
Parker reported the following updates on the Quarry Garden/History Center:

Over the past month, Sarah and the Quarry Garden team have done some drainage work in the Quarry to try to alleviate the flooding issue, at least temporarily.

They have also mulched all the trails with new oak mulch and it looks amazing and really sets off the garden beds.

Rosemary Bathurst, who is the horticulturist for the Quarry Garden, recently attended the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance meeting. She is our representative to that group, though Curator Valerie Van Sweden and Sarah will also be working with them.

The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance is an innovative network of public gardens, government agencies, and environmental organizations committed to preserving Georgia’s endangered flora. Formed in 1995, GPCA initiates and coordinates efforts to protect natural habitats and endangered species through biodiversity management and public education. From rigorous scientific research to hands-on stewardship projects with elementary schools, the combined resources, expertise and outreach strategies of GPCA members provide powerful tools for plant conservation in Georgia.

This will help elevate The History Center’s status as an institution that practices native plant conservation through its on-site gardens like the Quarry, and the off-site assistance in monitoring endangered flora.

This month Sarah placed an order with McMahan’s nursery in Clermont, which will be closing its doors. She snapped up all the native hydrangeas, amongst others, which will be added to the Quarry landscape. This list detailing the purchase Sarah made is available by contacting Parker.

AMARYLLIS PROJECT: Leslie Morgan
Leslie thanked the participants of this year’s project and reminded the participants to take a photo of their success or failure and email to her. Prizes will be awarded in April. She thanked the new members for helping deliver the kits.

GARDEN PARTY: Jennifer Euart
The Garden Party is set for Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at the home of Rae Knox. The party will have a May Day theme and Soiree will be catering. A sign-up sheet was passed around to volunteer to help with the party. Tickets to the party will be available for purchase at the March meeting so members should bring their checkbooks. Jennifer and Emily are also looking for some big-ticket items to add to the raffle, possibly a destination or outing package. Anyone with any leads on possible items should contact Jennifer or Emily.

PROGRAMS: Jinny Keough
Jinny announced that the next meeting would be on March 22nd at Blair Mann’s lovely home. Sarah Price from Bellwether Landscape Architects will present the latest ideas in garden design. She reminded members to check the Mimosa web site for any changes or added information for future programs.

HOSTESS CHART: Mary Huntz
In Marianne Craft’s absence, Mary reminded members who have not done so to sign up for 2016-2017 dates.

WEBSITE: Mary Huntz
Mary asked the members if everyone is using the new website and if anyone is having any issues logging on. Jinny Keough reminded everyone when googling “mimosa garden club” to be sure to click on the new website and not the old one. The new site is the one with the real Mimosa flower. Margaret Glenn reminded those who have not had a headshot taken and added to the site to either upload a photo of themselves, email a photo to her to be uploaded, or be prepared to have a photo taken at the next meeting. Guerry Redmond will bring her camera to the March and April meetings.

OLD BUSINESS: Mary Huntz
The Special Membership Committee has met and is working to come up with a strategy to address spaces for new members in Mimosa.  They will give us a report with their recommendations at the March meeting.  Then we’ll vote on any By Laws changes at the May meeting.  If you have a comment about this issue please contact one of the members of that committee.  Their names are in the January minutes on the website.

Mary announced that a spreadsheet showing which meetings each of us has attended this year was by the front door and that September is incomplete.  She asked members who attended the September meeting at the Atlanta Botanical Garden to please indicate that under the September meeting column.  Sharena Hall reminded members to remember to sign in on the attendance sheet at each meeting as we are now keeping track of attendance.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mary Huntz
We received a nice thank you note from the Southeastern Horticultural Society thanking us for our $100 honorarium donation from last September.

A big congratulations to Lindsey Sones as her garden will be on the Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens April 22-24. There is a link to purchase tickets on the Mimosa website.

We received notice from Tee Davis that George Sherrill, husband of past Mimosa member and president, Claire Sherrill, passed away the end of January.

