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ESSEX
& DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
JUNE
27th, 2007
Hi Everyone,
Welcome all, and I hope
you enjoy this beautiful June evening and this very last newsletter before
our summer break. It’s
a busy time for all of us, and it seems that the Spring and Summer season
just races by faster and faster every year... It’s
time to take some time off for the summer and to spend some enjoyable time
in our own gardens from now until September.
Tonight we are very
fortunate to have Shauna Dobbie, from Ontario Gardener Magazine, as our
special guest. Shauna has the most enviable job - can you imagine having to
visit all the magnificent, interesting gardens of Ontario that is "just part
of the job?’’’’
I know she will love the beautiful surroundings at St Clair Gardens and we
thank Mary and Dennis Hirt wholeheartedly for their generous hospitality. If
you have never been here before, I know without a doubt you will make the
trip back. St Clair Gardens is one of Essex County’s
treasures when it comes to garden centers and both Mary and Dennis are
experts in their field. Anything you want to know about Hosta? This is the
place to come.
Don’t
forget our Flower Show on July 14 at the Essex United Church. It’s
always a fun day with our bake sale going on, and a rummage and plant sale
as well. This year, the Church finally has added air conditioning, and that
will be a real plus for us and for the flowers. Please keep it in mind and
if you have items for the plant sale (Never throw out a plant!) or the
rummage sale please keep them for us. We also need baking, and these items
can be brought in Saturday morning between 9 and 11:30 or on Friday when we
are setting up at 10 -11 am. We also need helpers to set up the tables etc
on Friday so please come if you can. During the show Saturday between 12 and
4 refreshments are available along with everything else, so come and stay
awhile. Also PLEASE bring in entries - if there are few entries there is
nothing for the public to see, so please don’t
disappoints them. Every member should bring in as many entries as possible.
Mark your calendars. On June 2, many of you came on our annual bus trip and
it was once again a wonderful day. The weather was beautiful, except for a
surprise bolt of lightening that hit the chimney in Van Horiks Greenhouse in
London as we were leisurely selecting our treasures to take home. I think we
all nearly jumped out of our skin, but thankfully, no harm was done. We also
visited the fantastic garden of Louise Weekes and I know I came home
dreaming of her gorgeous peonies and her cute little chipmunks. Louise uses
pretty well all perennials, and her garden is such an inspiration to all who
love gardening. Some of you bought some of her treasured plants and I hope
you have good luck with them. They will be a special reminder of our day
there.
Our
other stops were Eldon House, London’s
oldest house, and we had a tour of the home which is set up as it was in the
1800’’’’s.
Our lunch was at the Mandarin and I give it A+ as far as their service and
food. I know of no one who went away hungry, and the buffet selections
offered were just amazing. There are not too many buffets around offering
that quality. Needless to say, we had a lot of walking to do after that
stop. Our last stop of the day was at Perennial Haven, owned by Elly DeNiij.
What a beautiful, peaceful gem hidden in the country near Muirkirk. Her
plants were so healthy and plentiful and her gardens just a joy to walk
through. Elly gave us a personal tour of her gardens too. I know everyone
enjoyed the trip as much as I did, and the bottom of the bus was pretty
full, so I think there was something for everyone at our stops. Hopefully we
can do it again next year. Have a safe and happy summer. Enjoy your gardens
and those of your friends and families. To Kathy and the volunteers who
planted the downtown beds, thank you - many people will be grateful to you
all summer for this. Thank you to all who have adopted a bed to care for
this summer. It is not only our members who appreciate your generosity but
all members of your community. You have done your part to make Essex and
District a better place in which to live. To everyone here, if you are
walking past the beds and see a weed or litter, please take 2 seconds to
pick it up. Many hands make light work.
Remember us in September as we will have our regular meeting back at the
Field house in Essex on September 26. We will have our seed and plant
exchange so bring in all your extras and take home some new possibilities.
May
you all have the best summer ever!
Happy Gardening
Sandy
Thoughts from Evelyn Kogel
^TOP^
FROM
THE TINY ACORN A MIGHTY OAK WILL GROW
I have often wondered
about acorns
––––
was it really difficult to get them to grow? We do have several oak trees
about our house and this spring as I was walking beside a group of oaks I
noticed the acorns on the ground. Those acorns had been there all winter so
they had experienced the cold treatment that some seeds need to break
dormancy and start growing. I gathered a handful of nuts and headed indoors.
