December 2011

Calendar of Events

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December 1, 2011; Board

Meeting at Cabins,

10:00 a.m.

*********************

December 3, 2011; Garden

Spruce up Day, 9:00 a.m.

*********************

December 5, 2011; Clean

Cabins for Christmas Tour

of Homes, 9:00 a.m.

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December 10, 2011;

Christmas Tour of Homes

and Bake Sale.

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January 5, 2012; Board

Meeting at Cabins,

10:00 a.m.

*********************

January 10, 2012; Field

Trip to Little St. Simons

Island, 10:30 a.m.

*********************

27th Annual Christmas Tour of

Homes and Bake Sale

“Trimmings and Treats”

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Tour Hours 10:00 ~ 4:00

Bake Sale at the Cassina Cabins

9:00 ~ 2:00

December 2011 Page 2

To keep the membership

better informed about

Board actions, a report

from the most recent Board meeting

is included in the monthly newsletter.

Fourteen members attended the

November Board meeting and

approved the following items:

Cassina is responsible for clean

up of Demere Road Rose Garden

in December.

Cassina note cards to be used for

member concerns.

Website updated with new photos

and What’s New page for current

activities.

Cassina provides flowers for

Library in December.

Application for 2012 Photography

competition is on Cassina’s

Website, deadline December 8th.

Board Notes Christmas Tour of Homes

Glynn Art Center The Commons

Sea Palms West East Beach

Village

Kings Point

Tickets—Sell, Sell, Sell! Tickets for our festive Tour of Homes

were distributed to all members at the November meeting. Be sure to

get your ticket money to Pam Hamilton as soon as possible. Those

not present at the meeting received their tickets by mail. Pam will

also sign out extra tickets for you to sell to your friends, neighbors,

bridge club, etc. Signed out tickets must be paid for or returned to

Pam by Thursday, December 8th.

The following commercial outlets will also have tickets and will be

selling them through Tour Day: Pat’s Hallmark (Brunswick Mall

and Winn Dixie center), St. Simons Drugs, G. J. Ford, ACE

Garden Center, Hattie’s Bookstore and Glynn Art.

Please remember that the money from the tickets, bake sale items and

cookbook gift packages is used for the maintenance of our Cabins.

We depend on these funds to keep our Cabins in good shape for our

use and for the enjoyment of our community and visitors. Encourage

everyone you know to purchase tickets for the Tour and to stop by

our Bake Sale!

Gift Packages

The $20 Cookbook and ornament gift

packages will be available for

purchase at Tour Stops # 1, 2, 4, 5

and 7. They make wonderful

Christmas gifts as well as hostess and

birthday gifts. Please consider

putting one, or two under the tree for

someone you love!

PS: They are easy to buy and the

ornament can be used as a pendant on

a chain or ribbon!

P l e a s e c o n t a c t S u e

C h a m b l e s s r e g a r d i n g

member concerns.

December 2011 Page 3

Member Concerns

Rita Trudeau is in rehab in

Brunswick.

Christmas Greens

We still need your fresh Christmas greenery. If you can

provide any fresh greens, please contact Beverly Nash or

Elaine Zeyock. Greens can be brought to Beverly Nash’s

garage (in buckets if possible), or call Beverly to arrange pick

up for your greenery. If you have greens and need help cutting,

they will also assist you with that as well. These greens add so

much to the decorations in each home and our homeowners are looking forward

to us providing the fresh greenery for them. Be sure to label your buckets so

Beverly and Elaine can return them to you.

Bake Sale

Every year one of the major highlights of our Tour is our

Bake Sale. If you have not already signed up to bring

something, please call Sue Chambless. Everyone is

strongly encouraged to help by bringing something, and

there are so many possibilities! We need everyone to

participate. Remember to give your “goodies” a holiday

look with wrapping or holiday trim, and always use clear

plastic. Your items need to be labeled and delivered to the Meeting Cabin

between 7:15 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. on Tour Day. Many thanks to Sue

Chambless and Jeanne Wade along with their many helpers who will be

pricing, arranging and selling our fabulous treats.

Head and Tour Hostesses

The big day is near and the Head Hostesses are looking forward to greeting their many volunteers in addition

to our many Tour guests. Hostesses are encouraged to dress festively but comfortably. Consider wearing your

Cassina ornament as a pendant! Arrive at your scheduled shifts 15 minutes early and carpool when possible.

If the weather is threatening rain, please bring extra umbrellas.

Tour signs may be picked up from Lee Dillard’s home (garage) in Sea Palms from Wednesday, December 7th

to Friday, December 9th. Signs should be returned to Lee’s home at the end of the Tour Day. Plastic runners

and any other reusable tour supplies may also be returned to Lee’s home.

Our terrific Head Hostesses have used their expert organizational skills while working with the

homeowners and their many Tour Hostesses. Many thanks to the following Head Hostesses for their help in

making our Tour a success: Stop #1, Cassina Cabins staffing and refreshments will be coordinated by Leslie

Carlton, Jennifer Kuja and Deana Davis. The Cabin Decorating Committee: Anne Caswell, Elizabeth

LeSueur, Phillis Harrell and Jennifer Kuja will adorn the cabins for the Christmas season. Stop #2, Susie

Salvatore and Sibby Gruber. Stop #3: Carole Ploeger and Tootsie Murray. Stop #4: Rose Ann Williams

and Jane Bangert. Stop #5: Glynn Art (our Special Interest Stop) coordinator Anne Marie Dalis. Stop #6:

Bobbie Mohlman and Alice Marie Burnet. Stop #7: Glynda Garner and Mary Ellen Parkins.

Don’t forget to drop off your baked goods at the Cabins by 8:15 a.m. before going to your scheduled shift on

Tour Day. Thank you for all your help with the Christmas Tour of Homes. Smile and have a fun day!

December 2011 Page 4

Cabin Maintenance

November Field Trip

Sara Taylor and Barbara Murrah will have a

major cleaning of the cabins on Monday, December

5th, from 9 a.m. till noon. All supplies needed for

the cleaning will be at the cabins. Members are

asked to help get the cabins cleaned and ready

for our Christmas Tour of Homes guests and our

Bake Sale.

Congratulations on reading your newsletter and

having the opportunity to enter your name in the

special prize drawing held at the January meeting.

Email or call Janis Rodriguez and say, “I have read

my December newsletter,” and she will enter your

name in the drawing. Don’t forget to read your

January newsletter for another chance to be

a winner.

On November 15th

e l e v e n C a s s i n a

members met at the

b e a u t i f u l S t .

Ignatius Church on

Demere Road for a

tour of the gardens,

designed by Bonita

Wright, and a tour

of the interior of

the Church led by

Susan Shipman .

The morning ended

with lunch at Loco’s Deli.

If you are one of the lucky ten members that

signed up first for the Little St. Simons tour

on January 10th, please send your check for

$50 made out to Cassina Garden Club to

Becky Yelverton .

Appreciation Brunch

Quick Bites

Quick Bites handouts will be distributed at all Tour

Stops on Tour Day. The listed eateries on the Quick

Bites handouts will offer quick lunches so tour goers

and workers can get back to the Tour.

Please patronize these establishments and thank them

for supporting our Tour and our Club! Also, please

make your reservations for a post Tour celebratory

dinner at the Georgia Sea Grill on the evening of

the Tour. This is assured to be a special “treat” for

our hard working Cassina members and volunteers!

Magnolia Garden Club Saturday, December 3rd

Historic Brunswick

Christmas Tour of Homes Bakery Hours: 11 a.m.— 4 p.m.

Tour Hours: 1 p.m.— 6 p.m.

Tickets: Advance $20 Event Day $25

Correction

Virginia Ellis’ Bellsouth email was hacked and is

sending out links to bad sites. Please do not open

any emails from the Bellsouth address. Delete the

old email address from your yearbook and contacts

and replace it with this new email address:

vrogersssi@gmail.com

An appreciation Bunch

for the Garden Walk

Committee Chairs was

recently held at Julie

Rochelle’s Island Club

home. The Co-chairs of

the Garden Walk for

2012, Julie Rochelle and

Liz DeMato continue

the adventure of finding

interesting and creative

gardens for all to view

in May.

At the Appreciation Bunch, Garden Chairs gathered to

share their excitement and enthusiasm for the Sixth

Annual Tabby & Tallandsia Garden Walk scheduled

for May 5-6, 2012. The Brunch was a huge success.

Members tour St. Ignatius gardens

l-r: Julie Rochelle, Elizabeth Freyer,

Lee Baxter, M.J. Choate and Pamela

Hamilton

December 2011 Page 5

Jefferson, Couper and Olive Trees

In the early 1800’s Thomas Jefferson encouraged John Couper to plant olive trees on Cannon’s Point.

