calendar of events - mngardenclubs.com · calendar of events june 1 diggers plant sale & iris...
TRANSCRIPT
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June 1 Diggers Plant Sale & Iris Society Show June 6 D-Day June 6-9 FGCM Flower Show School II June 7-9 Peony Society Flower Show June 14 Flag Day June 16 Father’s Day June 21 First Day of S*U*M*M*E*R! July 4 Independence Day July 12-13 Diggers Flower Show July 13-14 North Star Lily Show July 21 Edina Garden Council Garden Tour July 27-28 Tri-City Flower Show August 3 Diggers Garden Club Bus Tour August 10-11 Daffodil Society Fall Bulb Sale August 17 Minnesota Renaissance Festival begins August 22 Minnesota State Fair Begins (see events page for floral shows) August 28-29 FGCM Flower Show – State Fair
HIGHLIGHTS
FGCM Mission/Vision – p. 2 Outdoors with Rene’ – p. 14 State/NGC/C.R. contacts – p. 3 Recommended Reading – p. 15 President’s Message – page 4 Container Design Challenge – p. 15 An Open View – p. 5 Safety – p. 16 What’s Happening – p. 7-10 Creative Floral Design – p. 17-18 Scholarship/Green Tip – p. 11 National/Region/FGCM News – p. 19-20 Renaissance Festival – p. 12 Spotlight: Ticks – p. 21 From the Editor – p. 13 Horticulture – p. 23 Diggers Bus Tour & Registration – p. 25-26
www.mngardenclubs.org Facebook.com/Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, Inc.
MEMBER OF NATIONAL GARDEN CLUBS, INCORPORATED
Vol. 62, No. 3 June, July, August, 2019
Garden Dirt
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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 Kathleen Alme, Treasurer, 8257 Ken-tucky Circle S., Bloomington, MN 55438. Home phone 952-944-8257 or email her at: [email protected] 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.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
The Federated Garden Clubs Of Minnesota, Inc. provides education, fos-
ters communication and supports our membership in their endeavors to
promote love of gardening, floral design, and civic and environmental
responsibility.
OUR VISION STATEMENT
The Federated Garden Clubs Of Minnesota, Inc. will be recognized as an
expert resource in horticulture and floral design. Through relevant and
effective communication and active cooperation of our membership and
the cultivation of partnerships with other organizations and agencies, we
will increase our involvement in civic and environmental efforts.
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NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING INFORMATION:
1/8 Page ¼ Page ½ Page Full Page Maximum size: 1 ¾” & 2 ¼” 3 ¾” x 2 ¼” 3 ¾” x 4 ½” 7 ½” x 4 ½” One Issue: $12.50 $20.00 $37.50 $75.00 Two Issues: $23.50 $37.50 $72.00 $146.00 Four Issues: $45.50 $70.00 $137.00 Six Issues: $65.50 $100.00 $198.00 The distribution for the Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota newsletter is approximately 500 per issue. There are four issues per year. We encourage our members to support and use the services of our advertisers. You may email your ‘print ready’ advertisement to [email protected] or mail your copy with a check to: Pat Almsted, 2908 Sunnyside Circle, Burnsville, MN 55306 Make checks payable to: Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota
Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, Inc. (mngardenclubs.com) President, ______________________________ Email: ________________________ WEBMASTER: OPEN POSITION CHANGE OF NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL: Kathleen Alme, Treasurer, 8257 Kentucky Circle S., Bloomington, MN 55438 Home Phone: (952) 944-8257 Email: [email protected] NEWSLETTER (SEND NEWSLETTER MATERIAL TO): Pat Almsted, 2908 Sunnyside Circle, Burnsville, MN 55306-6951 Home Phone: (952) 892-3457 Email: [email protected] National Garden Clubs, Inc. (gardenclub.org) President, Gay L. Austin Home Phone: 601-684-3952 Cell Phone: 601-248-7761 Email: [email protected] National Garden Clubs Central Region (ngccentralregion.org) Director, Jodi Meyer Home Phone: Email: (contact www.ngccentralregion.org)
NEWSLETTER DEADLINES! December/January/February November 1 March/April/May February 1 June/July/August May 1 September/October/November August 1
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PRESIDENT’’S MESSAGE By Bonnie Schwichtenberg
We are looking for one special person who will lead us for the next two years. The current officers want to support you and mentor you as we enter in the first year of the new By Law changes. While two of the quarterly meetings will disappear for now we will replace it with a meaningful full day event in October with hands on activities and really great presenters. We will move to a Go-To-Meeting format to remove the drive for us to and from one location and conduct the
meeting electronically. The first one will be in mid-June. In the meantime here are your current board members. We will all be going forward through April 2021. Vice President: Melody Hill. Mel is a member of the Diggers Garden Club. She lives in in Crystal MN. You can reach her at [email protected] and 763-587-3653. Treasurer: Kathleen Alme. Kathy is a member of Hi-Lo Garden Club. She lives in Bloomington, MN. You can reach Kathy at [email protected] and 952-944-8257 Secretary: Mary Elliott. Mary belongs to Sunflower Garden Club. Her contacts are [email protected] and 612-751-5557 cell, 612-798-1729 home. Trustee (outgoing President): Bonnie Schwichtenberg. Bonnie belongs to Floralia Ar-rangers. I live just across the Minnesota border to the east in New Richmond, Wiscon-sin. You can reach me at [email protected] and 320-224-5517. It is well known that garden club membership and participation is declining throughout the entire United States as are ALL volunteer based organizations. One of the areas we have to address is how to reinvent ourselves to meet the needs of the younger com-munities around us as WHILE remaining true to our core values of caring for the earth, wisely using and protecting our natural resources and promoting a love and daily re-spect for our natural world. Together we are stronger together than as individual units. What we do matters to our cities and neighborhoods. It is tempting to want to just take care of gardening selves and local clubs. However, belonging to a larger group allows us all to benefit through awarding educational scholarships, offering opportunities to exchange information and experiences and by promoting local projects through our new Minnesota local club grants. Please join us at the state level to lead together to accomplish these ideas. Sincerely, Bonnie Schwichtenberg Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota Board Trustee 2019-2021
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An Open View ~ Submitted by Rene’ Lynch
This article is meant to further the understanding of who we are as Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota members. It is important that each garden club Presi-dent remind your members that together we are so much more; with an open view to the future that is important to maintain within our own garden clubs and our communities.