There I found a pot, filled it with soil and planted about 20 acorns side by
side and covered them with one inch of soil and watered them when needed.
That was probably in April. One day I noticed sprouts appearing. First just
one, then two, then each day more and more. That was exciting. I watched the
pot frequently as the stems grew longer and longer. This week I decided it
was time to transplant; I found pots and soil and harvested fifteen oak
trees. One acorn had only roots, no stem; four nuts just didn’t
grow.
SUN LOVING BLOOMS
^TOP^
Sun
loving blooms perform best when it is hot and dry. Petunias of a variety of
colours mix well with marigolds, alyssum and lobelia. Marigolds (not the
white ones) perform well and are easy to start from seed. Remember to
deadhead the fading blooms. Zinnias are probably the best at thriving under
the hot sun. Remember to deadhead them also and that they like a dry soil.
Nicotiana is an easy flower to grow and as the day ends we enjoy the night
time scent of nicotiana. This plant now comes in a variety of bright
colours. Water as needed. Try the perennial salvia to provide more variety
in colour and form. If you cut it back in winter, it will produce early
flowers in the spring. Blue salvia is a great cut flower and is easy to grow
from seed. Limonium sinata (statice), yarrow and red valerian all stand up
well in the burning sun. Achillefilipendula should not be overlooked or
Achillea millefolium can be found in summer pastels. Red valerian
(centranthus ruber) flowers over a long time on into the fall. You also
should try gazania; it’s
a daisy-like flower that closes at night and performs well in the hot sun.
Try coreopsis: I believe it’s
available as both a perennial and annual. Both the coreopsis and the gazania
are bright in colour and will add a cheery note to your garden and they do
not mind the soil being on the dry side. Deadheading will help these plants
continue flowering on into fall. Try verbena, an annual that is easy to grow
from seed. If seeded in March, this bright bloom will continue to bloom from
June till frost. Gallardia is easy to grow and attractive. Both plants
prefer a well drained sandy soil. Have I forgotten cosmos? And do remember
cleome, a really dependable addition to your splashy colours of summer. Let’s
not forget a plant that tolerates all kinds of soil conditions. Hemerocallis
is that plant; day lilies do bloom continually. Other annuals that withstand
scorching heat are Glorioso daisies and Rudbeckia hirta, black-eyed susan.
And let’s
not forget the purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea.
May I suggest that you
do some record keeping. Determine what flowers survive best in the summer
heat in your garden. Jot down how long they survived. Keep dates and
blooming times and record the temperatures throughout the summer. Let this
information be your guide for your 2008 garden.
***These are great
ideas, Evelyn. Thanks!!!
Something to think
about:
^TOP^
Most of you probably saw
the article in the Windsor Star on Friday concerning another threat sure to
invade our space in the next 10 - 25 years. It is Kudzu, an Asian tropical
vine that can grow a meter a day and has taken over many areas in the
southeast States, draping over barns, trees and telephone poles. It is
already in parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio. This vine was introduced to the
States in the late 1800s to battle erosion. Because it produces a lot of
nitrogen it apparently contributes to poor water quality. Also, by taking
over so much of the land it kills off many other plants native to the area
Because our climate is
warming, this tropical vine may eventually be able to survive our winters.
Due to our location, Essex County could be the first to experience the
advance of this vine.
.......Lynn Imeson
We
were saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Udo Willi Dargatz on May 13,
2007. He was the co-owner of Hosta Choice Gardens near Appin with his wife
Margot. Hosta Choice has been a favourite of many of our members for several
years and we shall miss Udo’s
expertise greatly. We sincerely hope Margot plans to continue on with the
business.
On
a happier note:
^TOP^
The Larkspur dotting our
flower beds is quite an attraction for our hummingbirds. Quite early in the
morning a few days ago one was flitting from flower to flower in various
gardens and lit on the clothes line right behind the house. He sat there for
several minutes and then continued on his way flitting from larkspur to
larkspur and then on to the roses by the barn and back to the larkspur. It
was quite a thrill to see him up so close, so still, for such a length of
time...Lynn Imeson
One
of our members submitted the following from an Ontario agricultural
print out.
