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Good References

Below are a number of books that I depend on.  They are all linked to Amazon.com, but please buy them where you like. Many used copies are often available at the end of the Spring semester at the VT Hort. Department:

• Good climate reference:

<http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zones-mid-atlantic-00400000036360/>

• Best book on native design I've seen.  Extremely informative.  Our latitude in the NRV, combined with our elevation of 2000' puts us in conditions equivalent to the author's Pennsylvania garden.  We do seem to have more in common with the mid-Atlantic region than with the South, because of elevation.  Thank you, Gloria!:

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, Updated and Expanded by Douglas W. Tallamy and Rick Darke (Apr 1, 2009)

Formats Amazon Price New from Used from Kindle Edition $8.99 -- -- Hardcover -- $30.00 $17.77 Paperback $12.21 $10.83 $5.87

• Without a doubt, best book(s) on woody landscape plants, bar none.  I consider this to be the one book everyone should have.  The older edition is just as good, even used:

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propogation and Uses by Michael A. Dirr, Bonnie Dirr, Asta Sadauskas and Nancy Snyder (Hardcover - Aug 2009) $96.80


or, just as good and cheaper:


Manual of Woody Landscape Plants : Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses by Michael A. Dirr (Hardcover - Aug 1998) 25 used from $28.35

• The book of great photography for the above.  Dirr is on a par with Rick Darke when it comes to plant photography:

Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Michael A. Dirr (Hardcover- Oct 1, 1997) - Illustrated 5 new from $99.99 39 used from $59.72

• A fine reference on grasses, native and non-native:

The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes by Rick Darke (Apr 15, 2007)

35 new from $31.39 21 used from $28.12

• A good herbaceous perennial book:

(I do not know.  Jury is still out on that.)

• A decent reference on landscape graphics (good to have even if you never use it.  I still kept it around while I was teaching Autocad):

Landscape Graphics by Grant W. Reid (Sep 1, 2002)

Formats		Amazon Price		New from	Used from
	Hardcover	--		--	$17.21
Expand	Paperback	$15.80		$14.43	$9.73

Charter Statement

Charter statement – initially by Dan Brown, but further modified by several Committee members

The Envisioning the UUC Grounds Committee (final name awaiting Congregational meeting) is charged with researching and creating a comprehensive plan for the grounds of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the New River Valley.  The Committee will gather information from the congregation, leadership, relevant committees, community members and experts in the field.
Desirable elements of the plan are a comprehensive vision, including  but not limited to,  education, meditation, inspiration, environmental  compatibility, wildlife habitat, and community service.  The plan should take into account best design practices including the desire for low maintenance, minimal fertilization, no toxic pesticides, safety, and   a minimum of financial outlay.
Suggested or existing facilities that may be included in a final plan are a meditation path, community garden, memorial garden, wildflower garden, labyrinth, natural habitat, picnic structure, amphitheater, and playground. Water is important to several of these components.

The plan will be presented to the Buildings and Grounds Committee who will take the proposas to appropriate committees including, but not limited to Safety and Risk Management for eventual presentation to the Board and the congregation.  The process will include opportunities for congregational conversations and feedback.  

George Lally's Activities since Last Mtg.

George Lally
ACTIVITIES SINCE LAST MEETING

I did five "Walkabouts" of the proposed "Circumferential Meditation Path" with:   
Ben Logan, Bonnie Moreno, Karen Hager, Lisa Evanylu, David and Annette Burr, Dean and Sally Mook, Gloria Heath, and Marquita Hill, the purpose being to familiarize all with the proposed route and to stimulate thinking and conversation about the path, and on other landscape features and elements and on the total design plan; and to build  support.

I had a long conversation with architect and UUC member Bruce Ferguson re the pros and cons of the UUC implementing that portion of its long term plan which calls for an eventual parking lot on the current 'front lawn' which slopes to Hardwood Drive. Bruce made several persuasive points against that plan:

1. It would seriously degrade the beautiful view from the sanctuary windows. (Bruce observed that the beautiful views from the sanctuary are very often cited by first-time  visitors as having made a very positive first impression)
2. We could solve future overflow parking concerns simply by encouraging members to park along Gladeview Dr and Hardwood Drive, and, for that matter, along the lower portion of our entrance drive as we used to do. Bruce and Karen Grey both  stated that they would be willing to pledge to park on the street and that others could do so too.
3. I have outlined the proposed path with tiny 'marker' flags to facilitate self-directed "walkabouts".

ADDENDUM:  EARLY IDEAS FOR A PROPOSED 'PREAMBLE'  TO OUR EVENTUAL PLAN.

