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Good times bloom at NWC/F annual meeting
Mary Knipp of Northbrook is as pretty as a picture locating her Northbrook Woman's Club & Foundation name badge at the annual meeting. | Karie Angell Luc~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: June 29, 2012 8:06PM
This year’s balmy spring brought out crocuses and showy tulips earlier than usual, so why not a beautiful turnout for the April 5 Northbrook Woman’s Club & Foundation (NWC/F) general meeting?
Nearly 75 women attended the luncheon at the Northbrook Park District Sports Center, where Kellie O’Brien of English Gardens Ltd. offered her gardening expertise.
“I have been designing gardens and creating container plantings for clients for the past 25 years,” said O’Brien of Hinsdale. “The trend is definitely shifting to be less filled with ‘maintenance-demanding perennials’ and more to a balance of evergreens, roses, hydrangea and perennials that look good even when they are not blooming.”
With May here, gardeners are shopping for annuals such as impatiens and marigolds. But O’Brien reminds gardeners to think year-round.
“Many of my clients prefer a garden that looks neat and has more winter interest [boxwood or yews] combined with blocks of various hydrangea and hardy rose,” O’Brien said. “On mature properties where existing trees present a lot of shade, boxwood is a perfect plant to use to border beds or in groups with other shrubs.”
A beautiful English garden served as a lovely centerpiece during O’Brien’s presentation. Also nearby were equally colorful dresses in pinks and oranges, handmade with love by caring NWC/F volunteers.
“Little Dresses for Africa is a new [this year] community service project for NWC/F,” explained Buffy Ervin, NWC/F president for 2011-2012. “This organization [was] profiled on ‘NBC Nightly News’ back in 2010 and I thought it would be a perfect fit for our group.”
Ervin, promoting good causes via her radiant smile, urged those interested to visit littledressesforafrica.org to get the whole story.
“Diane Smith agreed to chair this project with me,” Ervin said. “Our committee of 16 additional ladies assembled about 100 dresses for this effort and had a lot of laughs in the process. We are so proud to have had such a successful first year!”
“Being our final meeting and program until next fall, it was a special gathering to finish off an outstanding year of philanthropy, service and fellowship,” said Mary Otis, NWC/F 2011-2012 publicity chair, of the general meeting.
For information about the NWC/F, contact Cathy Gregory at (847) 559-8997.
