Following a delicious fish fry and pot luck dinner, Ray Schroeder gave us a tour of the beautiful gardens at Ward Meade Park. Everything looked pretty nice, though we had an unusual spring.
Ray said he thought the pondless waterfall really looked neat after it had finally filled in the last few years. TAWGS members built it as well as the winding streambeds which flow through the center of the garden. He said they have problems with people, especially kids, who stand on the rocks in the ponds which causes leaks.
Tulips lasted a long time this year, but Ray said they didn't have a very good turnout for the Tulip Time. Again, the cool and unpredictable spring probably contributed to the low attendance.
Pointing out a large bamboo grove along the north side of the park, Ray said that it makes a good sound barrier from the highway, but it is incredibly invasive. In your own yard, it needs to be in a contained area if possible.
Moving on to Anna's Pond, which is pretty well concealed by the huge grasses, etc. growing around the edges of the pond. It was cleaned out this spring so everything looked very good. He said the huge sycamore tree on the south side of the pond (about 120 years old) is very messy, but they hesitate to remove it because of its age.
It took 8 years for Tom and Bobbi Garcia to get to where they are now at Blue Acres. "I have a passion for marine aquatics," Tom said. "I needed a greenhouse for the coral and tropical fish I had at home."
They found a greenhouse at the old Herynks location so they purchased it in 2004. They opened the nursery for a short time but road construction on Wanamaker caused them to close.They realized they could not compete with the big box stores in nursery stock when they opened again recently, so they decided to go in a different direction. They now specialize in water gardens, fresh and saltwater fish, corals and aquaponics.
Even though TAWGS has been meeting in the Preston Hale room at the Ward Meade mansion since our inception in 1998, few people had ever seen the inside of the living quarters of the mansion. It was a real treat for all of us for Ray Schroeder to give us a tour of the mansion, log cabin and drug store following our potluck supper June 20.
Building of the limestone and brick Victorian mansion was started in 1870. Upon completion, it was the largest house in Topeka at the time. It was located along the banks of the Kansas River near the area where a ferry was operated. Travelers were welcomed at the house as they passed through the area.
At the November meeting, TAWGS elected the following individuals as officers for 2012: Don Taliaferro, president; Bob Saathoff, vice president; Amy Thompson, secretary; and Jim Green, treasurer.
Thanks to Diane Gruver, TAWGS saved a few dollars by mailing the Lilypad newsletter earlier than normal in January to avoid a postage increase near the end of the month. Unfortunately, that was a one time savings, so we urge everyone who can access the newsletter from this website to do so and save us the cost of printing and postage. If you haven't already done so, please let Diane know if your name can be removed from the newsletter mailing list. If you're switching to the electronic version, you will be notifed via email when the next newsletter has been posted to the website.
Please check your calendar - it's time to sign up to represent TAWGS at our Garden Show display. We'll talk about it at the February meeting.
We're still in need of a chairperson for this year's Pond Tour. It may seem like a daunting task, but you'll get lots of help. We just need someone to oversee the big picture and keep everyone on track. Please consider stepping up to take charge. We need you!
Even though TAWGS has been meeting in the Preston Hale room at the Ward Meade mansion since our inception in 1998, few people had ever seen the inside of the living quarters of the mansion. It was a real treat for all of us for Ray Schroeder to give us a tour of the mansion, log cabin and drug store following our potluck supper June 20.