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The
Essex Thymes - The Newsletter of the Essex & District Horticultural Society
for March 26th, 2008.
Remember to Lug a Mug !
Message from our President
Hi Everyone: Well
welcome Spring! I am writing this one day before the first day of Spring, as
rain mixed with snow is pelting down and it is darned cold outside. I am
thinking forward to the April meeting when we will have a seed and plant
exchange and I am thinking will the plants be ready? It seems every year I
think this way and every year by the April meeting our plants are growing in
leaps and bounds and we have plenty to share with everyone. Hopefully this
year will not be an exception. I hope some of you have started seeds and
cuttings and that they are flourishing. We have had an abundance of snow
this year and so this should help our gardens as the year progresses. Our
water levels have been down the last few years so all the rain and melted
snow will certainly be of benefit. I hope some of you got to go to Canada
blooms and/or are able to take in Winter Blooms at St Clair College. It’s
just what we need to get ready for Spring and to inspire us all after a
long, hard winter. See you next month and don’t forget to bring in all your
extra divisions, seedlings, seeds and plants you don’t need to the meeting.
That way everyone will have a wonderful choice of some different plants to
go home with. It’s a busy night but always a fun night and I know you will
enjoy it.
Please make sure your memberships are paid
up - we are already into March and need to know where we stand membership
wise. The winter meetings were not on the best nights, weather wise, so some
of you may not have gotten out to do it. We depend on those funds. Also
please pay for your bus trip as soon as possible. We have already paid for
the bus so we could use that money right away.
See you at the April
meeting! .....Sandy
^ TOP^
Communities In Bloom - Tim O'Hagan
Committee members from the four Essex Centers of Harrow, Colchester, Essex
and McGregor have prepared and sent a wish list to Council. The list
contains items and areas considered priorities for the upcoming judging
year. Beautification monies will be allotted by Council during budget
deliberations and projects begun after that. Municipal input has been very
positive and members are anxious to get started.
Marie Tiborcz’ Project
#3 - Simply Easy and Inexpensive Bird Baths
A bath can be made by
inserting the proper sized plastic pot drainage trays into the rings of a
tomato cage. Notch out the rim of the bottom tray to fit around the wire.
Push the legs of the cage into the soil to make the bath stable. It can
easily be pulled up while mowing the grass.
The second bath is made
by simply stacking 3 or 4 large terra cotta pots or plastic pots of
decreasing sizes upside down and placing a large terra cotta or plastic pot
drainage tray on top. Fill with water and place some small to medium stones
inside the tray to keep it from flipping off in the wind. If you have pets,
it would probably be wise to use only the terra cotta pots as the plastic
would be more easily knocked over.
What could be easier?
They are ready in a couple minutes, are attractive and easy to clean
^ TOP^
Essex & District Horticultural Society
Bus Trip June 7, 2008
Come join us for a fun day as we present our 2008 bus
trip. We will leave at 7:00 in the morning from the usual parking lot on
Wilson Street and our first stop will be at Parks Blueberries for our coffee
break. Always an interesting place to shop at and the best blueberry tarts
and muffins to be found.
Our next stop will be Munro Honey and Meadery in Alvinston
where we will be given a tour and will sample lots of different honeys and
wines ,if you wish. This is the first and only Meadery in all of Ontario. Do
you know what mead is? It is Honey wine, a beautiful sweet wine . We will
get to see how honey is made and sample lots of things available in the gift
shop.
Next stop is Lakeview Gardens in Eagle, where we will have
a luncheon, explore the gardens, view the greenhouses and shop in the gift
shop. Here they have a cottage style perennial and annual garden, an old
English rose garden, natural ponds with waterfalls , a trial vegetable
garden , greenhouses full of tropicals, cacti and succulents and a full
garden centre. Lakeview is owned by an Oldcastle fellow, Jim Collins, who
some of you may know of. Here we will first have our dinner , which is
included in the price of your ticket and then enjoy all the other things
Lakeview gardens has to offer.