This long-range plan for the development and utilization of our UUC grounds promulgates and affirms the following principles:

• The UUC 'Worship Space' encompasses our entire grounds and is not limited to the Meeting House where we customarily conduct Sunday services .
• Viewed in that light our grounds inspire us to reverence, respect and stewardship for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

"...A serious house on serious earth it is,
In whose blent air all our compulsions meet,
Are recognised, and robed as destinies.
And that much never can be obsolete,
Since someone will forever be surprising
A hunger in himself to be more serious,
And gravitating with it to this ground,
Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in,
If only that so many dead lie round..."
[from: 'Church Going', by Philip Larkin] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTRYBKIaD30

This plan will not be implemented in its entirety overnight, but is divided into priorities, phases and modules.

Final Notes from November 15, 2011 mtg.

• Notes from

  Advisory Committee: Envisioning UUC grounds (temporary name)

  November 15, 2011    7 pm – 8:45 pm   Room A at UUC

  
  

  NEXT MEETING: Tuesday December 6 at 7 pm

  
  Attendees: KC Arceneaux, Susie Fry, Gloria Heath, Marquita Hill, George Lally, Ben Logan, Tom Martin, Bonnie Moreno, Mike Skinner,
  
  Darrell Clowes was not here: Mike Skinner, not Darrell will come to these meetings and serve as liaison to the Board.
  
  Bonnie reminded us that we don’t have a name. She suggests Comprehensive Property Plan. Others suggested that we circulate possible names among ourselves and then make a decision.
  
  As regards the Charter, Dan Brown sent us a draft. Darla Bray did a good edit on it, which most people liked. [As a followup I sent it around to our members for further edits and will send it out below the meeting notes. I’ll assume that B&G or the Board might make their own changes. Marquita]
  
  Ben Logan discussed the blog. There is confusion as to how to access this site. Ben will ask Lisa to spell out the details for us and send them out to us.
  
  Ben reminded us of a small space beyond the Crescent Garden (now sodded in) that he had previously suggested serve as a Mourning Garden for mothers and fathers who have lost a child. He will give this matter more thought and get back to us.
  
  Request: Goldie asked for sanction to scatter pet ashes. A number of people would like to do this. They need to tell us what they would consider to be the ideal spot – the natural habitat areas? “Natural habitat for small creatures” (or something more directly relevant to their pets that they have lost)
  
  Mike spoke of surveying the grounds. George sees this as necessary as there are ambiguities regarding our borders. Mike will explore where the corners are before our next meeting.
  

  • Relating to a grounds survey, Bonnie noted that Goldie is willing to do this – a rough, not official survey. Let’s accept her offer, her special skills in being able to do this. In addition to borders, remember the new building addition being planned – it will help us all to better visualize that addition. 

  
  
  Announcements and public relations: Bonnie will be the person who writes the announcements and does public relations for the group This will include paper signs on the bulletin boards, hand-outs, layout design of any policy we may need to write, notices to the Congregation that get a published look, organizing for fund raising, work group dates, etc. She has a background in advertising and commercial design besides fine art and gardening and has been doing that work for UUC since the Capital Campaign.  
  
  Decision making in between meetings: Bonnie noted that some decisions are time sensitive, e.g., getting an as-soon-as-possible congregational meeting as noted below. The general feeling is that such decisions can be made by emailing around among our members or telephoning around in some instances.
  
  Congregational meetings: We must engage the Congregation and do so now – early in the process. They need to know what we have been doing, participate when they want to, and provide input. After doing groundwork (e.g., discussing with Darrell Clowes the format of the meeting and the date) Bonnie and George set up a December 4 post-service meeting with the Congregation. Bonnie is going all out to inform as many members as is possible of the meeting: getting it on the list serve, the bulletin board, into the order of service, and into the announcements. We will name this Committee after this meeting.
  
  George reported on his activities since our October 25 meeting. PLEASE SEE his document at the end of these notes. George also read us the last stanza of a poem by Philip Larkin: its suggestion to us is that the entire grounds is worship space, spiritual. This is similar to the view of the Earth Spirit Sisters. One person noted that a parking lot wasn’t spiritual. Bonnie noted that “A parking lot can be park like.”
  
  Susie spoke to the shortcomings of the Sanctuary entrance. We are adding that to the Components list of our grounds. Right now, especially at night it’s hard to even tell where the driveway is. She suggested ways to make it more presentable and give it a little pizzazz – entrance esthetics. One problem is that the forsythia at the entrance requires a lot of maintenance. Ben suggests we replace it with oakleaf hydrangea, which, other than some pruning, requires little maintenance. Susie had drawn an illustration of how she sees the entrance could look.
  
