$500 Check Presented To Food Pantry

The Club donated $500 to the Woodstock Food Pantry.  Club President Brenda Dahlfors presented Food Pantry President Bert Schommer with the check.  The donation will be used to purchase grocery items from the Illinois Food Bank.

Christmas Party

 

The Club held it's annual Christmas Luncheon at the home of Betty Aavang.  Pictured are the Committee Members from left to right front row: Mary Fran, Anne, Betty , Judy, Nancy, Faith.
Back row: Vicky, Sondra, Linda and Barb Oughton.

Hammered Dulcimer player Katie Moritz entertained all during lunch with beautiful Christmas music. 

 

2012 Holiday Windows of the The Year

The Woodstock Garden Club selected "Seasons by Peg" on the Square with a Best Dressed Window Award for the 2012 Holiday Season. Pictured from left to right are: Andrea Carol, Cassi Nickolas, Peg Fenstermaker (Owner), Jenna Maire, Michelle Bousk and kneeling - Kaitlin Kusek.

The Woodstock Garden Club awarded "Apple Creek Flowers" with a Best Dressed Window Award for their outstanding use of natural and garden materials during the 2012 Holiday Season.

Pictured is Elizabeth Crisp, owner

Holiday Baskets at the Train Depot

Club members assembled decorative hanging baskets for the Woodstock Train Depot.   The City of Woodstock generously donated funds toward greenery and cuttings.

Pictured left to right are Maureen, Vicky, Barbara, Judy, Anne, Nancy, Susan, and Marita.

Opera House Christmas Tree

This year's theme is: "Gifts of the Season".  The Committee members made large snowflake ornaments from twigs, wreaths from pine cones and round ornaments from acorn caps.  The words Peace, Love, Joy, Faith and Hope were attached to small hand painted gift boxes.  Small white doves are perched on little nests and complement the large bird in the top of the tree.  Dried hydrangeas, some curly branches and gold and bronze ribbon provide the finishing touch.  Natural colored burlap serves as the "tree skirt".

Pictured from left to right are Lydia, Vicky, Barb, Sondra, Mary Ellen and Michelle.

"Girlfriends and Good Tidings Brunch"

Over 100 guests attended the club's fourth annual "Girlfriends and Good Tidings Brunch" at the Woodstock Country Club.  Funds raised benefit the club's scholarship fund and local gardening projects throughout Woodstock.  

Following brunch, Gwen Van Steen (right) and Patti Balleto of "The Gardens of Woodstock" presented creative holiday tabletop design ideas.

Pictured from left to right are planning committee members Kristin, Mary Fran, Brenda, Presenters Patti and Gwen and Linda.

Club members donated eight themed gift baskets that were raffled off after lunch.  "The Gardens of Woodstock" generously donated three gift certificates and a custom holiday swag.  A certificate for a Year of Flowers was donated by "Apple Creek Flowers."  A beautiful floral arrangement designed and assembled by one of the club members was also raffled.  

A lot of happy girlfriends went home with wonderful donated prizes! 

 Carol and Marita sold raffle tickets to attendees.

"All About Bulbs!"

The October meeting was held at the Woodstock Library.   Kim Hartmann from Countryside presented a very informative program on spring and fall flower bulbs for the garden.  Afterwards Kim raffled off some of the materials she brought and about 10 lucky members went home with a plant, a pumpkin or some bulbs.  Pictured from left to right are Anne, Kim, Marita and Sondra.

September 2012 Field Trip and Meeting

Members took a trip to the "Heritage Gardens" of the Boone County Conservation District in Belvidere.  Staff wearing settler-style clothing led an informative tour of ethnic gardens similar to those planted by Norwegian, German, and Scottish immigrants, Yankee settlers, and Native Americans.

A garden in the shape of a butterfly!

October Garden of the Month

The garden of Jim and Deb Patton was selected as the October Garden.  The front yard is still full of colorful flowers and small pumpkins are perched on the fence.  Little scarecrows are tucked in the window boxes and around the yard.  In the back of the house you will find a tennis court, horse shoe pits and lots of room to play games.  Deb says a lot of her plants came from her mother's garden in Iowa.  And since her birthday is in September she received many of the asters and mums as birthday gifts.  

Barn Nursery Container Challenge

Two WGC teams entered the Fall Container Challenge at the Barn Nursery Friday August 31.  The teams had to create their own designs and bring their own pots and props.  The Barn provided a beautiful array of annuals and perennials the teams could choose from to use in their container.  The various teams then had 20 minutes to plant the container and come up with a name for their creation.

 

 

FIRST PLACE FOR $100

After the first round of judging both WGC teams were tied for First Place with three perfect 10's!  The judges then retreated into an office for a private consultation and then awarded First Place and a $100 gift certificate to the team of Becky and Lydia.  Anne, Sondra and Marita won Second Place and a $50 gift certificate.  Thanks Brenda for coming out to cheer on the teams!   

RUNNER-UP FOR $50

September Garden of the Month

The Woodstock Garden Club chose the garden of "Bear" and Ruth Dycus on N. Madison Street as the September Garden of the Month.  The couple has lived there for 58 years and designed all the landscaping around the house.  Besides watering, weeding and mowing "Bear" also takes care of their vegetable plot.  Produce they don't consume or share they preserve.  This year they will harvest over 200 lbs. of potatoes.  

 

Couples Dinner August 9

The Annual Couples Dinner was held at Becky Monroe's house.  Members brought various appetizers, side dishes and desserts to accompany the broasted chicken dinner. 

A change in the weather brought much needed rain and cooler temperatures so the party was brought indoors. A raffle was held and the proceeds will benefit the Woodstock Food Pantry.  Co-hostesses for the evening were Michelle Mueckenhoff and Mary Ellen Streit.

August Garden of the Month

The garden of Barry and Chris Lamb on Tara Drive was selected for August.  The couple has lived in the house on the corner over 18 years but has been updating the landscaping over the past 3 years. 

Amid the flower beds in the back of the house you can find a pretty fountain and a small pond filled with fish.  One of the goldfish is 8 years old!

 

Barry is growing vegetables on one side of the house and he just proudly harvested his first ear of corn.

July tour of Elaine's garden

The monthly meeting was held at the home of club member Elaine Showers. With the assistance of co-hostesses Betty Shultz and Mary Ellen Streit a delicious (and beautiful!) lunch buffet was served.  Afterwards members toured her beautiful gardens.