GUEST SPEAKER: Mary Huntz
Mary introduced horticulturist Terry May, an expert on “How to Prune”. Following Terry’s presentation, there was a lot of interest in his services.  Terry would be glad to provide more information about his consulting services and to answer any questions about your landscape.  Please email him at hortinc@att.net. Or call at 404-794-5451.   An example of a consult would be a 1-2 hour walk-through of your landscape to discuss design and plant selection ideas, proper pruning methods, and maintenance and pest issues.  He’s also an expert at garden problem solving.

Respectfully submitted,
Sharena Hall

The Atlanta Speech School

HOSTESSES: Jennifer Euart, Gayle Alston, Terri Alston, and Emily Ferguson

CALL TO ORDER:  Mary Huntz
Mary called the meeting to order, welcomed everyone and thanked the hostesses. Minutes from September, October and November were voted on and approved. Thank you to the Speech School for providing the beautiful flowers and drinks.

SPEECH SCHOOL REPORT:  Terri Alston
The Atlanta Speech School loves the Mimosa Garden.  Jack Zimmerman sent a personal email to Terri saying how beautiful the garden is and how much they enjoy it.

QUARRY GARDEN:  Parker Tekin
The new farm cat, Artful Dodger, has begun hunting so we hope he will discover the plethora of voles in the Quarry under the mulch paths and get to work. The pond has flooded twice this winter already, with water going all the way to the deer sculptures, covering the majority of the interior large bed (bed 8). This concerns me for the life of the plants in there; they are not aquatic plants though some do tolerate the occasional flood. At some point we will need to address the drainage in the Quarry on a large scale and figure out how to pipe the overflow water into the creek or create another detention pond, like the one at the top of the Quarry near the Gardens building.

This isn’t on the immediate horizon, but perhaps next year. We will have to assess the damage in spring. A lot of silt came in with the last flood so there was a mud-line across the whole center bed that may have covered the crowns of many plants. We have our fingers crossed, as this area has flooded in previous years as well, so hoping the plants survive.

The waterfall froze over earlier, and had icicles all down the front, which was quite beautiful! We blew out the irrigation system back in December so it will not freeze, that is protected.

We also have a couple people in the invasive plant business brainstorming ways to rid the sides of the Quarry Garden of the English ivy without causing a landslide or erosion into the creek. We are doing ivy removal in Swan Woods this year, where it is an easier test case, without having the steep slope that the Quarry presents us. Sarah will monitor that success over the next year before determining a plan for the Quarry walls.

AMARYLLIS PROJECT:  Lindsey Sones
30 Members have participated
4 members have not paid
Email your amaryllis photos to Leslie Morgan: lesliemorgan1@mac.com
Awards will be given in April

MIMOSA PARTY REPORT:  Jennifer Euart and Emily Ferguson
The ‘May Day” themed party is May 4, 2016 at the home of Rae Knox.  Soiree is catering the event.  Lisa Henson is the party treasurer.  All new members will help the committee with the party.  The sign up sheet was on the table at the meeting.  There are 3 donations for the auction.  The financial goal for the Party is $28,000. net proceeds in order to meet our obligations for two years.

PROGRAMS:  Aimee Nix
The February meeting will be at the home of Mary Huntz.  The program is a pruning workshop with Terry May.  Dress accordingly- the meeting will be outside, weather permitting.

The May 10^th meeting will be at Chastain Farm on Urban gardening.

HOSTESS CHART:  Marianne Craft
The chart shows that there are meetings that need to be filled.  Please sign up.

WEBSITE:  Margaret Warren
To enter the Mimosa website:
The username is your first initial and last name.  The password is your home telephone number WITH the dashes.
Also, please make sure your profile is updated.    Be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click on Update to save your changes.

PHOTOS FOR DIRECTORY:  Guerry Redmond
Please see Guerry and have your picture taken for the directory, if you haven’t done so.

MEMBERSHIP: Mary Huntz
This is the time of year when we review our Mimosa Directory to see how many new spaces for new members will open up.

It saddens me to report that after counting spaces numerous times, unfortunately we don’t have room for any new members this year.  According to the By Laws our membership is capped at 70 members, excluding Sustaining, Non Resident and Honorary members.