Patience
with Perennial Weeds: by Leslie Huffman, Weed Management Specialist
(Horticultural Crops), OMAFRA
Many perennial weeds like quack grass, Canada thistles, and milkweed are now
emerging, and it’s
very tempting to want to knock them back right now. However, hasty action
will only give temporary satisfaction now, as their extensive root systems
will help them recover and regrow very quickly. The best
approach is to let them grow to their most sensitive stage before applying a
systemic herbicide like glyphosate.
Quack grass will likely
reach its sensitive sate the earliest. Three to four leaves is the stage
when quack grass is most sensitive, but the trick is to have actively
growing grass that will absorb the herbicide. If temperatures turn cold, the
best advice is to wait until the quack grass has returned to growth after a
couple of warm days.
For broadleaf perennial
weeds, the sensitive stages will be late May, June and some should even wait
until July. Wait until your weeds reach these stages: Canada Thistle - early
flower bud: Milkweed - flower bud: Bindweed - full flower: Nut sedge - first
flower: Vetch - full flower
Camelia
Mallia found the following article for us:
^TOP^
Taken from The Canadian
League Magazine, the official publication of the Catholic Women’s
League of Canada, Volume 83/No.2/Spring 2007
The
Use of Styrofoam
Disposable Ware and the Consequences:
by Judy Lewis, National
Chairperson of Education and Health
Disposable ware made
of expanded polystyrene foam (popularly called Styrofoam) poses health risks
to humans and is non-biodegradable.
Polystyrene
disposable ware is made from styrene, a petroleum product shown to have
adverse health effects on occupationally-exposed workers and on consumers
who utilize it. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that health
hazards for workers can be acute.
Chronic effect for
both workers and consumers can be in the form of headaches, fatigue,
weakness, depression and central nervous system dysfunction (e.g. reaction
time, memory speed, intellectual
Function). There are
also reproductive and developmental health effects such as spontaneous
abortion. Lung tumors have been observed in the offspring of orally exposed
mice. Styrene also shows possible carcinogenicity to humans.
The leaching of
styrene into the body through a cup of coffee, for example can be 0.025%. If
you drink two cups of coffee per day for three years, you have consumed as
much as a cup of styrene. Hot fatty acidic or alcoholic beverages increase
the rate of leaching.
In addition to the
unfavorable health effects to humans, polystyrene is non-biodegradable.
Because it is so difficult to recycle, the
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency states: "Each year American[s] throw away 25,000,000,000
Styrofoam cups. Even
500 years from now, the foam coffee cup you
used this morning will be sitting in a landfill."
Suggested Action Plan by
the Catholic Women’s
League:
Post a notice at any meeting places stating the following.
Please use cardboard when using disposable ware (i.e. plates and cups) .
Please do NOT use Styrofoam, as it is a health hazard and is
non-biodegradable. All persons should discontinue use of Styrofoam
disposable ware and educate others concerning this matter.The above article
makes our own special notice in every newsletter even more pertinent, does
it not?
Please continue to
LUG A MUG to our meetings to save on supplies and also to keep that much
more junk, i.e. Styrofoam from ending up in our garbage and therefore in our
landfills.
^TOP^
NAME
OUR NEWSLETTER and win a prize CONTEST
- We have noticed that most horticultural newsletters in our area have a
catchy name. Ours does not and we would like to have one. You can help!
Please submit your ideas by September 10th, 2007, to any board
member and/or to Lynn Imeson, 839-4751,
lynneal@gosfieldtel.com . The board
members will decide on a winner on September 11th at the Director’s
meeting and announce it at our September 26th general meeting.
Don’t
forget - there is a prize going to the winner! - Prize undetermined at print
time - details later
You
may wish to take in meetings of other local societies
Belle River
meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the K of C in Emeryville
except July and August; their bbq and flower show is in June.
Fort Malden
meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Community building next
to the arena in Amherstburg, except for June, July, August and December.
Kingsville
meets the 3rd Monday of the month, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Club
Hall, 21 Mill Street South, except July, August and December.
Tilbury meets the 2nd Wednesday of
each month at the Tilbury Area Public School Library on Mabel St. In
Tilbury, except for January, July, August & December, . Their annual dinner
meeting is in November. This year it is being held at the Car Barn in
Wheatley on November 21.
Leamington
meets the 3rd Wed. of each month at the Leamington United Church,
9 John Street except for July and August. Their December meeting is their
annual Christmas dinner
And remember that our
own
Essex
Hort. meetings are the
4th Wednesday of the month, not necessarily the last
Wednesday of the month. We do not meet in July, August or December.
