President’s Letter - Spring 2023
Happy Spring! As I write this in mid-March, temperatures are more reminiscent of winter, but a glance at the calendar clearly shows the vernal equinox happening next week and boy, am I ready! After a winter of record-breaking freezes, followed by the warmest February ever, the promise of moderating temperatures sounds delightful. I’m ready to hit the garden centers with my list of “Linda’s Favorite Hydrangeas” from our terrific February meeting speaker, Linda Cline. I’m also ready to look at my garden through a designer eye and see what improvements can be made. Our April speaker, horticulturist Carol Reese, promises to show us ways to make our gardens glow. I hope you’ll join us on Monday, April 24th at 7pm at the Atlanta History Center to hear from Carol and get some inspiration for your own garden. Remember, these meetings are free and open to the public so please invite friends or neighbors to join you. An early dinner and garden lecture are the perfect way to spend a spring Monday evening, and maybe you and your friend can win something from our plant raffle to take home to your own gardens!
The American Hydrangea Society will be hosting a booth at the annual Garden Faire event sponsored by the North Fulton Master Gardeners. This event is scheduled for Saturday, April 29th from 9am to 3pm at The Grove at Wills Park in Alpharetta. We will be selling more plants from Dr. Dirr’s hydrangea breeding program so if you missed out on the February sale, now is your chance! Plants will be cash (or check) and carry, $35 for one plant, two plants or more, $30 each. Spring is full of all kinds of wonderful gardening events, symposiums, and festivals, and we’ve included several of them in the AHS Membership Toolkit Calendar on our website. We will also share events on our Facebook page, so check in with us there from time to time.
Preparations are well under way for our annual AHS Garden Tour taking place on Saturday, June 10th from 9am to 5pm. This year we are focused on showcasing gardens inside the perimeter, with one just slightly outside. Tour hosts are working hard to get their gardens in tip top shape to welcome visitors and I know you will join me in thanking them for their efforts. These gardens are all very different, but hydrangeas galore is the common theme. Our AHS tour chairs Dörte Wohman-Schmieta and Gloria Ward have found some real treats for us this year. Remember that only current members receive tour tickets. This is an excellent time to check and make sure your membership is active and current. Our membership chair Liesl Marmon, will be available to renew members in person at our April meeting with cash or check, or you can choose to renew online with a credit card through the Membership Toolkit link on our website. If you have questions about your membership status, you can email Liesl at membership@americanhydrangeasociety.org.
As with all plant societies, volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. We are grateful to the members who help us fulfill our volunteer hours at the Atlanta History Center, who volunteer as Garden Tour docents, and who help make our meetings run smoothly by organizing our name tags, picking up raffle plants, and providing meeting refreshments. A very special thank you to those who just step up when help is needed, such as during our plant sale. Your contributions are so appreciated. If you want to learn more about how you can contribute your time and talent to AHS, send our volunteer chair Michael Knee an email at volunteers@americanhydrangeasociety.org.
With dirty hands and a full heart,
Jennifer Petritz
AHS President
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