We are all a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc. Your club members might say, “So what…what does that do for us?”
The following information gardened (it’s up to you to make it grow) from the NGC website should inspire us.
Connect with Gardeners Around the Globe. You and your garden club are part of that big open view. Nearly 200,000 men, women, and kids can attest to the re-wards of belonging to a garden club within NGC’s international network. Member-ship provides extensive opportunities to participate in garden related activities for worthy causes, such as conservation efforts, school gardens for kids, disaster relief and community beautification.
With eight regions, 50 state garden clubs, and the National Capitol Area, 60 na-tional affiliated organizations within the United States, 330 international affiliated organizations around the globe combined with 5,000-member garden clubs and 165,000 members. We should be so proud, and we should be stating in all our publicity that we are part of the largest volunteer organization of its type in the world. Here in Minnesota, as in other states, we all represent ourselves well in Greening and Beautifying the Community.
Here are a few of the initiatives being supported by NGC, Inc., NGC Central Region, Inc. and Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, Inc.
Plant America, a singularly focused initiative on gardens and gardening! Plant America supports the main reason people say they join a garden club…to learn about gardening. This project covers every aspect of gardening, horticulture, gar-den design, and c, low-water xeriscape gardens, community service. Blue Star Memorial plantings, vegetable gardens, community gardens, container gardening, neighborhood plantings, urban farms and many more.
Projects in local communities are what distinguish us from the work of other gar-dening organizations. Towns, cities, neighborhoods, and roadsides across the United States are all beneficiaries of National Garden Clubs projects.
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This refers to a new 2019 – 2020 initiative. In order to provide a vehicle to finan-cially support the activities of our member clubs, a new grant program enti-tled "Plant America Community Project Grants" is being established to provide funding for new or existing projects of NGC member clubs in their respective communities across the United States. This will be a permanent fund with grants being awarded during each two-year administration. The goal for the fund is to become a self-sustaining endowment fund like the NGC Scholarship fund. Disaster Relief and Replanting Forests. The Penny Pines program, a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, encourages local garden clubs to raise funds to re-plant damaged state and national forests coast-to-coast. The Natural Disasters grant program funds efforts of local clubs to replant, restore and beautify public areas that have been damaged by such events as earthquakes, floods and storms. Preserving Heritage Plants. One national example, housed at NGC headquarters in St. Louis, is a unique tree preservation site that includes a white ash cloned from the Mount Vernon estate of George Washington. The planting of more cloned trees from historically significant sites is planned to preserve the genetic material of what many consider "the last great trees of America." Corporate Partnerships. NGC works with other corporate, philanthropic or civic organizations on national initiatives such as the Habitat for Humanity Landscaping program, which assists new homeowners in establishing low-maintenance, envi-ronmentally friendly gardens. Horticultural Therapy. Many local and state garden clubs serve their communities by launching and maintaining healing gardens in nursing homes, hospitals and special needs facilities. A related project called Plant It Pink promotes breast can-cer education and awareness. Monarch Waystations, Blue Star Memorial Markers, Smokey the Bear, Pennies for Pines, Bee Gap, and the list goes on and on. This is to inform you about some of the possibilities for you as a garden club member, a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota and NGC to check us out, open the curtain and have an open view. Request educational materials, host a Landscape Design School, access infor-mation on how to establish an official Monarch Way Station. Apply for grants from NGC and FGCM. Maybe you will have to do it more than once for your voice to be heard. Don’t give up. The emphasis here is that it must come from you, to show an interest for the possibilities, to fertilize your club’s garden and keep it healthy and growing. We are here but we need to hear from you.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING –
MEETINGS, PLANT SALES, EVENTS
Below are a number of sales, tours and flower shows coming up in the next few months. Please check the Northern Gardener events website or plant society websites for more details (time, location, contact info, and any cost) if it isn’t shown here. FGCM and FGCM member events are underlined.
PLANT SALES & GARDEN TOURS June 1 Diggers Garden Club Plant Sale 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Robbinsdale Historical Library 4915 42
nd Ave. N., Robbinsdale
Assortment of garden plants provided from members’ gardens and some purchased: perennials, annuals and tubers for sun and shade. Proceeds go toward scholarships, club projects and programs. Contact: 763-588-2216; www.robbinsdalediggers.com.
