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The Essex Thymes
The January 23rd, 2008 edition of the Essex & District
Horticultural Society Newsletter
Please remember to Lug a Mug !
Welcome back everyone!
Happy New Year and I hope you all had a wonderful and
memorable holiday season. Your executive met a couple weeks ago for a
meeting and we are all eager to make this a great year for our Horticultural
Society. Your executive is already hard at work planning the speakers and
meetings for 2008.
I
got a surprise telephone call the other night from our Secretary, Teresa,
who is basking in the sun down in Florida right now. She wanted to stay in
the loop after our first executive meeting and she wanted us to know she is
having a great time down in the sunshine state.
This is an excellent time to plan your garden for this coming year. Spring
will be here before we know it. Take this time to browse the seed
catalogues, order your seeds, plan your garden changes on paper and catch up
on some good gardening books and magazines. Make some gardening
resolutions. Mine were printed in the Master Gardener column in the Windsor
Star a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps I can reprint them here for you because
I know many of you will have the same ones. I think we all understand each
other.
Next month (February) we will have our semi annual silent auction, so start
thinking of what you can bring. We all have those resolutions about editing
and getting a little more organized so if you have stuff you no longer need
perhaps another member at the meeting will be thrilled to buy it. This
time, we have decided if we have higher value items donated, we will put
them on a separate table with a minimum bid, and if they do not get that
amount, they will be returned to the donor. If you have one of the higher
value items and wish to have a minimum bid on it please let us know. It
always gets pretty hectic on silent auction night but it’s a lot of fun.
You never know what you may go home with.
Have a great month and we will see you all in February…..Sandy
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Do
you gardeners make New Years Resolutions about
gardening? If so what would they be?
I
know I always have resolutions, but I keep them about as well as the ones
about the dieting and organizing. I have the same ones lots of gardeners
have – like I will water more faithfully and I will keep the weeds right
under control next gardening season. I won’t buy any more clearance tulip
or daffodil bulbs in November because they are so cheap – therefore I won’t
be out there in December trying to plant them in the semi frozen ground. I
will dig up my Canna and Dahlia bulbs before the snow flies next year. I
will keep my plants that are over wintering in the basement watered and
cared for this winter and not forget about them. I will also stake my
dahlias and tomatoes early in the season. I will deadhead faithfully all my
self-sowers like my feverfew, columbines and bronze fennel. I will put away
all my garden tools in the fall after I have cleaned them thoroughly and
this Spring I will only buy packaged seed that I truly need. I will only
buy new plants if I know where I am going to put them and have a plan. I
will get rid of the dandelions and I will keep on top of my dratted
bindweed. I will wash all my empty pots in soapy water with a little bleach
to have them ready for when I need them for repotting. How organized I will
be! Above all I will take time to smell those roses. Happy Gardening and
Happy New Year to all of you!.....Sandy
Canada Blooms is publishing an e-newsletter called Flower Power with behind
the scenes information about the show. Subscribe to their FREE newsletter
by visiting www.canadablooms.com and click on Flower Power E-newsletter.
Did you Know?
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From
www.Idealbite.com
Studies show bagged lettuce may not be safer. Also, even organic bagged
lettuce may have gone through a chlorine rinse to kill bacteria. Whole
organic greens apparently do not go through this process. Naturally a
lettuce head is much safer as the outer leaves keep out the bacteria. Six
million bags of salad are sold every day in the USA. (There must be a
similar number for Canada) A whole head of lettuce does not need a bag, you
will be tearing off the outer leaves and rinsing. A head of lettuce will
cost less than half the price of bagged salad and you will not be throwing
the bag into the landfill.
Another idea from
www.Idealbite.com: Apparently Swiss archeologists have evidence that
Stone Age man ate rose hips. So eating flowers isn’t that new an idea after
all! Flowers are almost calorie free, rich in vitamins and minerals. Be
careful though. Pollen could trigger attacks for some asthmatics and edible
flowers must be free of any chemical residue – avoid imported flowers – use
your own from your garden.
A few days ago we read that New York City
Council has passed a bill requiring large stores and retail chains to
collect and recycle plastic shopping bags. Remember when Zehrs used to have
those huge boxes into which we could stuff our used plastic grocery bags?