Our next stop will be the Glasshouse Nursery in Chatham,
where 7 acres of plants and ponds awaits you. Here you will find anything a
garden would ever need. The gift shop is chock full of the most interesting
things- not all garden related either. They even sell beautiful shoes,
clothes and accessories too. As far as plants, they boast the largest
selection in all of Southern Ontario. There is so much to look at, even for
a non-gardener.
The cost of this trip is $60.00 if your membership is paid
up for this year, or $65.00 if not, for insurance purposes. Please make
cheques payable to “The Essex and District Horticultural Society and tickets
should be paid for as soon as possible or by May 1 at the latest. Please pay
Bonnie, our Treasurer.
Bring a few friends and look forward to a relaxing day -
all you have to do is be there!
^ TOP^
The University of Guelph “The Arboretum
Seasonal Program, Spring & Summer 2008” can be accessed at
www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum
The following was in
the Windsor Star Master Gardener column Saturday,
March 8th, 2008. It was written by Master Gardener Sandy
Ellenor.
Question:
What are a few of the
easiest plants to force in to early bloom? I have a baby shower the end of
March and we would like to have a lot of Spring looking blooms.- is it too
late to start some?
Answer:
Forcing blooms is one
of those fun things to do in late winter and it’s not difficult to do at
all. You are not too late, the earlier the plant tends to flower in Spring,
the less time it takes to force it. So your best bet is to do plants like
forsythia which normally flower quite early. Besides forsythia, gather pussy
willows, redbud, flowering quince, flowering almond, flowering currant,
spireas, serviceberry, cherry and beautybush. Some of these you may only get
greenery on in that length of time but that will also look wonderful in your
arrangements.
Gather the branches on a day that it is
above freezing outside . Should the temperature be above the freezing point
, submerge the whole stem in cold water for 3 or 4 hours Cut your branches
about 18 inches long, and always cut on an angle with a very sharp knife.
Split the bottom of each branch and put in a vase of water and change the
water at least once a week. Forsythia takes from 12 to 21 days, honeysuckle
10 to 15 days. Many others can take as long as 40 days, including lilacs.
Good luck on getting
some blooms for your shower. Gather a lot of branches because some will
probably not take. Do your friends and neighbors pruning as well as your own
. Forcing blooms is something we can all easily do to get a head start on
Spring and it will be better than the best Spring tonic that money could
buy.
Question:
I am going to plant a
lot of trees this Spring on my property .With all the emphasis on trees
soaking up greenhouse gases I am curious as to which trees actually take up
the most carbon. Do you have any information on that?
Answer:
Larger trees will naturally take up more
carbon than smaller trees and trees that have a denser bark will make a
difference. The trees with leaves and hardwood do a better job than
evergreens and conifers . In a study done in 2002, the very best tree for
this was found to be the Tulip tree, which is a native tree here in Essex
County. The second best was the European Beech. Other good examples are
Oaks, London Planes and Sweetgums.
Trees have always been
essential to our well-being but today with our pollution and emissions
problems trees are crucial to our survival. If every one of us planted a
tree this Spring we would help ensure better health for all of us.
Timely Tips found by
Dorothy Vriesacker’s - Month #2
Group several similarly
sized terra cotta pots of boxwood in a group around a focal point such as a
fountain, on a deck or near a front door for a stunning presentation. Our
new Hyper Tufa pots many of us have been working on would be great for this
also! Boxwoods take sun or shade but grow best if exposed to a little of
both.
Remember when you are
taking photos of your garden; the best colour shows in the morning or
evening when the light is not harsh. Cloudy days also produce beautiful
photos.
^ TOP^
Little happenings on
the Graham Side Road.....
Last fall I brought in a very small plant
of Sutera Bacopa Cabana and over wintered it in a pot in the living room. A
week ago I realized that I had neglected to water it for nearly two weeks
and it was getting a little crispy. However.............it was in full
bloom. I watered it generously and it is still very healthy and in
bloom.....despite the white flies that I am chasing away from my Martha
Washington geranium.
The poor snowdrops -
one day they are peeking out and the next day they are covered with 4 inches
of snow - then the same thing happens all over again and again and again !
Neal and I took in the
beautiful London Orchid Show on Saturday, March 15th. It was
breathtaking. ... Lynn Imeson
Things I learned on our Hawaiian Cruise this
past February that I wanted to share with you…Lynn Imeson
We saw ancient
religious sites, nearly gone because of the ravages of time; the Parker
Ranch, 160 years old and 150,000 acres large on Hawai’i, “The Big Island”,
beautiful lavender farms growing straight up mountain sides in Maui; a fern
grotto in Kaua’i where the ferns grow upside down outside lava caves -
apparently the only place in the world a fern does so - the grotto is only
accessible by traveling down the Wailua River; a goose on Maui and the other
islands called nene (pronounced nay nay) which originated on the island
before any humans set foot there. The goose is actually a descendant of the
Canada Goose. Naturalists believe that they stayed on the island because
one of a goose couple may have been injured. Because they mate for life the
mate stayed with the injured goose and thus the population was started. It
looks a little different from the Canada Goose with beautiful striping of
thick short feathers running up and down its neck. They have gradually lost
the webbing on their feet until there is very little of it left
It rains a lot over the
137 Hawaiian Islands which were created by volcanoes thousands of years
ago. We visited 4 of the larger ones. The rain comes and goes and usually
does not interfere with activities, except.....when we docked at Hilo
Hawaii, “The Big Island” on Monday, February 3rd. We learned
that most of the excursions had been cancelled because of the 24" of rain
that had fallen over the weekend. There are three main roads across the
island of Hawaii and they were all covered at some point and not passable.
This meant that the only Botanical Garden tour we had planned to take in was
cancelled. We were put on a waiting list for one on the island of Kaua’i but
it never materialized.
The weather waivered
between 79F and 81 F, for the complete trip with little humidity. I noticed
only a little humidity the first time we visited Honolulu, O’ahu. Honolulu
is called the Spam Capital of the world as apparently the population there
consumes more spam than any other area in the world. There are Spam
festivals including events such as Spam eating and Spam carving contests.
Beaches on all the
Hawaiian islands are publicly owned, even if in front of hotels or homes,
high priced or not.
Sixty five percent of
all Hawaiian plants are not indigenous. The rest were brought to the island
thousands of years ago by wind, water or wing and therefore are considered
to be native.
Hawai’i has the highest
incidence of diabetes in the United States.
The mountains around
the Haleakala Crater - House of The Sun - in the Haleakala National Park.
Maui, were once 40,00 feet higher than they are today. Over thousands of
years they have eroded, sending their remains into the valleys. The verdant
valley we drove through to get to the summit has 30 feet of topsoil. This
is where we saw 10' tall Prickly Pear Cactus in the fields along the road.
When we reached the summit we were
at 10,023 feet above sea level, we were actually above the clouds, and the
temperature was in the low 50s to high 40s, cold enough for coats. Miles
away, down at the pier, we had been in short sleeves.
Hawaiians are very
proud of their heritage and history. Each and every tour guide we
encountered very ably gave us the entire history of the arrival of humans on
the island, their means of survival and their customs. While the names of
places and historical persons flowed over their tongues, we had a hard time
understanding or retaining a lot of the names or spellings until we saw them
later in print in books we purchased. Then things started to flow together.
.....it was a grand time.
^ TOP^
Easter lilies are a special hazard this time of
year. One taste and a cat can instantly plunge into renal failure...from the
Ontario Master Gardener hotline as quoted from Veterinary toxicologist Dr.