June 1 Landscape Revival – Shoreview More-Than-a-Plant Sale & Expo 9:00 am – 1:00 pm - Shepherd of the Hills North Parking Lot, Shoreview
June 1 Hopkins Avenues Neighborhood Assn – Plant Sale 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Alice Smith Elementary School Parking Lot, Hopkins June 1 St. Anthony Park Garden Club Plant Sale 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, St. Paul June 1 St. Croix Valley Master Gardeners Plant Sale 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Octagon House, Hudson, WI June 1 MN Chapter-North American Rock Garden Society Plant Sale
10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Roseville Central Park Jaycees Shelter, Roseville
June 8 Landscape Revival: Oakdale – Plant Sale and Expo 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Oakdale City Hall Parking Lot, Oakdale June 8 Minnesota Hosta Society Annual Hosta Sale 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Smith Coffee and Café, Eden Prairie June 8 St. Paul West End Neighbors – Garden and History Tour 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – West 7
th Street neighborhoods, St. Paul
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June 22 Prospect Park Garden Walk and Plant Sale 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Prospect Park Neighborhood, Minneapolis June 23 Mahtomedi Garden Club – Garden Tour 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm – Triangle Park, Mahtomedi June 29-30 Hudson Artful Garden Tour
10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Octagon House at 1004 Third Street, Hudson and other gardens, Hudson, WI
June 29 St. Anthony Park Garden Tour 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – St. Anthony Park Library, St. Paul July 13 Hennepin County Master Gardener Learning Garden Tour
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Gardens in Edina, Excelsior, Golden Valley, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park
July 13 Northfield Area Garden Tour – We are Water 11:00 am – 4:00 pm - Northfield July 20 Duluth Garden Flower Society – Secret Garden Tour 8:00 am – 3:00 pm – Duluth July 20 Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis – Biennial Public
Garden Tour – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Seven gardens in the west metro suburbs.
July 20 Washington County Master Gardeners Garden Tour 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Lake Elmo/Stillwater area July 20 Andover Pollinator Awareness Project – Pollinators, Rain Gardens
& Water Quality Tour – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Residential proper-ties in Andover and Coon Rapids
July 20 Carver-Scott County Master Gardeners Garden Tour 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Scott County/Savage July 20 Rochester Garden and Flower Club – Garden Tour
10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Community and Technical College, Heintz Center SMART Gardens, Rochester
July 21 Edina Garden Council Garden Tour
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – The Tour is a selection of unique gardens in the southeastern quadrant of Edina. Map of the garden locations will be given out with the ticket. $12 in advance or $15 day of the event. Purchase tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event
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The Edina Garden Council is a non-profit organization. Proceeds from the Garden Tour this year will be directed to the Tranquility Garden project EGC is sponsoring at Arneson Acres Park in Edina. Info: www.edinagardencouncil Contact: Ruth McIntyre - 952-922-9378 ([email protected])
July 24 2019 Tour With the Masters – Olmsted County Extension Master
Gardener Garden Tour – 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm – History Center of Olmsted County, Rochester
July 27-28 Minnesota Water Garden Tour All Day – Metropolitan Twin Cities area August 3 Diggers Garden Club Bus Tour
8:30 am – 6:00 pm – Stops include Heavenly Hostas in Shakopee, Springwood Gardens in Jordan, Cedar Brook Garden Center in New Prague, and Next Chapter Winery in New Prague. Pick up and drop off at Robin Center Parking Lot, Robbinsdale. Register by July 20. Info/registration at www.robbinsdalediggers.com or Carolyn at 763-208-2077. (Bulletin & Registration form page 26-27)
Aug. 10-11 Daffodil Society of MN Fall Bulb Sale Saturday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum – Minnesota hardy daffodils; col-ors may include pink, orange, red, white & yellow. $5 per bag or five bags for $20. Proceeds benefit Daffodil Society educational ac-tivities. Arboretum members free, otherwise regular admission rates apply.
August 24 Carver-Scott County Master Gardeners Plant Sale
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Chaska Cub Foods Parking Lot, Chaska Com-mons Shopping Center, Chaska
FLOWER SHOWS/MEETINGS/EVENTS June 1 Iris Society Show – Annual Midseason Show
Bachman’s Heritage Room; 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm June 7, 8, 9 FGCM Flower Show School II – Friday – 8:00 am – Community Room, Ridgedale Byerly’s
(Horticulture: Peony and Needled Branches) Saturday – 8:00 am – Minnetonka Community Center
(Design: Table Design and Small Design) Contact: Letti Delk, [email protected] Registration deadline 6/1
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June 7-9 Minnesota Peony Society Flower Show – An Explosion of Peonies Bachman’s Heritage Room – Saturday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm; Sunday 9:30 am – 1:00 pm; public entries welcome
June 22-23 Twin Cities Rose Club – Rose Show – Bachman’s Heritage Room 1:00 to close Saturday; 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Sunday June 24-27 St. Paul Garden Club – Once Upon A Summer’s Day 10:00 am – 8:00 pm – Minnesota History Center, St. Paul July 12-13 Digger’s Flower Show – I Love a Mystery 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Thursday; 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Friday Copperfield Hill Senior Living, 4200 40
th Ave. N., Robbinsdale
Free and open to the public; public entries welcome July 13-14 North Star Lily Society – Lily Show
Bachman’s Heritage Room 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Saturday; 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Sunday July 27-28 Tri-City Flower Show – Mid-Summer Melodies 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Saturday; 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Sunday Bachman’s Heritage Room – 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls Free and open to the public; public entries welcome Aug. 10-11 Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minnesota – Flower, Food
and Foto Show – Saturday 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm; Sunday 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. – Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Oswald Center. Com-petition is open to the public. Admission to the show is free and open to the public once inside the Arboretum. For more infor-mation, go to “Events” at www.mwgcm.org.
State Fair Flower Shows: August 22-23 African Violet Society of Minnesota – State Fair Show August 22-23 Minnesota State Horticultural Society – Potted Plant Show August 24-25 Minnesota Gladiolus Society – State Fair Show August 28-29 Federated Garden Clubs – State Fair Flower Show August 28-29 Minnesota State Florist Association – State Flower Show August 30-31 Minnesota Bonsai Society Orchid Society – State Fair Show September 1-2 Dahlia Society State Fair Show
SAVE THE DATE: Sept. 13-14 FGCM Symposium –
8:00 am – 3:00 pm – St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, 8630 Xerxes Ave., Bloomington
Friday: ‘Botanical Arts Horticulture’, ‘The World of Basil’, and ‘The Daunted Dahlia’; Saturday: ‘Design Tips & Tricks’, and ‘Cascade & Abstract Designs’ Claudia Chopp and Judy Newman, presenters. Open to the Public, Club Members, and Judges.
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THE SCHOLARSHIP CORNER By Roberta Turgeon
The Scholarship Fund recipients for 2019 are: Amelia Bowser, a junior at Gordon College in Massachusetts, and Jacob Halsne, a graduate student at the University of Min-
nesota. They were awarded our $4,000 University Scholarships. Our $2,000 Col-lege Scholarship was awarded to Michael Saloka, a sophomore at Anoka Technical College. Matthew Becker, our Minnesota applicant for a National Scholarship, was a recipient of a National award.
At the April Annual Meeting – left to right are Bonnie Schwictenberg, outgoing FGCM President; Roberta Turgeon, outgoing Scholarship Chair; Jacob Halsne, University scholarship recipient; Michael Saloka, Anoka Technical College recipient. The Fund thanks the following garden clubs for their support: Winahbar, Richfield Council, Sweet Sioux, Floralia, Lake Owasso, Hidden Valley, Bloomington Affiliated, Edina Council, Normandale, Kelodale, and Diggers. I appreciate all the members’ con-tributions in keeping our Fund successful so that we may continue to help students achieve their goals. I am happy to announce that Liz Genovese will be chairing the 2020 Scholarship Fund.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” Malcolm X
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GREEN TIP ~
B y Pat Almsted According to the Clean Air Council, enough paper and plastic utensils are thrown away every year to circle the equator 300 times. It is estimated that close to 40 billion indi-vidual plastic utensils are produced each year, and with low rates of reuse and recy-cling, most of them end up in our landfills, beaches and oceans. They are likely to re-main there for hundreds of thousands of years. Bit by bit, the ocean waves break down the plastic into tiny pieces which are then eaten by fish and other creatures who mis-take it for food. Organizations are working to remove plastic from the ocean, but these pieces are so tiny they are next to impossible to remove and the job is mammoth.
What can you do? Stop using disposable cutlery, plates, cups and glasses whenever possible, and it is almost always possible. Bring your own reusable beverage container; use your own metal cutlery, forego the plastic straw (stainless steel straws are now available for purchase). Ask for environmentally friendly packaging when bringing home leftovers, or bring your own container. Compostable and recyclable containers and utensils is another option. Support new products made from hemp, bamboo, or other plant based products. These items will biodegrade in a short period of time. Avoid single use products as much as possible. For coffee lovers who like single pods, seek out compostable ones (for instance, Cameron’s Coffee has a pod that is 100% compostable, and the coffee is good).
I found this post today on my Facebook feed. It is from an article in “Live Science” dated November 21, 2018:
“The stomach of a whale is bound to be pretty gross — all those giant intes-tines and immense amounts of blood — but now officials have found nearly 13 pounds (6 kilograms) of plastic trash in the stomach of a dead sperm whale that washed ashore on a beach in southern Indonesia late Monday (Nov. 19).
The trash included more than 100 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plas-tic bags, two flip-flops and hundreds of other pieces of plastic, WWF-Indonesia said in a Facebook statement. The 31-foot-long (9.5 meters) whale was in such an advanced state of decay by the time it washed up on the beach that it was impossible for researchers to determine if the enor-mous lump of plastic was what ultimately killed the animal.”
Earlier this year, another dead sperm whale washed up on the coast of Spain, likely killed by the 65 lbs. (29 kg) of plastic trash discovered in its gut.”
Plastic is certainly convenient, but hand washing and reusing glass and metal utensils isn’t all that hard to do, especially considering the harm plastic can do to our environ-ment and the species with which we share it. We didn’t need plastic in the ‘olden’ days; we can do without it today.
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2019 MINNESOTA RENAISSANCE-
Coming Soon! By Kathy Compo
The next time I’ll be writing an article on the Renais-sance Festival, it will be August and time for the Festival to start. So this is my last chance to make pleas for help for the booth.
Right now our focus is on making garlands. We have new floral supplies and ribbon packs for our garland makers. Ann and I are still available to help out at workshops if you have some members who would like to learn how to make garlands. We had about 2,000 garlands to sell last year and we will need more than that this year. You or your club will be paid $2.00 per finished garland, so it can be a great fundraiser for your club. Please help us out!
We also need volunteers to work the booth. Happily, we had a lot of new workers last year, so it’s time for you to give it a try! You commit to being there from 8 am to about 4 pm and during that time there are plenty of opportunities to get out and see shows, shop or sample faire food. There is a back room (with chairs) to rest and take a break. And I try very hard to make sure everyone has a fun day!
