CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September 4 Labor Day
September 20 Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown
September 22 Fall Begins
September 23 FGCM Board Meeting - St. Louis Park Public Library
September 29 Yom Kippur begins at sundown
October 9 Columbus Day observed
October 21 FGCM Fall Quarterly Meeting – MN Landscape Arboretum
October 31 Halloween
November 5 Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m.
November 11 Veterans Day
November 23 Thanksgiving Day
HIGHLIGHTS
State/NGC/C.R. contacts – page 3
President’s Message – page 4
What’s Happening – page 5-6
Renaissance Festival – page 7
FGCM Summer Meeting recap – page 8
Scholarship Corner – page 9
Horticulture – Chrysanthemum – page 10
Safety – page 11
Green Tip – page 12
Creative Floral Design (Foliage) – page 13
Recommended Reading – page 14
The Buzzzz – page 16
NGC/CR/FGCM News – page 17-19
Birds, Bees, Butterflies – Moths? – page 20
Spotlight: Invasive Plants – page 21
Websites – page 22
FGCM Fall Quarterly Meeting/registration – page 23
www.mngardenclubs.org
Facebook.com/Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, Inc.
FGCM Newsletter Change of Address,
Name or to Add a New Member
In order to ensure continued receipt of the FGCM Newsletter please notify us promptly any changes to your Name, Mailing address, or Email address. If your newsletter is returned and we do not receive your correct mailing information
before the next issue is mailed, your name will be dropped from the mailing list until the correction is received.
Please advise us of new members promptly to ensure receipt of the Newsletter.
If you would like to receive your newsletter via email or would rather view the newsletter on the FGCM website contact Rene’ Lynch, Asst. Treasurer, 112109 Haering Circle, Chaska, MN 55318. Home phone 952-361-6392 or email her at:
Pertinent information would be:
• Name change/New Member’s Name
• Address & Phone Number change/New Member’s Address & Phone number
• Email Address change/New Member’s Email Address
• Club Name must be included with the pertinent information.
Please help us keep you up-to-date with any
new and exciting events.
PRESIDENT’’S MESSAGE
By Bonnie Schwichtenberg
‘New Ways to Grow’
Greetings from midway between Minnesota and Wisconsin. My husband and I con-tinue to rattle to and from New Richmond, WI and St Cloud, MN with an open pickup truck full of 'family treasures' every five or so days. Honestly it is actually quite a bit harder than I thought it would be juggling our move – new banks, switching auto pays to paper bills, paying them on time from either state when due and remembering what to do when for the upcoming FGCM State Flower Show on August 30.
First, thank you to all members who were patient with me as I moved from the FGCM State Flower Show Classification Chairperson to Entries Chairman, especially through a couple of my oopsies. And a big thank you to all who exhibited at the fair. Thanks also to my kind husband who supports all my projects and especially for helping with fair set up.
Betty Beck was so helpful guiding me through all the steps to take at my first ever national convention for the National Garden Club in Richmond VA in mid-May. She was really knowledgeable with all the routines. Richmond Virginia Garden Clubs were wonderful hosts. Everything was remarkably on schedule, the speakers were interesting, and the day tour to Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, was marvelous. He was such a force for democracy as well as a man of Letters and Science, especially botany. The entire day was full of information. In addition, Betty and I stumbled upon Sue Neuhart there with some friends.It was especially fun meeting her later at the conference before the dinner meeting that night.
The creative designs we saw were spectacular and varied. Here is an unusual low lime green delight created for a formal dinner that still allows for exciting conversation to reign across the table without blocking the speakers.
As September prepares us for fall – the season beginning with brash colors and ending with rest and renewal – we begin to put our gardens to sleep for the winter. Please save the date for the Fall FGCM meeting at the Arboretum the morning ofOctober 21, 2017. We will end with the Scarecrow Village and Scarecrows in the Garden near the Visitors' Center designed by the staff and design experts at Bachman's. See the registration form later in this issue planned by Kim Turner, our 1st Vice President.
Gardening reminds us of the circle of life - each step leads us into the next.