Steve Hansen, director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana,
Illinois. The New Oxford American
Dictionary's
2007 word of the year was locavore,
meaning someone who eats exclusively local food. - information taken
from
www.idealbite.com
Each
shovelful of soil holds more living things
than all the human beings ever born. Some lotus flowers have a surface that
repels dirt and keeps them clean in the muddiest of waters. Dandelion
actually means ‘teeth of a lion. Dandelion leaves are edged with deeply
toothed serrations which must have reminded some ancient French gardener of
large teeth - information from Podictionary Word of the Day at
www.podictionary.com
You may wish to take in
meetings of our neighbouring Horticultural 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 the Lions Club Hall, 21 Mill
Street South, except July, August and December. 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
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. .....And
remember that our own Essex Horticultural 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^
COMING EVENTS IN
2008
March 26 General Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Maria
Pap - New flowers for 2008
March 29 Earth Hour.
- at 8pm on March 29 we are asked to turn out our lights for one hour.
World Wildlife is
sponsoring this. Check it out at -- earthhour.org or get the WWF news
letter at
wwf.ca/newsletter
March 29
Winter Blooms – Landscape/Garden Expo and Symposium St. Clair College, 2000
Talbot Rd. W., Windsor
Landscape Ontario Windsor
Chapter and St Clair College present their 3rd annual Winter Blooms,
featuring keynote speakers Paul Zammit on Annuals and Perennials plus
Planning and Planting for All Seasons of Interest and Michael Pascoe who
will speak about Gardens of England. Local speakers are also scheduled
during the day. The show also features landscape displays/ information
booths, live cooking demonstrations and children's activities. Proceeds from
Winter Blooms will benefit the Hospice of Windsor and St Clair College
Foundation for horticultural bursaries and scholarships. For further
information contact the Horticulture Department at St Clair College at (519)
972-2727, ext. 4457.
April 8 Directors Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
APRIL 13 Day Trip to Belle Isle
Conservatory for the Windsor Orchid Society.
Date: Sunday, April 13/2008 Time; 12:30 to
5:30 ish
Leaving from: St. Clair College Parking
lot Cost: $15.00/person
Transportation: Bus Will need at least 40
to be a go.
Contact Juliette St.
Pierre at 727-6343 if interested.
April 23 General Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Louie
Fiorino - Ponding 101 Installing a pond to entice frogs and raising
fish
Plant
and Seed Exchange
May 10 Annual Plant at Bake Sale
at the Essex Railroad Station
May 13 Directors Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
May 28 General Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Susan Ross from Leamington
Horticultural Society - tropical fruits
June 7 Bus Trip: Monroe Honey
near Alvinston, a nursery in Eagle, formerly Swains, where we will also be
having our lunch and our final destination, the Glass House in Chatham.
Specifics available from Sandy Ellenor at our meetings. Sign up and pay up
soon; space is limited.
June 10 Directors Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
June 25 General Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker:
Marg Dudley - Bearded Iris - Everything you want to know
July 12 Annual Flower Show with
the Theme “Alice in Wonderland” at the Essex United Church during the
Fun Fest. The church will be
celebrating its 100th anniversary that weekend and has invited
many guests to
participate.
August 22 - 24 OHA Convention in Brampton
Sept 9 Directors Meeting at
Kinsmen Field House 7:30
Sept 20
Master Gardeners Seminar at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens - see brochure
attached to your February newsletter - Keynote Speaker: Mitchell Hewson, HTM,
‘Horticulture As Therapy’. Other speakers include Joanne Miehls, Master
Gardener, Healing the Earth, One Family at a Time: Sandy Ellenor, Master
Gardener, Healing Herbs for Body and Spirit: Mary Jo Rusu, The Creating of
Healing Gardens:
Call 519-258-7150 for further details.
Sept 24
General Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Lynn Imeson - Pressing flowers
Plant and Seed
Exchange
October 14
Directors Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
October 22
General Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Alan & Karen Batke - native
wild flowers
Silent Auction
Nov 11
Directors Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Nov 26
Annual Pot Luck Dinner & Elections of Officers 6:00 pm
Set up at 5:00 pm
Location to be announced
As usual, please bring a
dish of food to be shared, your own (Christmas) place setting, including
cutlery, glasses, cups and plates. Tea, coffee and other drinks will be
supplied.
Speaker: A representative from Pam’s
Flowers, Belle River
^ TOP^
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