DATE THEME PEOPLE NEEDED:
Saturday, August 17 Vikings Invasion Up to 7 volunteers
Saturday, August 24 Highland Fling Up to 7 volunteers
Sunday, August 25 Highland Fling Up to 7 volunteers
Saturday, August 31 Bellies & Beer Up to 6 volunteers
Sunday, September 1 Bellies & Beer Up to 6 volunteers
Monday, September 2 Bellies & Beer Up to 6 volunteers
Sunday, September 8 Wine, Chocolate & Romance Up to 6 volunteers
Saturday, September 14 Pet Fest Up to 6 volunteers
Sunday, September 15 Pet Fest Up to 6 volunteers
Friday, September 27 Ladies Shopping Day Up to 6 volunteers
Contact me for working the booth and Ann for getting supplies or turning in garlands. Here is our contact information:
Kathy Compo (call or text 612-308-8211 or email [email protected])—for
volunteering at the booth, scheduling a workshop or general questions.
Ann Albrecht (651-699-8832 or [email protected])—for fairy (ribbon) garlands: ribbons, cords for fairy garlands; some floral materials; turn in completed garlands to Ann.
Darcy Smith (612-803-3176)—for floral supplies: dried flowers, wires, floral tape, etc. (call before you go).
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS US MAKE THE RENFEST A SUCCESS!
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From the Editor – Pat Almsted Editor (ed-i-ter) Noun
1. a person having managerial and sometimes policy-making responsibility related to the writing, compilation, and revision of content for a publishing firm or for a newspaper, magazine, or other publication.
2. the supervisor or manager of a department of a newspaper, magazine, etc. 3. a person who edits, or selects and revises, material for publications, etc.
My job as editor of the Garden Dirt is not to write the articles but to edit them, and arrange them to fit on the pages we have to fill. I appreciate your comments on the job I am doing, but what I need more is your club’s contribution to the content of this newsletter. This is not a one-person show, and nor should it be. This is for all of us and we need input from all of you.
1. Did you hold a plant sale this spring? How did it go? What worked – what
didn’t? Did you try something new? 2. What programs are you holding? I’m sure all the clubs are looking for inter-
esting speakers and it would be nice to hear what other clubs are doing. 3. Is there a subject you would like covered in an upcoming issue? A suggestion
would be helpful – a particular plant, or questions on soil, pesticides, favorite garden tool and why.
Based on the posts I’m seeing on Facebook (check out Twin Cities Perennial Exchange or MN Gardeners), there are a lot of active gardeners out there and they are eager to learn. They are either new to gardening or just moved into a new home and are seek-ing identification of some of the plants now appearing in their gardens. They are inter-ested in learning about plant care and they are looking for suggestions for what to plant in certain locations (next to the house, by the fence, in sunny spots or in shade). There are also long-time gardeners willing to answer questions or share their plants. I have joined both groups and invited their members to join a local garden club. I offer my thanks to the regular contributors of the Garden Dirt, especially to Roberta Turgeon who was the first one to submit her scholarship article. It is her last one, how-ever, as she is handing the reins over to Liz Genovese who takes over in June. Thanks to Rene’, Bonnie, and Kathy – I can always count on them for an article – or two. And to Betty Beck who provided the Floralia photos. Deadline for submission to the Garden Dirt is on page 3 of every issue. Submissions for the next issue are due August 1
st. How about appointing a member of your club as the
contact person to send something in for publication? It doesn’t have to be every issue and it doesn’t have to be long; it could be a quote, a joke, a photo, or an observation. I’m looking for someone to do Horticulture articles. We know you are all busy, and so are we (so far the only gardening I’ve been able to do this year is mow my grass twice), so any help you can provide is appreciated. Thank you.
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OUTDOORS WITH RENE’ ~ Submitted by Rene’ Lynch So, slipping out between the endless showers this spring has not been easy for any of us. I’m way behind on my planting. Well way, way behind might be more accurate. I haven’t really planted anything yet but some small bushes I decided to move and re-place with new.
I have managed to get outdoors a few times and I will share my observations. The Spring Peepers and Chorus Frogs are well into their mating chorus. I found a little tree frog tucked into some of my plants that I have been hauling in and out of the house for protection. I moved him to my bleeding-heart outdoors which is now covered in blooms. I’m hoping it will find more bugs outdoors than in my family room.
The bees were out early and seeking nectar from my Pasque flowers and my Grape Hyacinths. Mostly, I have seen bumblebees. The crabapples are a little later in bloom-ing this year. I’m headed to the Landscape Arboretum this weekend to see if we have pollinators busy there.*
The warblers seem to be in full migration this week. They are also a little behind. I have seen a Chestnut Sided Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and a Black & White. There has been an abundance of Orioles, both female and male, devouring my grape jelly. The Indigo Bunting has returned to my feeder and today for me was an event, for I have never seen a female Scarlet Tanager. She was feeding upon dried raisins in one of my mixed seed offerings. I have seen males on occasion (rarely) while in the woods. She is rather indistinct in color (mostly yellowish /olive green) and at first you might mistake her for a female oriole. She has no wing bars, is rounder and plumper, and has a chunkier bill. Hopefully a male might show up at my feeder also, that would be awesome. They are vibrant red with black wings.
Enjoy the spring we are given. Don’t feel stressed because you might be a little behind; nature seems to be running a little that way too. Take time to enjoy all that spring brings us. It is beautiful.