 Just as a review especially for newer members this is what is in our By Laws:

Members-Elect are considered as new members through May of their second full year.  Members –Elect must attend five meetings per year and work on the Flower Show a.k.a. the Amaryllis Project. Members Elect must also work on the Mimosa Garden Party in May and participate in the work of the Club.

Active members must attend five meeting per year and participate in the work of the Club.

Associate members:  after 15 years of actively being involved in Mimosa an Active member may become an Associate member.  Associates must attend one meeting per year.

One may become a Sustaining member after being active in the club for 30 years!

Sustainers have all the privileges of membership.

One may become an Honorary member after being in the club for 50 years!  Honorary membership may also be bestowed by unanimous vote of the Club on a person who has shown special interest and concern for the Mimosa Garden Club.  And they shall have all the privileges of membership.  Of which we have nine!

Very Important:  Professional Membership shall be granted to those Active members of Mimosa after five (5) years of membership who work full-time with inflexible hours.  Professional membership classification must be requested to the Board yearly by July 1.  Professional Members must attend at least one meeting per year.  We currently have two.

If there is anyone who would like to ask for permission to be placed in the Professional members category, please submit a letter to that effect to the Board by July 1^st.  That information will help us as we select who will serve on the Board of Directors this year.

Non resident members may not hold office.

We are so, so fortunate to have so many very active Associate and Sustaining members.  Thanks to all of you for making Mimosa a wonderful club. 

Our new website is programmed by your membership date to recognize who is eligible to move up to Sustaining.  Unfortunately we have no one moving up to Sustaining this year; therefore, there is no room for a new member.

Looking forward five years, if there are no changes such as a resignation, someone moving —

2015-2016     0 members
2016-2017     1 member
2017-2018     1 member
2018-2019     1 member
2019-2020     2 members

Over the next five years, we’ll have room for five new members.

We have consulted Betty Glenn and Libby Lanier, our Parliamentarians, about this.  They are in agreement.

Do we have any discussion?

Members then discussed that attendance should be monitored.  All Members Elect and Active members must attend 5 meetings each year as stated in the by-laws.

A Special Membership Committee was established to consider membership options.

Gayle Alston
Blair Mann
Catherine Fleetwood
Emily Jordan
Esther Garges
Sissy Davis

This Committee shall meet over the next ten months, taking suggestions from the Mimosa membership as to how to address the issue of having spaces for only five new members over the next five years.  If an Active member does not meet her obligations, what should happen?  The Committee will present a Report and its Recommendations to the Officers and Board of Directors not later than January 1st.  Any By Laws changes will be voted on at the January meeting.

TREASURY REPORT: Email from Julian Harlan

We had a great year in 2015.  In 2015, we contributed $10,800 to Atlanta Historical Society and $7,200 to the Atlanta Speech School from our party proceeds earned from the party in 2014.  We ended the year with $18,215 in total from our three cash accounts.  This is pretty in line with our budget, with the exception that we didn’t collect all our dues for 2015-2016.  Please pay your dues if you haven’t paid them for 2015-2016.  We are looking forward to a profitable party this spring to replenish our party account with the funds necessary to make our next two years of commitments to the Speech School and Atlanta History Center.  Please call Julie Harlan at 404-808-2492 if you have any questions.

Dues: Everyone pays dues except for Honorary Members.  Mimosa Dues are $50 and due by December.  However, because this is a transitional year to receive information via our website, the $25. late fee is waived if you pay by February 1^st.

Sarah McElroy, Dues Treasurer, will contact all members who have dues in arrears.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE:  Mary Huntz
We need to nominate one Active and one Associate member to serve on the Nominating Committee to draw up the slate of Officers for next year.

Sissy Davis nominated Lindsey Sones
Shelby Drinkard nominated Jinny Keough

Anyone interesting in serving on the Board next year, please send Mary an email.

mhuntz@huntzco.com

Mary Huntz gave a door prize, a quart jar of homegrown and canned green beans to Claire Benedict.

Comer Yates spoke briefly thanking Mimosa for our support.

Respectfully submitted,
Rae Knox