  Establishing subcommittees: Some (or all?) of the grounds’ components need subcommittees. Some already started or attempting to start are…
  

  • Circumferential Meditation Path – George Lally, Bonnie Moreno, and (?). It will emphasize the meditation path as a unifying element for the grounds
  • Crescent garden and Mourning garden– Ben Logan
  • Natural habitat – Marquita Hill, Gloria Heath, KC and/or Darla
  • Memorial Garden: Susan Baker?

  
  
  There is also a need for process subcommittees:
  

  • Plant inventory
  • Informing and working with the congregation – George Lally
  • Bringing water to appropriate places on the grounds
  • In addition to the above three, we need one on ensuring maintenance -- public relations and ownership.

  
  
  This sounds like a lot of subcommittees. Some could likely be combined. For example, the process of bringing water to the grounds could be part of the natural habitat subcommittee, while also remaining in close contact with the rest of the Committee. However, we must pace ourselves for patience and work.
  
  Mike Skinner (speaking for Dan Brown) noted that we need to develop a timeline for maintenance of activities planned for outside the building.  This led to a broader conversation on the grounds, especially maintenance
  

  • KC: the Community Garden could be a showplace.
  • George: think of how to integrate the CG and the picnic shelter into the whole
  • Ben: imagine how the place will look 5 years or 10 years down the line – who for example will then be maintaining the CG and the other grounds’ components that we now speak of so fondly?
  • Bonnie: as one part of maintenance, ask The Big Event (held every Spring) for help – cleaning up, spreading mulch, etc. They have willing and husky workers.
  • George emphasized the precept of “The less maintenance, the better!”
  • When making new plantings, make low maintenance a priority
  • When, over the longer term, replacing older plantings, replace them with low-maintenance plants

  • Marquita: let’s devote a meeting to maintenance issues and sustainability.

  
  
  Mike:  we need to recognize and remember that we are part of a larger Congregation, one in transition. We may become part of a larger umbrella organization. We need to be patient while also focusing on the overall plan for the UUC.
  
  The Larkin poem that George gives us focuses us on mission – not detail. It also points us to locating places on the grounds for natural habitat
  
  At our next meeting we will discuss happenings at the Dec 4 Congregational meeting. In near-future meetings, we need to focus on topics such as:
  

  • Developing priorities
  • Next steps in the process and overall sequence of actions
  • Money
  • We need a diagram or drawing to help us envision the grounds’ components.
  • Discuss locations for specific grounds’ components while understanding that we can move the parts around later

  
  
  

  COMPONENTS OF UUC GROUNDS

  As discussed at October 21, 25 and November 15 meetings

  In place
  

  • Sanctuary entrance
  • Labyrinth
  • Memorial garden
  • Crescent garden with a small Mourning garden at one end
  • Community garden
  • Wildflower garden
  • Butterfly garden
  • Foundation plantings
  • Picnic shelter

  
  Ideas
  

  • Circumferential Meditation Path
  • Natural habitat for small creatures
  • Location for ashes of beloved pets
  • Natural amphitheatre

  
  
  For several of these components, we need to remember the need for water.
  
  

  To keep in mind as we plan

  • INTEGRATION – physical layout and sequence of projects
  • MAINTENANCE
  • MONEY
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • WORSHIP SPACE ENCOMPASSES THE ENTIRE GROUNDS

  
  
  
  
  
  

Additions to the Draft Charter

Hi, 

I've made some additions to the draft Charter that you read last night. It's after this message. 
Please review and let me know if it is OK before we send it on to Mike Skinner (acting for Darrell Clowes).  If you have other changes we'll send it out again until we are all satisfied.

I assume Mike that this will remain a draft document, even with your changes, for the time being? For example, we don't even have a final name yet.

Mike, should we keep Darrell's name on our mailing list? How about theadministrator@uucnrv.org?

Marquita

Draft Charter

The Envisioning the UUC Grounds Committee (final name to be determined in December, 2011) is charged with researching and creating a comprehensive plan for the grounds of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the New River Valley.  The Committee will gather information from the congregation, leadership, relevant committees, community members and experts in the field.

Desirable elements of the plan are a comprehensive vision, including  but not limited to, education, meditation, inspiration, environmental  compatibility, wildlife habitat, and community service.  The plan should take into account best design practices including the desire for low maintenance, minimal fertilization, no toxic pesticides, safety, and   a minimum of financial outlay.

Suggested or existing facilities that may be included in a final plan are a meditation path, community garden, memorial garden, crescent garden, wildflower and butterfly gardens, labyrinth, natural habitat including water, picnic structure, amphitheater, playground, and esthetic entryway to the grounds.

The plan will be presented to the Buildings and Grounds Committee who will take the proposal to appropriate committees including, but not limited to Safety and Risk Management for eventual presentation to the Board and the congregation.  The process will include opportunities for congregational conversations and feedback. 

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