Jefferson made arrangement for Couper to obtain the trees from France when he was ready. It took years

before the trees were shipped to St. Simons but eventually there were olive groves at Cannon’s Point.

The olive tree Frances Allen discovered is thought to be related to the original trees at Cannon’s Point.

Several Cassina members have been caring for Frances’ “babies” in hopes that one day, olive trees will again

be planted on St. Simons Island.

Because of the connection with Thomas Jefferson and our olive trees, a flyer is attached on page 7 regarding a

lecture Peter Hatch, Director of Gardens and Grounds at Monticello, is giving in January. Don’t miss an

opportunity to attend this lecture. It should be most interesting!

E v e r y m o n t h a

drawing is held at the

membership meeting

t o c e l e b r a t e t h e

b i r t h d a y f o r t h e

month . (Remember ,

you must be present to

win!) November’s

birthday winner was

M a r t h a M o o n e y .

Happy Birthday to

Martha and all the

m e m b e r s w i t h a

November birthday.

Cassina Newsletter

Editor Janis Rodriguez

Publisher Kay Harrell, Leslie Carlton

Distribution Ann Worthington

Photographers Joanne Scott, Janis Rodriguez

Sara Taylor

Contributors Lee Dillard, Janis Rodriguez

Leslie Carlton, Liz DeMato

Martha Martin

Birthday Winner

Martha Mooney, birthday winner

November Meeting Highlights

I know everyone enjoyed our November meeting. What a privilege

to hear Ed MacKethan talk to us about Retreat Plantation. We all

left with a little more knowledge of Retreat and plantation life on

St. Simons Island.

The Christmas Tour is almost upon us and members who attended the

November meeting had the opportunity to sample the delicious recipes

from our own Coastal Cookery cookbook. Susie Salvatore, Sibby

Gruber and Becky Stephenson served the wonderful samplings on a

beautifully decorated table of harvest theme.

Don’t forget two things—ticket sales and bake, bake, bake! And

finally, continue to save your tab tops from cans and bring them to

the January meeting. Monies received from this project go directly to

the Ronald McDonald House. Ed MacKethan

December Gardening

2011-2012 Officers

December 2011 Page 6

December is a month when most garden tasks have

been completed, and you can enjoy decorating and

preparing for the holidays.

Colder weather is on the way so stock up now on

supplies like plastic sheeting or frost cloth that you

might need to protect plants during a freeze. If a

freeze is forecast, water well 24 hours before the

freezing weather. Cover more sensitive plants to

protect from frost. If plastic is used, it must be

removed before the day warms up so that the plants

will not be damaged. Do not leave sprinklers

running during a freeze.

The fruit of many of the citrus trees that grow in our area are changing color

and are ready to be harvested. Many Satsuma oranges (tangerines),

grapefruit, kumquats, and calamondins are ripe; and Meyer lemons are ready

to be picked. Meyer lemons can be left on the tree longer than most citrus.

The longer a Meyer lemon is on the tree, the sweeter it will be.

Shrubs that are cold-hardy may be planted now through March. This allows

the plant to establish a good root system before spring. Late December is

also a good time to begin transplanting plants. Wait until the weather has

turned cool and plants are dormant. Hopefully plants were root pruned

earlier in the year. Have the plants out of the ground as little time as possible

and water well when planted. Do not fertilize plants when transplanted.

Tulips which were refrigerated earlier, may be planted now or as late as January.

Paperwhites and other Narcissus tazetta may still be planted outdoors or planted

in containers.

Poinsettias should last well through the winter if placed in good light out of the

way of drafts. Water well about twice a week. If you have broken stems or wish

to use poinsettias as cut flowers, strip the leaves off the lower stem and place the

cut stem in hot water for conditioning. After the danger of frost or freeze, the

plants can be planted outside in a sunny, protected area.

Because of our mild fall, many summer annuals are still blooming. It’s not too

late, however, to plant cool weather annuals such as snapdragons, petunias,

pansies, lobelia, dianthus, and carnations. Also, many “greens” are available for

planting and make interesting and edible boarders. Chards, cabbage, mustards,

lettuces, and kales came in a variety of reds, bronzes, purples and greens.

We’re on the web!

www.cassinagardenclub.org

Best wishes for the Holidays

President:

Anne Aspinwall

VP/President Elect:

Janis Rodriguez

Secretary

Ann Worthington

Treasurer

Kay Harrell

Assistant Treasurer

Pam Hamilton

December 2011 Page 7