Perhaps some still do but I have not seen them for at least a couple years.
What happened? Carelessly discarded bags end up flying around city streets
and country roads. A New York Times report stated that the USA uses 86
billion of these bags each year. They affect our wildlife, getting tangled
in the stomachs of whales, sea turtles, other mammals and birds. The bags
buried in landfills will not break down for 1000 years. The Times also
informed us that Melbourne, Australia and San Francisco, USA “have banned
bags outright. San Francisco was the first city in North America to ban
non-recyclable and non-biodegradable bags made from petroleum products.
Africa has moved toward a continent-wide plastic bag ban. A couple weeks
ago China’s cabinet issued a directive banning their production, prohibiting
stores from handing out free plastic bags after June 1st, 2008
and imposing fees on their usage. People in China use up to 3 billion
plastic bags daily.” Hopefully we in Canada will soon also have these
restrictions on plastic bags.
Recently a Master Gardener in Ontario brought to our attention the fungus
that leads to sudden oak death. Apparently there is now a diagnostic test
for the fungus and it was discussed in the Natural Resources Canada
Department’s internal newsletter. “Phytophthora ramorumis a fungus-like
pathogen that causes SOD, a disease that attacks and kills oak trees and a
wide range of plants including rhododendrons, camellias and blueberries. In
forests the resulting accumulation of dead and dry fuel makes affected areas
susceptible to fire. The first occurrence of SOD in North America was
observed in California in 1995 and has since spread throughout California
and Oregon; an outbreak in Europe was detected a few years earlier. In
Canada the first instance of SOD was detected in March 2003 by the CFIA
(Canadian Food Inspection Agency) in Ottawa, in nursery stock originating
from British Columbia. Today the organism is under quarantine and the CFIA
regularly tests nursery stocks, commercial garden centres, landscape
plantings and residential environments to prevent infected material from
spreading to other nurseries, people’s homes and forests. If the organism
was to escape and become established, the financial costs would be
significant and persistent. The new PCR test is already being used in
Canadian labs and will allow the agency to continue to advance their
regulatory activities and help ensure the safety of Canada’s forest
landscape.” Check out Sudden Oak Death at
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/protect/dir/d-01-01e.shtml or
at
http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/news/192
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Fun Projects: Each newsletter this year will
contain ideas from Marie Tiborcz on how to make ornaments for your garden
out of things you may have in storage or just lying around. We think this
is a great idea and thank Marie for these contributions.
Project #1 – Tree Stump Lighthouse – made into a Bed and Breakfast For the
Birds by a lady from Indiana – Paint the stump white with red horizontal
stripes, drill holes into it for nests where lighthouse windows would
normally, using appropriate size holes for the birds you wish to attract.
Paint red squares around the next holes to resemble windows, add a painted
red lighthouse door at the base and attach a bird feeder platform onto the
top.
Editor’s note: We think this would be more suitable on a much taller stump
than we saw on the sample photo so that the holes drilled for nests would be
high above the ground. That and a wide collar attached below the lighthouse
painting would hopefully discourage cats.
Eco-lawn
Eco
grass is made up of 7 fine fescue grasses, can be mowed or left as it is, is
drought tolerant, less vulnerable to grubs, grows in full sun, part shade
and deep shade. If left it lies down partially and looks quite attractive.
I (newsletter editor) have seen this grass in front of a city government
building in London, Ontario, between Richmond and Wellington, across from
Victoria Park. It does not require fertilizers or pesticides and seldom
requires water, can even be grown in sandy soil (not beach sand unless 2
inches of topsoil are applied on top). It apparently can survive even in
Winnipeg. It would struggle in southern climates unless it was watered but
even so would not require nearly as much water as traditional lawns. This
makes us think that it might require a slight amount of watering in Essex
County during our hot periods and our droughts. It cannot be sold as sod as
the root system is very deep. Seed germinates quickly and forms a dense
turf over a full growing season. If growing under dense trees, the
seedlings would have to be watered deeply, at least once a week. Also, any
weed seeds that came in with your top soil would have to be attacked the
first year by pulling or applying an herbicide right away. After the grass
is 3 inches tall a weed and feed type of product could be used during the
first year. The second year there should not be a weed problem. Fine
fescue greases are relatively salt tolerant. If grass seeds blowing onto
your neighbour’s lawn is an issue the grass should be trimmed to 3 inches
once a month. Photos of this interesting grass can be seen at
www.wildflowerfarm.com.
