On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA November-December 2017 | Page 4

P R E S I D E N T ’S M E S S AG E
B E C K Y H E AT H
The Conference and
Expo in Buffalo was
AMAZING! You may
be reading this in
November and feel
like our time together
in Buffalo was a long
time ago, but it is early
September as I write this
and I’m still feeling the
high from hearing the wonderful presentations,
seeing the adorable matchbook-sized gardens
and meeting the gardeners there.
Buffalo, a relatively large city, welcomed GWA
as a small town would. The headline in the
newspaper recognized the importance of our
presence there. A big thank you goes out to Sally
Cunningham and her team for preparing Buffalo
for our visit, and to our staff at Kellen for pulling it
all together.
We are now focusing on #GWA2018, which
will be held at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago,
August 13-16. We won’t be staying in the ‘burbs
and won’t have long bus rides to get into the
city! All that the big city of Chicago has to offer
will be right outside your door.
Plus, our GWA conference will overlap and
be next to IGC, the conference for Independent
Garden Centers. We are invited to their concerts,
which ought to be fun, and to their presentations.
There will be a day when we will also have access
to their trade show, as well. So in addition to the
city sites, private gardens, parks and our fabulous
educational programs, there will be many
opportunities for new story ideas and prospects
for networking. Mark your calendars to save the
dates.
DUES INCREASE
The Board looked closely at our budget and
voted to raise our dues; there has not been
an increase since 2012. Beginning in 2018, the
annuals dues will be $105. If a one-time payment
creates a hardship, arrangements can be made
to pay installments of $30 per quarter. Just
contact the staff at Kellen.
When I consider the number of doors that
are opened to us free of charge, such as public
gardens and national trade shows, and the
amount of savings we realize as return on
investment by being GWA members, we have
amazing benefits. Also, remember that for each
new member who puts your name on the
Membership Application saying that you are
the person who encouraged them to join, $20
is deducted from your membership dues.
The Board had a long discussion about the
Award Programs and voted to change some
4
of the old rules. Entering your own work in the
competition will NO LONGER keep you from
becoming a judge. YAY! However, you won’t be
able to judge the entries that are in the same
category as yours. If your work is being considered
for a Gold Medal, you also will not be able to
judge that part of the competition. This change
will open the door for many of you to enter your
works. I look forward to seeing them all.
Few details are available at the moment, but
the Board voted to accept the invitation and
proposal to have our 2019 Conference and Expo
in Salt Lake City, Utah! Gardeners in that area
are so creative in plant selection and water
conservation, while creating beautiful garden
designs. I’ve never been to that area and I’m
looking forward to it.
POST YOUR MUG
In this age where technology rules, nothing
quite takes the place of networking and meeting
someone face-to-face. Speaking of faces, if your
picture is not with your membership information
on the GWA website, please add one. It’s a great
way for people to remember who you are. Many
of us have trouble remembering names after only
one short meeting, but we usually remember
the faces. It’s important for us to remember each
other.
Remember to thank our sponsors and vendors
by writing or talking about their products that
you have used successfully. Let them know that
you have shared that information. Send them
a clipping or link to the article, blog or other
mention in the media. They need us and we need
them. Together we can improve the efficiency,
successes and enjoyment of our citizen gardeners
as they tend their soil.
Whether you are a GWA newbee or a seasoned
professional, there are so many ways to get
involved while increasing your own opportunities
by networking with other GWA members.
Volunteer for one of the committees, your
thoughts and ideas are valuable. Contact your
National or Regional Directors and volunteer to
help with an upcoming Regional or Connect
Meeting—a great way to get to know more
members in your region. Attend as many Regional
and Connect Meetings as possible or attend
one of the larger gatherings in horticulture, such
as MANTS, Cultivate’18, New England Grows or
Farwest.
In closing, all of us are very busy people, many
with full-time jobs and many who live in places
that are more remote than others. Technology can
help us stay in touch, which is what I hope you
will do. We want to help answer any questions you
may have and learn about topics you’d like have
us address. We are a diverse group but we are your
family, so don’t be a stranger.
HOTOFF the press
MELISSA CAUGHEY
How to Speak Chicken
Storey Publishing • 144 pages, $16.95
To be published, November 2017
Backyard chickens are
more popular than ever,
and their keepers are
eager for a glimpse into
their minds. In How to
Speak Chicken, Melissa
Caughey shares her
insights and observation
of her flock, how they
sense the world,
communicate impending danger and
establish pecking order, along with scientific
facts and entertaining tidbits.
LISA ELDRED STEINKOPF
Houseplants: The Complete Guide to Choosing,
Growing and Caring for Indoor Plants
Cool Springs Press • 272 pages, $30
To be published November 2017
Lisa Eldred Steinkopf’s
book contains a detailed
list of more than 125
houseplants, with infor-
mation, such as where,
when and how to plant;
growing tips; care and
propagation; companion
planting and design;
specific species recommendations; bloom
period; seasonal color and more.