All above Horticultural
Society meetings start at
7:30 p.m.
unless otherwise announced.
^TOP^
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 27
A reminder that our June
27th meeting will not be held here in this hall. We are going to
meet at St Clair Gardens,
2736 County Rd 46,
Ruscom, 1/10 kilometer east of County Road 31.
Our meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. You MUST bring a lawn chair, or,
if you prefer, a blanket for the ground. We are going to ask other Hort
clubs in the area to join us so if you have an extra plate of cookies or
other goodies to bring, even if you are not on the lunch committee, it would
be greatly appreciated,. We also are looking for folding tables for the
goodies, etc.
St Clair Gardens is
owned by Dennis and Mary Hirt. Use the driveway beside the pond; there is a
parking lot at the back near the Garden Centre. When the parking lot is
full, the remaining guests are welcome to park on the other side of County
Road 31 as there is a very wide shoulder. St. Clair Gardens features 2 acres
including a huge pond; over 400 varieties of hosta; butterfly gardens,
grasses, lilies, alpines, flowering shrubs and hyper tufa troughs. Their
regular closing hour is 5:30 p.m. However, that evening they will have
someone manning the garden centre the entire time we are there. If you
wish to shop, you are welcome to come an hour earlier than the meeting.
10% discounts will be in effect this evening
as they offer discounts only to visiting groups such as ours or bus tours.
ONE IMPORTANT
THING TO NOTE ! Please respect the Hirt’’s
wishes for privacy while they and our guest speaker,
Shauna Dobbie, Editor of
Ontario Gardener
Magazine,
have dinner on the terrace. This means that
while we are welcome to come early and shop in the garden centre, they
respectfully ask that we not tour the gardens on their property until
after
6:15 p.m.
Mary reminds us we can
also do the tour after our guest speaker and the meeting are finished as it
will be daylight until quite late.
July 8 Kingsville Hort
Society Garden Tour - tickets available from the Kingsville Tourist
Information Booth.
July 14 Essex Hort. Flower show during Fun Fest at the air conditioned
United Church Auditorium
August 10th -
August 12th - Annual OHA Convention in District 8 - Owen Sound -
For details - see Sandy Ellenor or log on to
www.gardenontario.org
Sept 11 Board meeting
Sept 15
THE
STRATFORD GARLIC FESTIVAL,
Stratford Fair Grounds, 10 am
––––
5 pm
sample great garlic
dishes, cooking demos from celebrated chefs, learn the how-to’s
of growing great garlic, health benefits, and meet local producers, see
gardening clinics, craft making, gourmet cooking demonstrations and
information on garlic’s
health benefits. The Growers Market features some of Ontario’s
most innovative producers. Distinct local varieties of garlic will be
available to sample or purchase for the table or garden, unique crafts and
specialty foods, storytelling for children, music from local musicians and
magicians.
All Stratford Garlic
Festival proceeds go to Kiwanis programs for children. For information on
tickets, the sites, and the growing program of activities, presentations and
vendors, please check the website at
www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com.
Sept 19 Youth Gardeners
Club
Sept 26 General Meeting
- speakers Marjan and Craig Willett from Wheatley Woods Nursery Plants
On Native Plants - We
will also have our fall Plant and Seed Exchange
Oct 9 Board meeting
Oct 17 Youth Gardener
Club
October 18 Watford Horticultural Society is hosting Paul Zammit. He is a
dynamic speaker with a
October 18 Watford
Horticultural Society is hosting Paul Zammit. He is a dynamic speaker with a
degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph, and is perennial
department manager at Plant World in Toronto. He spoke at our District 11
Convention in Windsor and 2003 and also at the London Convention in 2004.
Their meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. and they will probably take a donation at
the door. Some of us plan on attending. If this sounds interesting to you,
look for further details in upcoming newsletters.
Oct 24 General meeting -
Speaker - Jay Terryberry from St. Clair College - also our
Silent Auction
Oct
28 District 11 Annual Meeting hosted by Belle River - Emeryville K of C - 9
am Speakers TBA
Nov 13 Board meeting
Nov 28 Annual Dinner
with Elections of Officers 6pm - Pot Luck - bring your own (Christmas) place
setting
Christine Martin - Cindy’s
Gardens speaking and demonstrating Green Christmas
Arrangements - also demonstrating making a bird seed wreath
^TOP^ |
