Elmhurst Garden Club members Jean Baldikoski (left) and Marisa Mancini look over various items contributed by Club members to allow everyone to create their own Autumn Swag, under the direction of Marsha Pniewski.
Elmhurst Garden Club
A garden in spring is full of hope, in summer lush with color and fragrance, in fall a garden becomes a cornucopia of plant and foliage materials to be used for dried flower and floral arrangements to decorate a home both inside and out. The art of dried plant arrangements has existed for hundreds of years going back even further than the Middle Ages. It has been said that Colonial Americans used dried flowers to brighten their homes during the winter months.
Such a tradition continues on today.
In late October a limited number of Elmhurst Garden Club (EGC) members, all wearing masks, met at the Ray Graham Association Greenhouse at 420 W. Madison in Elmhurst to learn the art of creating Autumn Swags for a door, wall, or table centerpiece from EGC member Marsha Pniewski. Dried garden and prairie materials, such pinecones, tree leaves and branches, cone flowers, hydrangeas, roses, thistles and pampas grass from members and neighborhood gardens as well as artificial (often referred to as silk) flowers were on hand for members to use in creating their Autumn Swags.
In continuing to promote the EGC’s mission of encouraging and stimulating an interest in horticulture and providing an outlet for creative expression during current COVID-19 restrictions on large group meetings a pre-taped presentation of Martha’s demonstration was made available for members and the public on You Tube: https://youtu.be/iMn1UlxjJQ4 The next presentation, again at the Ray Graham Association Greenhouse, on Pumpkin/Thanksgiving centerpieces is planned for November and in December Holiday Centerpieces will be created and available for sale. The club’s Ways & Means Committee will also be assembling gift Raffle Baskets for a mail-in raffle to be held Monday, Dec. 7. Photos and list of basket contents will be posted at elmhurstgardenclub.org.
