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December Newsletter Test
by Jeff Blackadar
Season’s Greetings and Merry Christmas
Name the Newsletter
We need a catchy name for the newsletter. Send your suggestions to Bill Bishop at 584 3416 or hortsoc@magma.ca.
The winner will receive a free membership for next year.
About the Newsletter
The executive thought that a more frequent communication with our large numbers of members would dispel the myth that the Society is something that comes collecting $10 each spring and is never seen or heard from again. The newsletter will tell you what is going on within the Society; events, speakers, projects. It will also provide you with gardening tips and sources for gardening information. Contributions from members are always welcome
December Meeting
The December meeting will be held December 13 in the program room of the library. This will be an opportunity to get started on your Christmas decorations. Patti Stack will demonstrate the fine art of making decorative swags. Materials will be provided for a $10 fee. See you there at 6:45.
Need your e mail address
If you received this newsletter in your door we don’t have your e- mail address. Help reduce costs and save some trees by sending your address to hortsoc@magma.ca |
Your 2005/6 Executive
President Doug Champ
Past President Patti Stack
1st Vice Bob Montague
2nd Vice Open
Secretary Marion Thompson
Treasurer Bill Bishop
Committee Heads
Tool Loan Dave Morrison
Planters/Baskets Eva Gallagher
Flower/Veg Shows Patti Stack
Wendy Murphy
Trillium Award Doug Milton
We need a Candidate
We have not yet been successful in filling the 2nd Vice President position. This is the beginning of the two year progression to President of the Society.
Please contact any member of the executive if you are interested in this position or if you know of a member whom you would nominate.
Did you Know That
The society
- provided 42 hanging baskets and 10 large planters for the downtown area
- rents space in three gardens around town; 60 plots. Two gardens have running water.
- volunteers helped clean up and plant flower beds at the District Hospital, Long Term Care, the Legion and Post Office.
- has a Green Thumbs program to introduce childen to the wonders of growing things.
- has 90 gardening tools and two trailers available for use by members
- provides 2 flower/veg. shows, photo competitions and a home garden competition each year
with 692 senior members, it has the largest percentage of population represented, anywhere in Ontario |
- provided 40 hrs of expert advice at the Valu Mart garden center last summer
Members contribute to local food bank
Members of the Society have contributed significant quantities of fruits and vegetables to the food bank this year. The ones we know about include; Bruce Bigham donated 20 squash and a number of early turnips, Bill Bishop gave 18 litres of tomatoes and 50 packages of
lettuce, and Ruth Harrison gave a large number of cabbages, cucumbers and squash.
Think about the food bank when harvest time rolls around next year.
The Society and the Ontario Horticultural Association
The society is a member of the of the OHA reporting to it through District 2. The province is subdivided into districts. District 2 has 21 societies.
Next year is the 100th anniversary of the OHA. This will be the theme of the OHA convention to be held in Ottawa on August 11-13. The convention is open to all members. For additional information log onto the OHA site shown in the header.
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Green Thumbs
A new Green Thumbs program has started at the Log House. Patti Stack is introducing children aged 5 to 12 to horticultural activities and crafts. Sessions start at 9:00 am Saturday morning and run to 11:00. A $5.00 fee is charged for materials. There are still openings so give Patti a call at 584 1320.
Winter Watering Tip
As Ed Lawrence notes, watering plants during the winter can be difficult. I bought an inexpensive moisture monitor that gives a better indication of soil moisture than feeling or weight. My plants stayed happy!
Bill Bishop
So you thought they were weeds!
Katherine Richard of Golden Lake was our guest speaker at the AGM held on November 8. Katherine is a First Nation medicine person who travels to First Nation communities throughout North America providing medicines developed from native plants. She is a member of the Bear Clan (somewhat like our Canadian College of Physicians and Surgeons) and like other members, specializes in a small number of medicines whose compositions have been handed down orally through the centuries.
She is breaking somewhat from tradition and is preparing a book for the use of her daughter who is a practicing registered nurse.
Two of Katherine’s special plants are plantain, yes the ones with the tenacious roots, and mullein, the light green plant with the large fuzzy leaves.
In accordance with First Nation tradition, there is no charge for her services or medicine and she must leave a gift when removing a plant. |
As a member of the Bear Clan she is forbidden to injure or kill a bear. Bear fat used in her medicine must be offered as a gift from a non Clan member.
Katherine gave a gift of a selection of seeds of early First Nation’s food plants. One is the Cherokee Weeping Trail bean which was a staple on the rigorous, enforced relocation trail. Some seeds are still available from Patti Stack.
Magazine Subscriptions
Don’t want to spend money on Gardening magazine subscriptions? Then go to the Deep River Library. The Society has three subscriptions there; Canadian Gardening, Gardening Life, and Birds and Blooms. Any suggestions for others?
Share a Link
Have you got a favorite link for information on pests and diseases? Why not share it with your fellow gardeners. Send it to hortsoc@magma.ca
and we will put it on our website!!
Winterize Clay Planters
Those clay planters made in Thailand may not survive our typical Deep River winter. If they are to be stored outside, remove all soil and bring them into a heated area so that they dry thoroughly. On a day when the temperature is above freezing, place them outside under cover.
Have a Special Interest?
Are you interested in a specific aspect of gardening? Our program coordinator is always looking for topics that may be of interest to our members. We can usually find an expert speaker for one of our meetings.
Mirabilis
For the information of those who picked up complimentary seed packets from Dominion, Mirabilis is also known as four o’clock. They grow well in Deep River. |
Card of Thanks
The Society would like to thank all of those businesses that have supported us during 2005. Specifically, we would like to thank the following companies for their support and generosity in providing prizes for our Spring and Fall Flower Shows: Fleury’s Valumart, Hubert’s Springhill Nursery, Gerber’s Nursery, Giant Tiger, Deep River Home Hardware, Log House Antiques, Lee Valley Tools, Gardenscape Tools, Gardenimport Inc., T&T Seeds, Dominion Seed House, Stokes, OSC Seeds, McFayden Seed Co. Ltd. Thanks also to the first three, as well Hugli’s Sunset Nursery and Canadian Tire for their gift certificates in support of our membership campaign. Thanks also to Murray Mitchell and Brian Coote for their back hoe assistance in the North Renfrew LTC gardens. A special thank you to Fleury’s Valumart and Canadian Tire for their generous donation of plants for our civic projects.
Did You Know?
Parsley is a very versatile plant. According to McKenzie Seeds book "Carrots Love Tomatoes", Parsley mixed with carrot seed helps to repel the carrot fly by its masking aroma. Parsley performs double duty with roses – it will protect roses against the rose beetle and is a great groundcover under roses.
I use Parsley as a decorative plant in my window planters – it not only adds a green texture and fullness to the planter but is edible! When the frost finally hits – I cut and freeze the remaining Parsley for soups and stews throughout the winter.
Wendy Murphy
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(2005-12-08) |
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