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The Green Thumb Volume 37 No6 ThoroldGarden Club October 2014
THE GREEN THUMB
THE THOROLD GARDEN CLUB
FOUNDED 1929
BOX 417THOROLD ON L2V4J6
RED GERANIUM GROUP FLOWER
OCTOBER MEETING
DATE/TIME: WED.OCT 15, 2014
7:30 PM
LOCATION: HOLY ROSARY HALL
SPEAKER: DIANNE HARPER
TOPIC: “HELL STRIPS”
BOULEVARD PLANTING
REGULARS: MINI SHOW, SHOW AND TELL, GARDENING QUESTIONS, DOOR PRIZES AND REFRESHMENTS
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The Green Thumb Volume 37 No6 ThoroldGarden Club October 2014
THE OCTOBER MEETING
SPEAKER/TOPIC
The strip of land between the sidewalk and the road has traditionally been a challenge to homeowners thus being called a “hell strip”. It officially belongs to the municipality but it is up to the individual property owners to keep it mowed and generally looked after. It seems to be wasted space and many feel it could be put to better use. Many would like to grow flowers or even better some edibles.
St Catharines City council recently approved the growing of plants on residential boulevards. As you walk around west Thorold you will find many owners who have in fact planted their boulevards. At the meeting tonight, Dianne Harper, our vice president will do a power point presentation showing some of these gardens. She will also give us ideas on what we could do if we wish to try out boulevard planting ourselves.
MINI SHOW
Decorative: GUY FOX
An arrangement of your choice using fall colours
Horticultural:
Class 1 one spray of chrysanthemums
Class 2 one stem any other perennial
Class 3 one, any vegetable
Class 4 a collection of vegetables at least three kinds
REGULARS
Our regulars include show and tell, gardening questions, door prizes and refreshments. Donations of muffins or fruit breads will be gratefully received.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
AUG 31, 2014-SEPT 30, 2014
Bal. forward from Aug 31, 2014
$3,692.04
INCOME
Flower show prizes $70
Sponsorship 85
Meeting refreshments 12.45
Membership 15.00
TOTAL INCOME $182.45
EXPENSES
Trophy engraving $30.51
Flower show money prizes
123.50
Major show prizes 133.00
Sept speaker fee 50.00
Petty cash-mini show 13.85
TOTAL EXPENSES $350.86
BALANCE ON HAND
AS OF SEPT 30, 2014 $3,523.63
Thanks to Treasurer Betty Beck for this Financial Statement.
PAST EVENTS
SEPTEMBER MEETING
Treasurer Betty Beck assisted by Patsy Ingoldsby presented the major awards [trophies and plaques] as well as the individual prize monies. The over all winner with the most points was Millie Skrtich with Greg White getting the most points in rose classes. Patsy won the Judges Choice Award for the best arrangement in the Show. Al Plut’s rose won best rose in the show.
We wish to thank Betty for compiling the points and Patsy for contacting the sponsors.
Afterwards we were treated to a wonderful demonstration by Nikki Szczechura on how to make a living wreath. She augmented her demonstration with a power point presentation on the steps needed to make one of these most attractive wreaths. It was suggested that we have a class for a living wreath in next years Rose Show.
Patsy congratulates Al Plut for wining best rose in the show
Betty and Patsy present Greg White with an award.
Members watching Nikki demonstrate how to make a living wreath.
Door prizes
Bountiful refreshments
Decorative arrangements
Mini show – winning vegetables
UPCOMING
EVENTS
FALL FORUM
We are looking forward to the Fall Forum which is being held this year on Saturday October 25 at GraceMennoniteChurch
677 Niagara Street in St Catharines
Host St Catharines Horticultural Society
Registration 10 am
Theme: AUTUMN REFLECTIONS
There will be no business meeting at this Forum. There will be a catered lunch.
SPEAKER IS CARSON ARTHUR
HGTV critical listening Host
Topic – THE NEW LOW
NOVEMBER MEETING
We encourage all of our members to attend this most important meeting, Wednesday November 19 Holy Rosary Hall.