* Rene’ reported she did see a
male Scarlett Tanager on her
trip to the Arboretum. He sat on
a limb for quite a long while and
sang for her. So exciting since it
is unusual to get a glimpse of
them.
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Recommended Reading: The Magic and Mystery of Trees
Written by Jen Green; Illustrated by Claire McElfatrick
Although this is a children’s book, I found it fascinating myself. In plain language, with beautiful illustrations, this picture book tells the reader a whole lot about trees, from what types of trees there are, to where they live, how they communicate, and how they defend themselves against nature. It describes the parts of a tree such as the different types of leaves, or needles, its bark, their flowers, fruits and seeds, as well as the fasci-nating underworld of their roots.
This would make a great gift for the kids in your life. Add it to your own bookshelf to read to the youngsters in your life together. It is a wonderful teaching tool to help kids understand how we are all connected on this planet and what we can do to protect the world in which we live.
Container Design Challenge (This was offered in the 2015 issue of Fine Gardening. If you choose to accept this challenge, your container must contain one of each of the following five ingredients:
1. A hardy shrub or tree (a woody plant you could plant in your garden that would survive year to year in our zone)
2. A grass (choose from any ornamental grass in the nursery) 3. An annual not hardy in our zone 4. A perennial that is hardy in our zone 5. An edible plant (a veggie, fruit or an herb)
Submit a photo of your container along with plant identification to me at ([email protected]) by August 1
st for inclusion in the September issue of
the Garden Dirt. This may be an individual or club project.
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PUTTING SAFETY FIRST ~ By Pat Almsted
Staying safe in the garden: 1 – Wear Gloves – they will protect you from blisters, fertilizers, pesticides, bacteria, fungi and sharp tools.
2 – Warm Up – you have heard this before. Just like an athlete does before a game, you should warm up before digging in the garden. Walk around your garden for a few minutes and do some pre-gardening stretches. This will help prevent sore muscles later (unless you over-do).
3 – Avoid Repetitive Motions – Prolonged and repetitive motions such as digging, raking, trimming, etc. might irritate your skin, tendons or nerves. To avoid this, switch up your tasks every 15 minutes and take between-task breaks.
4 – Banish Bending – Kneeling instead of bending will put less strain on your back. For extra comfort, consider wearing kneepads. For those of us with bad knees or hips, this is a hard one. Sitting on the ground or on a stool can help - if you can stand up afterward.
5 – Check Your Lifting – When lifting heavy objects, engage your legs, not your back. When carrying heavy objects, hold them close to your body to reduce strain.
6 – Block the Sun – Apply SPF 15 or higher sunscreen, as well as ultraviolet A and B protec-tion. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face, head, ears and neck. Try to avoid working outside between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm (daylight saving time – 9 am to 3 pm during standard time) as that is the most hazardous period for UV exposure in the continen-tal U.S.
7 – Look for Pests – Check your clothes and body for ticks, which can cause several diseases. Better, prevent tick bites by applying repellant.
8 – Clear the Air – Wear a protective nose and mouth mask, sunglasses or protective eye-wear to help prevent allergy and asthma attacks.
9 – Stay Hydrated – Be sure you’ve got water on hand so you don’t become dehydrated.
These tips come from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Cayuga Medical Center, East-ern Oklahoma Orthopedic Center and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too
many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.” – Allan Armitage
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CREATIVE FLORAL DESIGN ~
Floralia Arrangers March meeting called for a Cascade design, with an emphasis on downward rhythmic movement. The downward lines may be curved, straight, zigzag, interrupted, or a combination of angles; a minimum of components may extend upward, and the design is supported by a container or other device. The design on the right is by Bonnie Schwichtenberg. The designs below, left to right, are by Linnette Sorrentino, Betty Beck, and Pat Kennedy.
The April meeting called for designs working with all dried material and using colors opposite each other on the color wheel. Examples below are from Wendy Kramer, Rene’ Lynch, and Bonnie Schwichtenberg.
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The below designs are from Sue Nuehart and Pat Kennedy. Our May theme was Spring Fling – Designer’s Choice. Examples below (left to right) are by Betty Beck, Barbara Isaacson, and Pat Kennedy.
These three designs were created by Wendy Kramer, Phyllis Andrews, and Millie Hisey.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Gay L. Austin was installed at the May 2019 Annual Meeting as the new President of National Garden Clubs. She is continuing the Plant America theme for her two-year term of office. In her acceptance speech, she acknowledged the challenges we are all facing in retaining and growing our membership, a fact of life experienced by most volunteer organizations. Take a moment to read her President’s message on the NGC website, gardenclub.org.
NGC Central Region News Jodi Meyer is the new NGC Central Region Director for the 2019-2021
term, with Joyce Bulington as Alternate Director. The Central Region theme is “Bee a Petal Pusher – Plant America.”
FGCM NEWS ~
GRANTS TO LOCAL CLUBS - The committee for Grants to Local Clubs has awarded grants totaling $3,588 to the following clubs:
Richfield Garden Clubs Council: $688 towards renovation of the Blue Star Memorial Garden at the Richfield Community Center, Richfield, MN.
Perennial Garden Club of Stillwater: Trillium Chapter: $600 towards the purchase of books from NGC to distribute at gardening classes for children at the Stillwater Public Library, Stillwater, MN.
Kelodale Garden Club of Edina: $300 towards removal of buckthorn & other invasives from Bredesen Park in Edina, MN.
