On Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 1:00-5:00 pm, the Queen Anne’s County Garden Club (QACGC) will be hosting the District I Flower Show “Harvest Highlights,” a National Garden Clubs Standard Flower show to be held at the Chesapeake College, Health Professions and Athletics Center (HPAC) at 1000 College Circle Wye mills, MD. The show is FREE and open to the public. For further information email cmacglashan@gmail.com or phone 410-556-6241
District I members from the 10 Federated garden clubs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (including QACGC), as well as members from garden clubs throughout the region, will exhibit and compete their “best” creative flower designs, prized horticulture examples, and botanical arts creations. All entries will be submitted in accordance with the guidelines of the National Garden Clubs Flower Show Handbook and the “schedule,” written by Terry Holman, established specific to the fall theme of Harvest Highlights. Carolyn Macglashan, General Chairperson for the flower show, along with Sue Hansen, President of QACGC, say they are excited to showcase the talents of District I in the prime and easily accessible location of Chesapeake College. They feel sure this innovative flower show will be fun and inspiring to members and visitors alike!
In keeping with the Harvest Highlights theme, there are special “growing challenges” by members in District I that include competing “darling” dahlias and “gorgeous” gourds. The show will also feature a section of “farm stand vegetables.’
Additionally, educational exhibits being showcased include “Breaking the Plastic Habit,” a Patriotic Programs exhibit highlighting the work of federated garden clubs in supporting Wreaths Across America and the Blue Star and Gold Star Memorial Highway Marker Program, and an educational exhibit about Loving Good Bugs (that don’t bug us) display. There will also be the life-size Harvest Goddess, an impressive figure artistically designed with plant material from top to bottom! Flower show entries are judged by a panel of National Garden Clubs accredited judges who will judging Saturday morning prior to the opening of the flower show to the public.
The Harvest Highlights flower show can be a destination for the day with plenty of exhibits to see, feature programs, and demonstrations each hour from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm. Learn to arrange a beautiful bouquet of supermarket flowers with District I Director, Jeanne Bernard, make a design with succulents in a pumpkin with Faye Phillips, and learn fall garden cleanup tips with Ken Morgan of Robin’s Nest. And, for the first time there will be a Marketplace with food trucks and a variety of vendors selling their goods.
Special thanks go out to our sponsors for their support: Shore United Bank, Unity Church Hill Nursery, Bartlett Tree Experts, and Mr. & Mrs. Bruce J Valliant. Also, thank you to the many patrons and district members for their donations.
Last week, we asked you about lespedeza or silky bush clover (Lespedeza cuneata). Lespedeza is considered invasive because it is non-native and forms dense patches in meadows and forest edges outcompeting native plants. This invasive lespedeza tends to have white blooms with purple centers. There is a native species (Lespedeza virginica) with pink flowers that is helpful in providing cover and food for birds in the winter. Lespedeza is a nitrogen fixing legume (Fabaceae), so it is very effective at growing in nutrient-deficient or disturbed soils.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go 
Last week, we asked you about flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata)! Flowering spurge is a native perennial that readily self seeds in open woodlands, fields, and roadsides. It has delicate white blooms in the summer, creating a nice airy floral accent. Flowering spurge has been known to cause some skin irritation, so it’s best to admire from a distance (or with gloves). The flowers offer nectar to a variety of bees, wasps, and butterflies and the seeds are eaten by birds. Similar to flowering dogwood, flowering spurge has showy bracts rather than petals.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go 
Last week, we asked you about the variegated fritillary caterpillar (Euptoieta claudia)! This red, black, and white caterpillar will transform into a beautiful orange butterfly with patterns of black and brown. The variegated fritillary uses passionflower (in addition to mayapples and violets) as a host plant. If you find yourself at Emily’s Play Garden, watch for these butterflies and you may even see them laying their eggs on the leaves. Just remember that their genus name comes from the Greek word meaning “easily scared,” so be quiet and gentle while you observe.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go 
Last week, we asked you about the tussock moth (Halysidota sp.). Sycamore tussock moths (Halysidota harrisii) appear identical to banded tussock moths (Halysidota tessellaris) and without a close look at some anatomical features, we can’t be sure which species this is. The American sycamore appears to be a host plant for both species. There are many species of tussock moths whose hairs are used as a defense mechanism, some of which can sting or cause a rash. So, keep in mind that these “fuzzy wuzzy” caterpillars may look cuddly, but best to let them be.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go 
Last week, we asked you about spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe). Spotted knapweed is an invasive plant that tends to grow in disturbed and nutrient-deficient soils. Each plant can produce between 1,000 to 20,000 seeds each year, so it is important to prevent it from setting seed! Every summer, we control the knapweed by manual removal and mowing to allow the areas to seed in with the desirable native meadow species.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go 
Last week, we asked you about swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)! Swamp rose mallow is slow to break dormancy in the spring, but once it does, it can reach 3 to 7 feet high with abundant blooms ranging from white to pink. There are even some red cultivars available! These plants like it wet and swampy and are very attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go