Bonnie
WHAT’S HAPPENING –
MEETINGS, PLANT SALES, EVENTS
Please send information on your club meetings if they are open to non-members.
PLANT SALES
September 9 Orchid Society of Minnesota
Annual Plant Sale and Repotting Service.
Open to the public - 10am to 2pm; Bachman's Heritage Room - Many orchids for sale. Members will be on hand to answer questions and lend advice. Members will be available to repot your orchids.
September 23-24 Daffodil Society – Last Chance Fall Bulb Sale
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday; 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Sunday MN Landscape Arboretum, Chaska (Normal admission rates apply – free for Arboretum members)
Contact: Margaret Macneale (612-581-3426) or
;
October 1 Minnesota Peony Society Root Auction
11:30 am – 3:30 pm – Bachman’s on Lyndale, Heritage Room. “How to Divide Peony Roots” at 11:30 a.m., brief MPS Business meeting starts at 12:30 p.m. followed by the Root Auction Fundraiser at 1 p.m. MPS members will be on hand to answer your peony culture questions. There will be a wide variety of color and flower form and a number of very hard-to-find collectible peonies, from lactiflora to hybrid to intersectional/Itoh and tree peonies; we’ll have something for everyone. Contact or 952-237-0849 or
mnpeony.org/events
MEETINGS/EVENTS
September 1-2 Orchid Society of Minnesota
Orchid Show at the State Fair
Friday and Saturday, September 1-2, Ag-Hort Building
September 11 Lake Owasso Garden Club
Japanese Gardening in Minnesota Landscapes - Sue Bagge, a master landscape designer, will discuss how the principles used in Japanese gardens can add interest to even the small areas of the Minnesota garden.Free for all to attend. 7-8 pm at Presbyterian Church of the Way, 3382 Lexington Ave. N., Shoreview
Contact:http://lakeowassogc.weebly.com/
October 3 Sweet Sioux Garden Club
Birds’ Nests: How do they do that? – Clay Christensen, author of “The Birdman of Lauderdale,” is our speaker; his presentation includes photos of birds at their nests and diagrams showing how some of those nests are made. 7-8 pm, River Hills United Methodist Church, Hwy 13 & River Hills Dr., Burnsville
October 9 Lake Owasso Garden Club
Hydroponics – Larry Cipolla, a Hennepin County Master Gardener, will introduce us to hydroponic gardening and tell about his experience with a year-round harvest of fresh salad greens.Free for all to attend. 7-8 pm at Presbyterian Church of the Way, 3382 Lexington Ave. N., Shoreview. Contact:http://lakeowassogc.weebly.com/
October 21 FGCM Fall Quarterly Meeting
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska (Snyder Classroom 1)
October 21 Minnesota Orchid Society
General Meeting - Open to the public - 1 to 3pm:
Bachman's Heritage Room
November 7 Sweet Sioux Garden Club
Majestic Hills Ranch/Heroes on Horseback – presented by Jen
Reiser, Director of the Veteran’s Program, Heroes on Horseback
7-8 pm, River Hills United Methodist Church, Hwy 13 & River Hills Dr., Burnsville
November 13 Lake Owasso Garden Club
Flower Arrangement Demonstration - Join us to learn and make a floral decoration for your home this holiday season.Contact us for cost information.7-8pm at Presbyterian Church of the Way,
3382 Lexington Ave North, Shoreview
Contact:http://lakeowassogc.weebly.com/
November 18 Minnesota Orchid Society
General Meeting - Open to the public - 1 to 3pm: Bachman's Heritage Room. Topic: All about Paphiopedilums.
Check out the Northern Gardener website (northerngardener.org/calendar) for more events.
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” –Vincent van Gogh
RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL– Aug. 19- Oct. 1
By Kathy Compo
My, my! How time flies! By the time you read this, we will have started the Renaissance Festival. Even though the Festival will be going on, that doesn’t mean we don’t still need help! We will definitely need garlands right up until the last weekend as only about 25% of our garland goal has been turned in. So, if you can make garlands (especially floral), please consider doing so.
In addition to needing lots of garlands, we also need lots of volunteers! Here is a list of the weekend themes:
August 19-20 Highland Fling
August 26-27 Once Upon a Time (Fairy Fest, Steampunk, Princess Parties)
September 2-3 International Bazaar (and Belly Dancers)
September 4 Labor Day Monday: Christmas in September
September 9-10 Wine, Chocolate & Romance
September 16-17 Pets & Pirates
September 23-24 Shamrocks & Shenanigans
September 29 Festival Friday and Ladies’ Shopping Day
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Oktoberfest
Only a couple of these dates are already taken, so please email me at or call me at 612-308-8211 if you are interested in working a date. Please consider volunteering for a day. Those who are worried about their stamina can sit at the counter and be our cashier and there are chairs in the back room for relaxing and taking a break. Remember that we now ask volunteers to only work until 4:00pm so that you are able to beat the traffic and get home by dinner time!
If you haven’t done so already, please check out the Booth’s Facebook page and please “like” our page to help increase our reach. You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/GarlandBooth/ or search for Garlands and Gardens, Booth 103.
And if you can’t volunteer, but think you, your family or friends might come out to the Festival, I have coupons for $5 off the regular price of $23.95. Email me your address and I will send some to you. Special Event tickets are also available from the Festival: Labor Day Monday (Sept 4) will be “Christmas in September” and admission will be $20 which includes a “brunch,” a gift bag and vendor coupons; Festival Friday (Sept 29) is only $15 and for an extra $10, you will get a glass of wine, a gift bag and vendor coupons.
Here are contact numbers for you:
· Kathy Compo (763-535-1817)—for volunteering at the booth, general questions
· Ann Albrecht (651-699-8832)—ribbons and cord for fairy garlands; some floral materials
· Darcy Smith (612-803-3176)—for dried flowers, wires, floral tape, etc.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WILL HELP MAKE 2017 THE BEST YEAR EVER!
FGCM SUMMER MEETING
Recap–Submitted by Pat Almsted
The Summer FGCM Meeting was held July 15th at the Munsinger and Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It was a beautiful day for a road trip and touring the gardens with our own guide.
We learned about the history of the gardens and the personal, hands-on involvement of the Clemens Gardens’ founder, Bill Clemens. Bill and his wife, Virginia, purchased the plot of land across the street from their home and donated the land to the City of St. Cloud Park Department. Virginia suffered with multiple sclerosis for over 40 years, but that didn’t stop her love of roses and flowers. In 1990 they funded the construction of the Virginia Clemens Rose Garden, purchased 1100 rose bushes, and even paid the wages for a rose grower. There are six gardens in the Clemens area, all handicap accessible.
Next door, along the banks of the Mississippi River, are the Munsinger Gardens. Here again, the gardens are outstanding and quite peaceful. These two gardens were voted Best Getaway for Gardeners by the StarTribune Best of MN 2014. Only an hour away from the Twin Cities and FREE admission, it is well worth the trip. You can read more about it on their websites.
We ended our trip with a tasty lunch of fried chicken, potato salad and cole slaw. Yum.
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” –Vincent van Gogh
THE SCHOLARSHIP CORNER
By Roberta Turgeon
Heidi Shol, our state's candidate for a National Garden Clubs
2017-2018 Scholarship, has received a $4,000 award. She is
a student at the University of Crookston in its horticultural
program.
Madison Taylor sent this to the members of the Federated Garden Clubs. "Thank you for your generosity towards my education. I am humbled and honored to have been chosen as a scholarship recipient. Your support is applied directly to my tuition and allows me to focus on my education." Madison was our University recipient. She is in
Washington, D.C. interning at the American Farm Bureau Federation this summer. This fall she will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a program studying agricultural and horticultural systems there. She has offered to speak about her travels at our meetings.
Thank you all for your participation in our Scholarship Fund – we are grateful for your support that gives us the opportunity to help “grow” our future horticultural caretakers: gardeners, farmers, landscapers, teachers, etc.
Submitted by Roberta Turgeon