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Tim
O’Hagan would like it known that after our 2007 November Pot Luck Dinner and
Election of Officers he went home and dutifully wrote out the correct
spelling of Connie Couvion’s name 50 times!
2008 Coming Events
January 23: General meeting at Kinsmen Field House, Fairview Avenue West,
Essex, 7:30 pm
Speaker: Our Vice President, Kathy Hudak will show photos of 2007 Essex in
Bloom Winners’ Gardens
For
the month of February: Maria Pap is celebrating her Dad’s 100th
birthday. She will create workshops on The Things My Father Taught Me free
of charge at her green house, Flora Gardens at the corner of Walker Road and
Hwy #3. Call her and give her some suggestions of what you would like to
know; ie: starting seeds, cuttings, bugs, diseases, etc.
E-mail
maria@floragardens.com or at
mariapap@mnsi.net or call 519-737-6528. Please note the correct
spelling of her name or you will not reach her : it is maria, not marie,
and it is pap, not papp.
February 12; Directors’ Meeting, Kinsmen Field House, 7:30 pm
February 26: Mark Cullen of TV and Cullen Gardens and author of many
gardening books
Meet and listen to him at the Victoria Playhouse, Main Street Petrolia
See
displays starting at 6 pm: Mark starts speaking at 7 pm
Tickets for the evening are $10.00. If buying quantities of 10, there is a
10% discount
He
will show gardens from around the world, have a 30 minute question and
answer period and afterwards you may speak to him personally. He has a new
book out – A Sand Box of a Different King – Personal Reflections on the
Canadian Gardening Experience - $15.00.
February 27: General meeting, Kinsmen Field House, 7:30 pm
Speaker: Pat Bastien from the Belle River Horticultural Club – using
objects in your garden
Silent Auction
February 28 – March 2, 2008
Stratford Garden Show: Theme: “Down to Earth” Tickets $8.00 per person.
Tickets available at the door. New location: Stratford Rotary Complex, 353
McCarthy Road, Stratford, Ontario
Thursday February 28, 2008 Noon to 5:00 pm
Friday, Feb 29, 2008, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 1, 2008, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday March 2, 2008, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
For
further information, go to
www.stratfordgardenfestival.com or contact The Lung Association at
519-271-7500 or e-mail
dherman@on.lung.ca
Hyper Tufa Trough Classes: Saturday, March 8, 2008, 9:30 am until 12 noon
at the home of Lynn Imeson, 4369 Graham Side Road, 1.5 miles south of County
Road 8, ¼ miles north of Road 10, Kingsville, formerly Gosfield North. Call
519-839-4751 or e-mail
lynneal@gosfieldtel.com .
Please contact Lynn to sign up between February 15th and March 1,
2008. If you prefer week day classes instead of a Saturday, please contact
Lynn and we will see what arrangements can be made to either move this class
to a week day or have an additional class during a week.
Cost: $15.00; Includes materials for 1 trough and personalized instruction
and hand out.
Planning to make more than one trough? Cost of each additional trough -
$5/each
March 11: Directors Meeting, Kinsmen Field House, 7:30 pm
March 12 – 16 Canada Blooms: The Toronto Flower and Garden Show presents
Flower Power at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building
March 26: General Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Maria Pap – New flowers for 2008
April 8: Directors Meeting Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
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
– Annual Plant at Bake Sale at the Essex Railroad Station – date to be
announced
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 on tropical
fruits
June Bus Trip – date and specifics to be announced
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 – Annual Flower Show during Fun Fest – date to be announced
Sept 9: Directors Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Sept 24: General Meeting at Kinsmen Field House 7:30 pm
Speaker: Newsletter Editor 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: Pam’s Flowers from Belle River
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