AGM
Annual General Meeting
ACTIVITY REPORT
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
FINANCIAL REPORT
BUDGET-2015
AUDITORS REPORT
ELECTIONS
POTLUCK
TRIVIA
MINI SHOW
This is the last of our 2014 theme DOWNTON ABBEY
DECORATIVE:
A.EDWARDIAN CHRISTMAS
A Christmas arrangement of your choice
B. FOR THE TREE
A homemade natural decoration, keeping with the times
HORTICULTURAL:
Class 1 potted foliage plant
Class 2 potted plant in bloom
Class 3 any vegetable- one
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL HOUSE PLANTS ENTERED MUST HAVE BEEN IN YOUR POSSESSION FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS.
MUM SHOW
GAGEPARK
EDITH ALLEN
Congratulations Edith on your 99th birthday. Edith is now living in Chestnut Court on Ormond Street in Thorold.
ODE TO THE ASH TREE
THE ASH GROVE
The ash grove how graceful, how plainly ‘tis speaking
The harp through its playing has language for me
Whenever the light through its branches is breaking,
A host of kind faces is gazing on me.
The friends of my childhood again are before me.
Each step wakes a memory as freely I roam.
With soft whispers laden the leaves rustle o’er me
The ash grove, the ash grove alone is my home.
[Oxenford lyrics]
Alas the lovely Ash trees are no more in Thorold and throughout Ontario. After years of warning people about the destruction of these trees by the Emerald Ash borers the insects have succeeding in almost wiping them out. Last week, I was visiting a friend on Tupper and we watched while workers cut down a dead ash tree. What a sad sight and there were many more on the street. One of our members posted photos of her place before and after a large ash tree in her front yard was removed. She said that she would really miss it.
The ash tree joins other stately trees like the Elm and American chestnut that havevirtually disappeared from our landscape. Let us value our trees and look after them.
BUTTERFLIES AND BEES
Along with the Ash trees there has been a deep fear of the demise of some beneficial insects especially Honey bees and Monarch Butterflies- whether by loss of habitat or over use of insecticides.
However, recently there has seemed to be somewhat of a comeback. Last summer, I saw only one Monarch on my property; this summer, I saw maybe a dozen or more of these orange and black creatures. Maybe it was the planting of milkweed seeds by many of our members.
There was a photo posted on Face book of what looked like a large cloud. It turned out to be a large swarm of migrating Monarchs.
My Goldenrod and Asters were just covered with pollinators this fall including a fair number of honey bees. This is good news but we must be ever vigilant in our efforts.
I couldn’t find a poem about bees and butterflies that wasn’t under copyright but thought I would tell you of a lovely children’s book called SEEDS/BEES/BUTTERFLIES AND MORE poems for two speakers by Carol Gerber. I hope to have it to show you by the October meeting.
Free to a Good Home
One of our former members haslarge metal screen panels that can be put together to make a leaf bin or a composter. She is giving this away to any of our members who can make use of it. If you think that you would make use of it please give me a call Barb Berry 905-227-4307.Note: First come first served
Hope you are keeping your leaves. Shred them up and mix with dirt and store in a black plastic bag for the winter and next spring you will have lovely leaf mould for your garden.
You can dig them into the garden now and they will have decomposed by the spring.
The shredded leaves can also be mixed with soil and put around shrubs and perennials for winter protection.
Recipe for Pumpkin Muffins
Hope someone brings them to the meeting.
Ingredients
1 can 14oz of pumpkin puree not
pie filling[Libby’s or Stokely’s]
4 large eggs
3 cups of granulated sugar
½ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup of water
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
Preheat oven to 350 F
Grease 30 muffin cups
Combine flour, spices, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine the puree, eggs, sugar, oil and water in a large mixer bowl and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into the muffin cups [3/4 full]
Bake for 25-30 minutes
Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks.