The November 5th meeting was our annual Artistic Fall Decoration Workshop where club members try their hands at making artistic floral arrangements. Claire Norris gave a hands-on demonstration on important concepts for flower arrangements before everyone got started.
The native shrub of the month, American highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum), was presented by Arlene Grey.
The October meeting on October 7, 2013 was at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby. The speaker for the meeting was Susan Quincy who is the Environmental Educator for the Kellogg Environmental Center. She covered Birds in the Garden.
Cheryl Dziubina covered the native of the month, Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) with an informative storyboard presentation.
The September meeting kicked off our new year. In line with the Federated Garden Clubs of CT we will focus on the theme:
Bee Kind to Pollinators. Plant Natives. Create Backyard Habitats.
We are also changing our meeting schedule. The club will now meet March through December and we will schedule some evening programs. We hope this allows more people from the community to participate.
Photo courtesy of Renee Marsh
Our nursery tour was at Nature Works, an organic garden center and retail shop that offers many unusual perennials, shrubs, annuals and more. Owner Nancy DuBrule-Clemente gave us a lively and informative tour of the one acre demonstration gardens. The varieties of flowers – many natives that are rarely seen elsewhere – was head spinning. Add a curator’s eye for garden statuary, containers, fountains, and garden gifts – and well – it is hard not to walk out with a trunk-load of treasures.
Nancy is an encyclopedia of information and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful as well. We enjoyed our visit and left inspired. The wealth never ends though – Nancy’s website, blog and newsletters provides a wealth of information – all relevant to where we live and garden.
The club sold a selection of perennials, wildflowers, annuals, vegetables, herbs and houseplants. In addition to plants there was a book sale and a wonderful selection of fresh baked goods, local honey and potpourri.
Certified Master Gardeners were on hand to answer questions on soil testing, gardening, invasive plants as well as insect and pest management.
All in all it was a great time and a successful fundraiser for the club. Thanks to the club members for donating their time and plants. And thanks for the community for coming out to support us.
The May meeting was Color, Texture, Structure & More: Garden Design for Four-Season Interest by Donna Katsuranis, Advanced Master Gardener.
Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart
(Dicentra spectabilis)
Courtesy of Renee Marsh
How can we make our gardens more appealing year-round and not just forget about it in the winter? Donna helped us explore the garden through new eyes – how to focus on the “bones” and the many tricks to keep a landscape healthy, happy and beautiful throughout the year.
Sandy Nesteriak covered the invasive plant of the month: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
The April 1st meeting was a presentation Fungi in Forests and Landscapes: Friends or Foes? by Robert (Bob) Marra who is a plant pathologist at the CT Agricultural Experiment Station.
Bob’s talk introduced us to the fascinating world of that poorly understood Kingdom Fungi. He covered fungi as recyclers, pathogens, parasites and plant partners (symbionts). Many plants, including the trees in our forests, could not survive without the important associations their roots establish with fungi. The presentation looked at fungus we see above ground like trunk and limb rots, cankers and canker rots, as well as things that go on below ground like root and butt rots.
Laetiporus sulphureus
Common name is sulphur shelf and chicken of the woods
Courtesy of Renee Marsh
Linda Tura covered the invasive plant of the month: Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
The March meeting was on Butterfly Gardens. The speaker was Rose Hiskes of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station.
This talk introduced the Bird & Butterfly Garden at the Station’s Lockwood Farm in Hamden, gave definitions to some basic terms and then looked at the more common butterflies found in Connecticut. Images of caterpillars are shown. Nectar plants for adult feeding and larval food sources for egg laying was presented. A resource list was handed out along with other pertinent fact sheets.
Black Swallowtail (courtesy of Renee Marsh)
We also covered the Invasive plant of the month: Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
For the full meeting schedule and times, see the Meetings page.
Phosphorus is one of the three key nutrients that plants require in the largest quantities and is commonly found in many, if not the majority, of commercial fertilizer products. Unfortunately, it is the principle cause of declining water quality in Connecticut’s lakes and ponds. Where does the phosphorus come from? – mostly failing septic systems and fertilizers! Last May, legislation was passed that would limit the use of phosphorus
on established lawns. Fertilizers containing phosphorus can still be used when seeding, overseeding and laying down new sod. On established lawns, a phosphorus-free fertilizer should be used for routine maintenance fertilizer applications unless a soil test (taken within the past 2 years) indicates a need for phosphorus.
More information see:
http://www.soiltest.uconn.edu/documents/PhosphorusLegislationinConnecticut.pdf
The February meeting was a presentation on Organic Gardening by Guy and Janelle Beardsley of Eco-Gardens in the White Hills of Shelton.
This program covered the hows and whys of organic gardening including soil amendments, equipment, and the sequence of planting and harvesting. Guy discussed the basic organic philosophy, the importance of an honest and nutritious food supply and the threat to food quality posed by corporate agribusiness.
We also covered the invasive Common Reed (Phragmites australis).
Common Reed – Phragmites
Our December meeting was the annual Wreath-making Workshop. We decorated wreaths for municipal buildings and offices. After the decorating, a Christmas luncheon was served.
Catch the Osborne Homestead Museum “Holidays in Bloom” where the public open house begins Nov. 23 thru Dec. 16, Thurs. – Sun (10 AM – 4 PM). Holiday Twilight Tours are Fridays, Nov. 30 & Dec 7, 14 from 4 to 6:30 PM.
Norway Spruce
The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut awards luncheon was held on October 31. The Olde Ripton Garden Club received the following 2012 Awards:
