Author: cscia
Cape St. Claire Garden Club – May 2023 Update
Articles like this one, titled Gardening has taken off: here’s why the popular activity can replace your gym workout, tout not only the physical benefits, but also the sense of accomplishment & reward, as reasons why interest in gardening is growing exponentially across the country. And don’t we know it! Here in the Garden Club, we’ve added 8 new Members this year already, and we experience additional benefits such as comradery, teamwork, shared mission to contribute to our community, & perhaps most importantly, having fun together! April’s meeting began with attendees working shoulder to shoulder outdoors around three long tables, efficiently potting up a selection of local perennials, including ferns, bugleweed, & black-eyed Susan. After the potting work was completed, we enjoyed snacks and a brief meeting, and those with lucky raffle tickets won lovely plants. Along with many others, these perennials we potted will be at our Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 20th – read on!
In the garden now, the spent blooms of daffodils and other spring bulbs can be pinched off, with the foliage left in place, unbound, until it yellows, so that the bulbs can photosynthesize to store energy for next spring’s bloom. Many gardeners plant daylilies or iris in front of bulbs to hide the yellowing foliage, and May is a lovely time to drive about the Cape and see the riot of color among the bold, ruffled irises, peonies, azaleas, rhododendrons, & fragrant lilacs.
And our Members have been out in droves admiring Cape beauty as well! Yard of the Month is judged anonymously by rotating pairs of Member judges working all over Cape St. Claire, applying these criteria: design creativity (color, texture, form), neatness, health, and overall appeal. Every Cape yard is automatically entered to win every month April – September as our judges drive through the Cape – no need to enter or nominate, and awards are given by independent judging teams without any input from our Board. The Garden Club takes pride in the impartiality of our judging process, and thanks our hardworking Member judging teams for continuing this Cape tradition. Enjoy your beautiful gardens, Capers, and keep up the good work!
What if your garden needs some help? Or if you just plain love plants? You won’t want to miss our Club’s ever-popular Annual Plant Sale on Sat May 20th (rain date Sun May 21st). Colorful annuals and hanging baskets, native and pollinator plants, tomatoes, herbs, & veggies, & flowers for every season! Growing flowers for as much of the year as possible benefits everyone, humans and wildlife alike, as studies show that providing nectar over the longest season possible, using a diverse mix of plants from around the world, is best for feeding pollinators. Biodiversity means more flowers for you & your pollinator friends – and our sale has got you covered for all of it!
Congratulations to our April Yard of the Month Winners!
Area 1: The Shanahan Family, 982 Woodland CIrcle Area 4: Tony Millet, 1227 Blue Ridge Drive
Area 2: The Zdun Family, 1123 Crestview Drive Area 5: Yun and Tom Ale, 718 Mt Alban Circle
Area 3: The Hammond Family, 1048 Lake Claire Drive
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, May 2: Members’ Preview Auction & Plant Sale Planning
Saturday, May 20: 2023 Plant Sale Invite friends, mark your calendars, we’ll see you there!
Tuesday, June 6: Speaker Claire Jones on Before & After Landscaping Solutions Using Native Plants
The Caper – May 2023 Edition
It’s the Pre-Strawberry Festival issue and it’s strawberry jam packed. In Beau’s Presidential message, he keeps it short by only running to two pages (😉) but as always, has great things to say. Spring is a hectic time. In addition to normal board meetings, there have been many sessions with the Chesapeake National Recreational Area (CNRA) at the Federal Level, with local properties being considered, such as Whitehall. He gives great detail on the process thus far. Frank, the new Town Manager, has really hit the ground running. He is learning the systems very quickly and beginning to make assessments to help improve as an organization, in both the short and long term. He has conducted interviews for beach attendants, and is looking for some help regarding part-time groundskeeping for the summer maintenance of our beaches and parks.
Frank, the Town Manager, is warning everyone with the arrival to spring to slow down when driving around Cape’s roads. Also, you should’ve received your orange sticker for this year (if you paid your $10 dues) so if you haven’t received them, be sure to contact the office. Also, if you’re taking on any summer construction projects, be sure you read the building codes.
The Cape Nurse has a great write-up on Printer Claus, the Cape’s mysterious person using a 3-dimensional printer to create palm-sized colorful toys (animal creatures, lettering, lights, etc…) and placing them around the neighborhood for folks to discover. It’s been a real treat. She talks about why that act of kindness is so important for us in her great Caper article.
In other community news, Goshen Farm’s summer concert series kicks off this year on June 16th with Sparks and McCoy / Guava Jelly. They start at 6:30pm at Goshen Farm. Also, don’t forget to sign up as a member this year and to get into their free kayak giveaway. Information can be found in this month’s Caper.
Don’t forget that the Garden Club has their Annual Plant Sale on May 20th at the Cape Clubhouse field. This is a must see event for those who want to add a little green and color to their gardens. More details can be found in the Caper.
In Cape Conservation Corps news, join CCC on June 24th as they travel through Cape to visit the three 2022 Habitat
Hero winners and see what they are doing to be a good steward of their land. Details on how to attend this event, see this month’s Caper. As always, every Wednesday night through October they will meet at one of the 3 areas to remove invasive plants and plant natives. Details can be found on their Facebook group page.
Saturday June 3rd, 2023, the event the entire Cape has been waiting for … the STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL. Sign up forms are in this month’s caper. Parade begins at 10am at the firehouse so don’t miss it!
See you around the Cape!
The Caper – April 2023 Edition
Springtime has arrived and with that brings the many amazing community events. On April 1st, (tomorrow), the great Easter Egg Hunt will be happening at the Cape Beach. It’s the best family filled event.
In this month’s Caper, Beau’s President Perspective message catches everyone up to date with all that’s happening. Broadneck Council of Communities is set to host John Sarbanes, our District 3 Representative at the Cape Clubhouse on April 27th. So much discussion around the Bay Bridge study. Beaches and Parks is hiring, more information on this can be found in his message.
In the Town Manager’s message, he warns about slowing down when driving around the community. He also gives a friendly reminder on the $10 dues that are now late. Frank also reminds you to check those building codes on our website before starting any big home improvement project.
In community group news, Goshen Farm is hosting their Open House on Saturday April 15th from 10am – 4pm. It’s a family friendly event with plenty of activities for the kids. More information on this and other Goshen news is in this month’s Caper.
The Garden Club hosted their 48th anniversary dinner last month and it was a packed house! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Plant Sale occurring on May 20th, from 8am to 2pm at the Cape Clubhouse field.
The Community Swap will be taking place on Sunday April 30th from 10am to 2pm at the Cape Clubhouse field. For a list of everything they are looking for, check out the new Caper.
Cape Conservation Corps will begin their Weekly Weed Warriors every Wednesday through October starting on April 5th. In addition, on April 21st, the WWW will host their Open House & Earth Day craft at Little Magothy Beach Park from 5:30-7pm. Stacey Wildberger also has a great write-up in this month’s Caper on leaving those leaves alone!
So much more in this issue, as well as information on the Strawberry Festival which will be on Saturday June 3rd @ 10am so MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
See you around the Cape!
The Caper – March 2023 Edition
Spring is knocking on our door and while we get ready to throw open the windows to enjoy the spring-time air, the board is hard at work getting things done. In Beau’s message, he fills everyone in on the latest committee assignments and work being done by all the committees. His message is worth a few minutes of your time. Don’t forget that your dues were due on March 1st! $10.
In Frank Tewey, the new Town Manager’s message, he wants to thank everyone for their welcome messages. He’s excited to work hard for Cape St. Claire and the CSCIA. He also gives a friendly reminder about the Quarterly Membership meeting that will be held on Tuesday, April 25th at 7:30pm
In community news, Goshen Farm will hold their first event of 2023 on Sunday March 12th, 2023 from 3 to 5pm at the Cape St. Claire Clubhouse. Sweet and Savory hors d’oeuvres will be served along with coffee and tea. Wine and specialty coffee drinks will be available for purchase. The event is Free but donations are always appreciated.
Cape St. Claire Garden Club is getting ready for their peak season! At their March 7th meeting, they will be celebrating 48 years of gardening fellowship with their 48th Anniversary Dinner. Then at their April 4th meeting, they will be hosting the Dividing Perennials Workshop where their experienced gardeners teach the skills of digging, dividing, and re-potting mature clumps of perennials. Mark your calendars for the Annual Plant sale on Saturday May 20th.
Cape Conservation Corps will be hosting a Speaker Event for County Forester Bud Reaves. Doors open at 6:30pm at the clubhouse. Don’t forget that starting on April 5th, their Weekly Weed Warriors will meet every Wednesday through October. More details can be found in this month’s Caper. In addition, Stacey gives a great write-up on Spring Ephemerals and what it means for the ecosystem.
Saturday April 1st at 11am at the main beach … the EASTER BUNNY is coming! More information on how to sign up for this amazing event are in this month’s Caper. Tickets can be obtained from Whimsicality beginning on March 6th.
See you around the Cape!
The Caper – February 2023 Edition
It’s been a very busy few months for the Cape St. Claire Board. The previous Town Manager resigned and the search began for a replacement. CSCIA is happy to present Frank Tewey, started on January 23rd as the new Town Manager, please be sure to send him and email or stop by the office to say Hello.
In Beau’s Presidential message, there’s a lot to unpack. For the first time since 2013, the board is at full strength of 12 members. So, a big thanks to Merissa Pimenta who will serve a one-year term, Jennifer Connor, who will serve a two-year term and Cheri Fairchild, Matt Layman, Neil Macindoe, and Kim Pollock who will serve full three-year terms, ending in January 2026! The Board then elected its new Executive Members: Mary Lamb as Vice-President, Jerome Zadera as Treasurer, and Kim Pollock as Secretary, and lastly Beau, began his 7th term as President, in his 11th year as a member of the Board of Governors.
The voting membership on January 10th, passed the Fiscal Year 2024 budget and the $10 SCBD fee increase which will allow the board to do more for all of us.
In Frank’s first Town Manager message, he says hello and introduces himself to everyone. He retired in 2019 from Anne Arundel County Police Department after completing a 34 year law enforcement career. He is an active volunteer with the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics. More details in this month’s Caper.
In other community news, Goshen Farm will be kicking off their Java and Jazz event on March 12th from 3pm to 5pm at the Cape St. Claire Clubhouse. More details on this great even can be found in this month’s Caper.
The Garden Club will be hosting Cory Stephens of Anne Arundel Lawn & Garden will be sharing their expertise at their next meeting on Tuesday February 7th. More information on this event can be found in this month’s Caper.
Cape Conservation Corps will be hosting their first speaker of the year, Bud Reeves, on March 8th, at 6:30 at the clubhouse. Project Clean stream will be on April 1st from 9am to noon. CCC is also highlighting beautiful trees around the Cape. This new series launches with a great article in this month’s Caper.
See you around the Cape!