Lake Owasso Garden Club: $1,000 towards renovation of the Butterfly Gar-den at the Muriel Sahlin Arboretum in Roseville Central Park, Roseville, MN.
Edina Garden Council: $1,000 towards restoration of the Tranquility Garden at Arneson Acre Park in Edina, MN.
Committee members were impressed with the quality of the proposals and look for-ward to hearing about the results of their efforts on these projects. Those who applied but were not selected for funding are encouraged to try again next year.
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By Law change – At the annual meeting of The Federated Garden Clubs of Minneso-
ta, Inc., members voted to approve the By Law changes recommended by the Execu-tive Board. These changes take effect June 1
st, the start of our new calendar year.
JUDGES COUNCIL – Phyllis Andrews was inadvertently omitted from the list of Na-tional Garden Club Accredited Judges in the last Newsletter. Please add her name to your copy. At the recent Judges Council meeting, we reviewed the study guide Barb Halverson put together on the five judging levels and how to achieve them. Attending all flower show schools with a minimum passing score of 75 is one of the requirements. Another re-quirement is exhibiting and earning a minimum of five blue ribbons in horticulture (2), design (2) and another in either horticulture, design, or educational exhibits. Judging five flower shows is also required. For more detailed information or if you are consid-ering becoming a flower show judge, contact Beth Grund or any member of the Judges Council.
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SPOTLIGHT ON: Ticks
By Bonnie Schwichtenberg
Blackleg Ticks and the Diseases They Carry Are on the Rise. Here is some information that potentially concerns all of us!
The following excerpts are from the current May June volume of The Min-nesota Conservation Volunteer, pp 16-27. The author is Joe Spring, pho-tography by Layne Ken-nedy. The Minnesota (The dime is out of proportion.) Conservation Volunteer is a 6 times a year Magazine available to any Minne-sota Resident either online or by mail if requested. You can find the complete article Googling Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, click on “Tick Tick BOOM.” There are some disturbing trends noted in the article.
1. Firstly, the blackleg tick season commonly referred to as deer tick season appears to be expanding. So far active ticks have been identified in every month except January in Minnesota. In the past blackleg ticks seemed to be confined primarily to the borders of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Now, they are found in high numbers in south eastern, northwestern, and north central Minnesota as well as the wooded Metro area. 2. Reported cases have risen from less than a few dozen a year in the mid-1900s to an average of over 600 cases on average since 2010 and rising. Health officials suspect that many cases go unreported or untested. Unfortu-nately the largest number of reported cases is from ages 4 to 15. This age group is less likely to wear protection. However on the good side, the medical community is actively becoming more educated to this bug born condition. 3. The blackleg tick preferred hosts are the white tailed deer and the white-footed mouse. They are found in leaf litter, tall grasses, brush and surround-ing shrubs and any deciduous treed area. 4. While Lyme’s disease is the most common known pathogen to affect hu-mans, there is now a growing list of very serious tick carried pathogens of which eight are commonly known and the number is growing. Prevention is available to informed outdoors lovers and is clearly described several times in
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the article. Many of the persons cited were doing different tasks outside and many have been diagnosed multiple times. With careful bug prevention and early care most do not have chronic conditions for life. 5. Tick bite prevention requires the use of one or more of several interven-tions. Some are wearing long pants tucked into socks, sturdy shoes, wearing long sleeve shirts buttoned. Using hats with brims, wearing clothing treated with tick resistant treated fibers. Carefully examining everyone after return-ing home for ticks and especially the tick nymphs. To be informed, dog ticks do not carry human pathogens and are about the size of a dried pea. Blackleg ticks or deer ticks are about the size of a short grain of rice including the legs. The females have a clearly red patch on their abdomen. You can see this with a magnifying glass. The tick nymphs so prevalent in the spring and early sum-mer are about the size of a poppy seed or a black spec. The Lone Star Tick is not known here. The picture below compares the Lone Starr, dog and black-legged (deer) ticks. 6. I have included several pictures comparing ticks to a dime and one finger with blacklegged ticks and dog (American) ticks. I encourage all of you to read the MCV article for all the details to safely enjoy the outdoors in beautiful Minnesota. Having personally had only one deer tick and no illness I was shocked at the increase in human contact that is occurring. Bonnie Schwichtenberg, Floralia Arrangers
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HORTICULTURE – Submitted by Pat Almsted
The state fair is coming. It is not too soon to be thinking about what you will enter at the Fair. Federated Garden Clubs has a room for two days at the fair (August 28-29) and we need to fill the space or we risk losing it. If you have never entered anything before, please consider doing so. There are many opportunities, whether it is in horticulture or design, or one of the other divisions: education, botanical arts, and photography. As Martha Allen once said, after she won her first Blue Ribbon she was hooked! The Flower Show Schedule is out and you can request a copy from the Show Chairpersons, Melody Hill ([email protected]) or Elayne Gilhausen ([email protected]). We hope to have it on our website soon. You will need the schedule to see what is required; i.e., how many stems on a cut specimen, under which category you should enter, or any special requirements. This goes for design as well. Anyone on the committee will be able to answer questions if you are new to exhibiting. The show is open to any Minnesota resident who is an amateur grower or design-er and/or a member of FGCM, although it is not necessary to be an FGCM mem-ber. There is also a Youth Division where young people from Preschool through age eighteen may enter in their particular age group in either horticulture or de-sign. Make it a family affair. Additional divisions include Botanical Arts (Botanical Horticulture, Botanical Artis-tic Crafts, and Photography) and Education. If you have an interest in any of these, please do check into it. If you find the State Fair show to be daunting, get your feet wet at the Digger’s Flower Show July 11-12, or the Tri-City Flower Show July 27-28. Your local county fair may also have an opportunity for you to enter something. This will give you great practice in following the show schedule and you will be a pro when it comes to the State Fair. Interested in learning more about Horticulture and/or Design? The Flower Show Schools are a great place to learn. Flower Show School II, coming up June 7-8, is covering Peonies and Needled Branches. The design portion gives you a chance to practice design and learn what judges are looking for when they are judging a show. Let’s follow Martha’s example and get hooked on exhibiting. Don’t forget, there is a monetary reward in winning ribbons. We will see you at the Fair.
