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Buy
the 1998 LGB Convention Video!
Cross Creek Engineering
G-Scale| Full house for sound system clinic at last meeting | Richard Abler |
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So there was something of interest for each of the 50 or so CGRSers who met at this new venue in southeast Columbus.
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| Newsletter via email? | Richard Abler |
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| The Plant Manager | Barbara Abler |
| Winter
Break One of the great advantages of belonging to the North American Rock Garden Society is the Winter Study Weekend. There are two: one on the east coast at the end of January and one on the west coast at the end of February. Joan Obusek, Richard, and I attended the Western Winter Study Weekend on Feb. 22-24 in Medford, Oregon. We took a couple of days after the meeting to see the sights. The Winter Study Weekends were started to give plant nuts something to do during the winter when they couldnšt work in the garden. There are generally several lectures by well-known plant people. Some meetings include łclinics˛ with how-to information. Depending on where the meeting is held and the weather at that time of year, there are also garden tours. But my favorite part is the plant sale room. Most of the speakers in Medford were entertaining. One was not a great speaker because of language problems but his slides were wonderful and he did give very good propagation information. The weather was great so we got to tour six or seven gardens before and after the meetings. All of them were truly awesome. The rock work was different in all of them and the plants were the kind you would love to have in you railroad - teeny things growing in gravel and rock crevices. For me, the plant sale room was mind-boggling. Don Howse of Porterhowse Farms was there with lots of great conifers, most of them dwarf. I first met Don at the NARGS annual meeting in Minneapolis 4 years ago where I bought a bunch of his stock at a discount and brought it back to sell to club members. Don is a great guy and he has some great plants. Needless to say, I couldnšt let this meeting go without getting something from him: 2 dwarf spruce, 2 dwarf pines and 3 dwarf firs. I decided not to haul them home in a suitcase and paid the shipping fee for him to send them in April. He had so many great conifers that I was hard-pressed to stop with 7. Another nursery I had encountered at previous meetings, Beaver Creek Greenhouses of Fruitvale, B.C., was also there. The nursery focuses on dwarf, hardy plants suit-able for the rock garden. I wanted to buy one of everything but contained myself to some dwarf willows and grasses and a few other goodies. Rick Lupp of Mt. Tahoma Nursery (Graham, Washington) had a couple of tables of plants. I had not met Rick before but have gotten his catalog in the past. Friends who visited his nursery had told me how great his plants were and those he had at the meeting were super. Again, lots of tiny little things and I got 7 or 8 plants from him. Išll look forward to his next catalog. The Bovees Nursery from Portland, OR also was there. I have had catalogs from them in the past but havenšt encountered them at a plant sale before. They specialize in rhododendrons, some of which are small enough to use in the railroad. They also carry a slew of dwarf shrubs including dwarf forms of Pieris japonica, somewhat tender in our area but worth the effort of giving them winter protection. There were several other small
nurseries that donšt do mail order but had wonderful plants. I got some
nice sempervivum from Cottage Gardens nursery and Wet Rocks nursery.
Also go a great pot of Scleranthus uniflorus from Wet Rocks at a great price.
This is a tiny, mossy groundcover from New Zealand that is borderline here but
still worth growing. |
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| Tenth anniversary Banquet | Richard Abler |
| Get
ready everyone. This banquet is a Big One. Actually its a big one-oh, as in
ten. Yes TEN years; CGRS turns TEN this month! Where does the time go? This year's banquet on Saturday night, March 16th, will be held at the DaVinci Restaurant again but in a different and larger room. Last year we outgrew the lower level banquet room. This year we're expecting an even larger crowd and we'll be on the top level of the restaurant in a room of twice the capacity of the lower level room. We need the extra space. Our annual banquet keeps getting to be more popular. I know in advance that some of our newest members have already said they'll be there. If you have never been to a CGRS banquet before - this is the one to attend. The fun starts at 6 pm with a social hour and cash bar; then dinner at 7 pm; and program at 8 pm. Dinner will be buffet style with your choice of one of three entrees (beef, chicken, vegetarian), a starch, vegetables, roll & butter, dessert, and coffee or tea. There'll be great food, great fun, great folks, and several door prizes. Plus, there'll be some absolutely great raffle prizes. One of the raffle prizes will be a G-scale barn with the Ohio Bicentennial Logo. The barn is custom built by CGRS member, Jim Kimmel. Wouldn't that look great on your railroad! Even though the Restaurant has increased their banquet price to us by about 20% this year, CGRS is keeping the price to only $25 per person. We're pleased to have a super guest speaker. Frances Civello was our first-ever banquet speaker and we're pleased to have her back! Frances is planning to speak about the changes in the hobby over the past ten years - plus what's in the future. She says there'll be no slides and no Powerpoint presentation. She promises it won't be dry! Here's some background information about her: łFrances Kehlbeck Civello has been the owner of Buffington Publishing since 1989 and the editor/and publisher of LGB Telegram since 1991. She founded LGB Telegram Tours in 1993, and together with tour guide John Rogers, has traveled with more than 350 LGB fans on tours through Europe and North America. Before starting a career in publishing, Frances worked as a political consultant and served as a lobbyist for a state builders association. In her spare time, she raises puppies for the Seeing Eye program and plays ice hockey. Frances is married to John Civello, and has a 14-month old daughter who already loves to ride trains and play with her LGB work train. The fun begins at 6 PM with a social hour with cash bar. Dinner is at 7 PM and the program begins at 8 PM. If you've never been to a CGRS anual banquet, this is the one to attend. See you there! |
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| New Logo Sweatshirts Available | Richard Abler |
 Just
in time for cold weather our new batch of logo sweatshirts will be available
for you at the next CGRS meeting on the 18th. These quality sweats have
our crossbuck logo prominently displayed across the front.Pick one up at the meeting and save the $3.50 shipping charge. Call Jim Kimmel if you'd like a new sweatshirt but can't make it to the next meeting. We only have a few that aren't already spoken for. |
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| Deadline for next issue | Richard Abler |
| The
deadline for the November newsletter is April 8th. Then a few days
later we'll hold a work session to fold, staple, label, and
stamp the newsletters for mailing. All CGRSers are invited to attend this work session which starts at 8pm, and generally over by 10pm. CGRS business matters are discussed and decisions are made. Call (or email) ahead, 614-885-0351, to let us know and to verify date and location. |
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