Submitted By Connie McGrew, Pulaski Garden Club Publicity
The May 5, 2026 meeting of the Pulaski Garden Club was called to order by President Cam Miller with the Garden Prayer. Eighteen members and one guest responded to Roll Call by showing the flowering shrubs they brought. One of particular interest was a fairly new specimen brought by Kay Beck, called Happy Face Hearts Potentilla, a dainty, variegated-pink blossom which blooms all summer.
The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports were shared.
A Moment in History was given by Joyce Mocherman who gave an interesting and quite humorous account of when she joined the Pulaski Garden Club almost 42 years ago. In 1985, all the members were known by their husband’s names. Joyce, being the first unmarried lady in the club, made it clear she had her own name, but was referred to as Ms. Mocherman. It was not until 2006, that everyone became their own person with their own name. In the early days, dresses, hats, and even gloves were the standard attire for meetings. Joyce noted that back then, meetings were an opportunity for ladies to get out of the house and get dressed up. It was many years later before dress slacks and eventually jeans were seen. Imagine the scene when a member wore cut-off shorts. Joyce started the club’s first house plant sale. Bids were placed upside down next to the plants and were usually just a few cents. The total raised at the sale amounted to about $23. Joyce remembered once bidding $1 on a high-bush cranberry and she still has it growing in her garden.
The night’s Floral Arrangement was entitled Mother’s Day. Rhonda Obus presented a beautiful potted arrangement of geraniums, celosia, marigolds and petunias. She added that picking out a variety of small plants at a nursery and using a pot you already have, can save you money and last all through the summer. She estimated her grouping at about $13, which would most likely be close to $40 if purchased already planted.
The Unusual Edible for the evening was the Hosta presented by Sandy Oberlin. All Hostas are edible and considered a delicacy in Japan. Young shoots and tender leaves are harvested in early spring with a flavor described as a cross between asparagus and lettuce. Taste and texture is mild, crisp, and slightly bitter. They can be eaten raw in salads, but are best when blanched, boiled, sauteed with butter and garlic or fried in tempura. While edible for humans, Hostas are toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Sandy warned to only eat Hostas that have not been treated with pesticides or herbicides.
Rozetta Luke offered the meeting Program which was the topic of Irrigating Your Garden. She began by showing different kinds of lawn sprinklers which can cover large areas and some individual sprayers that can be hooked to hoses for smaller areas. There are also sprayers that are ornamental and some connectors that hook to two or four hoses. If interested in using tubing and designing your own specific layout for flower beds and even pots, Rozetta recommended buying a kit which comes complete with all the tubing and different types of drippers, misters and bubblers. She noted that she learned so much as a beginner by using the kits, which are available at Lowes, Menards and Home Depot. It is good to plan ahead for any differences in your layout from year to year, because there are different setups for different spaces. Using a timer can be especially helpful. One timer has a hookup for two hoses which can be turned on separately or work simultaneously. It also has a rain delay feature which can be very handy. Rozetta concluded by saying that she is very happy overall with her irrigating results, and especially with the timer.
Old Business
Seed money raffle for the state fundraiser — Tickets are $5.
Plant Sale is May 15 and 16 and setup is May 14 at 10am. Joyce Mocherman reminded everyone to have your plants marked with name, color, size etc. She will price from $1 to $5. A sign-up sheet was circulated. Three helpers will be needed for each time slot. Wear your club shirts and centennial pins.
Cam Miller and Connie Simmons will speak about our centennial at the Edgerton Library on May 13.
The Spring Tea was held on April 12 to celebrate 100 years of Pulaski Garden Club. Cam thanked everyone for making it a wonderful celebration.
Region 1 meeting is Thursday May 7. Setup for 43 attendees will be on May 6 at 1:00pm. Arrive Thursday at 8:15, registration at 8:30 and meeting begins at 9:15. Signups were taken. Lunch will be soup and salad. Workers for Country Store, Club Raffle and 50/50 were set.
Flower Show at the Williams County Library is June 23-26 with a theme of “250 Years of United States of America”. Floral Design committee is Regina Partee, Barb Deetz, and Cam Miller. Specimen Committee is Joyce Mocherman and Jo Ann Beucler. There will be four design classes, with a limit of three designs per class, and five horticulture classes.
State convention is June 15-17. Four members will be attending. There is still time to register.
Fairgrounds cleanup went well even though it was rained out. Rozetta and her husband Matthew worked on the beds in the morning and Peggy Miller worked on them in the afternoon. If anyone would like plants from under the electric sign, you need to dig them now, as that bed will be torn up soon. Our next cleanup day will be May 26 at 9:00am.
New Business
Four County school is having their annual plant sale this week in the Horticulture department greenhouse.
Signup sheets were circulated for garden walks, as well as names for election of officers for next year.
The door prize of two potted plants was provided by Rozetta Luke and won by Barb Deetz.
Cam Miller thanked the evening’s hostesses, Kay Beck, Connie Gilbert and Linda Cummings.
The club will meet next on June 2, 2026, at 6:30 at the Pulaski United Methodist Church. All are welcome to attend.