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WEB SITES WORTH NOTING:
FGCM – mngardenclubs.com Central Region – ngccentralregion.org National Garden Clubs – gardenclub.org MN PLANT SOCIETIES African Violet - https://sites.google.com/site/avsminnesota/ Bonsai Society - minnesotabonsaisociety.org Carnivorous Plant Society - umcps.net Daffodil Society - daffodilmn.org Dahlia Society - minnesotadahliasociety.org Daylily Society – daylilysocietyofminnesota.org Gesneriad Soc. - tcgesneriads.weebly.com Hosta Society - mnhosta.org Iris Society - irismn.net Mycological Society - minnesotamycologicalsociety.org Native Plant Society - mnnps.org North Star Lily Society - northstarlilysociety.com Orchid Society – minnesotaorchidsociety.com Peony Society - mnpeony.org Rock Garden Society – mn-nargs.org Rose Society – twincitiesrose.org Water Garden Society – mwgs.org Wildflowers – minnesotawildflowers.info Wild Ones Twin Cities – wildonestwincities.org GARDENING RESOURCES MN State Horticulture Society – northerngardener.org Master Garden Research Center – mggarden.umn.edu U of M Horticulture – extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo U of M Plant info line – plantinfo.umn.edu Metro area Garden Club info – www.crosspollination.weebly.com Note: Some sites are not always updated in a timely manner. If you can’t find the site as listed, you will need to do a search.
“The key to nature's therapy is feeling like a tiny part of it, not a master over it. There's amazing pride in seeing a bee land on a flower you planted - but that's not your act of creation, it's your act of joining in.” Victoria Coren Mitchell
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Diggers 2019 Bus Tour Information Saturday August 3, 2019: 8:30 am – 6:00 pm Leaving from and returning to the Robin Center parking lot (4114 Lakeland Ave N. Robbinsdale). Our stops include: 1.Heavenly Hostas, Shakopee, MN. Kathy and Mike Pedersen’s garden was one of the 2016 Star Tribune’s Beautiful Garden winners. Over the past 2 decades they have established an oasis of Hosta and other perennial gardens which we will tour. Kathy is into hybridizing Hosta and we will be able to purchase Hosta from her nursery. 2. Springwood Gardens, Jordan, MN. Springwood sits high on a hill overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. Dick and Karol Emmerich own this property on which sits a historic 1862 country home and also in-cludes Karol’s daylily farm. Karol will give us a tour and tell us a bit about the history of the property and how she started hybridiz-ing daylilies. Although Karol just does mail order and we will not be able to purchase plants that day there is a lot to see at this beautiful place. 3.Cedar Brook Garden Center, New Prague, MN. Upon arrival we will enjoy a box lunch from Coburns at tables in a tent set up for our group. After lunch we will learn more about, and have time to explore and shop, at this full service garden center that also has several display gardens. We may also be able to visit the nearby private garden of one of the co-owners of the center, Mary Beth Gullickson. 4. Next Chapter Winery, New Prague, MN At our last stop we will have wine tasting in a patio tent with 2 servers for our group. Next Chapter is a family-owned and operated winery sustainably crafting barrel-aged wine. This is a beautiful spot to relax and finish our day before heading back to Robbinsdale.
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Ticket price for this tour is $55 and includes lunch, 2 bottles of water, wine tasting at the winery and transportation on a luxury motor coach with air-conditioning and a restroom. Tips are included. There will be room on the bus for any purchases you make. Parking is free in the Robin Center parking lot at 4114 Lakeland Avenue N, Robbinsdale, MN 55422.
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Registration for Diggers August 3, 2019 Bus Tour
Tickets # ____________________ (please leave this blank) Name: _______________________________________________ Phone # ______________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________ (#)__________ of Bus Tour Tickets I want to buy @ $55 each $ ____________ (Ticket price includes lunch, wine, tips, bus…everything but any shopping you may do.) Please pay by Cash or Check made payable to “Diggers Garden Club”
Rain or Shine….No Cancellations
Please choose one of the following sandwiches for each ticket purchased: Ham on rye sandwich ________________
Roast Beef on wheat sandwich ________________
Turkey BLT wrap sandwich ________________
Please mail registration and payment to: Pat Kennedy, 3328 Halifax Ave N., Robbinsdale, MN. 55422 PLEASE REGISTER BY JULY 20, 2019 Questions please call Pat @ 763-588-2216 or Carolyn @ 763-208-2077
Receipt (This will be filled out after your payment is received and given to you.)
Tickets# ________________ Received from: __________________________________ Amount: __________
Paid by: Cash: ____________ or Check: _____________
For: # of Tickets: __________
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