southsurreygardenclub.ca july/aug/sept 2016 -...

southsurreygardenclub.ca July/Aug/Sept 2016

President's Message

Monthly Meetings: St. Mark’s Anglican Church, 12953 20th Ave., 7 pm, 4th Wed., except Dec. and Aug.

General Meetings start at 7 pm

Garden Clippings

Cont'd on page 2...

Photo by Pamela Atkinson

"Then followed that beautiful season... Summer.... Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

And so it is that summer is upon us. With thanks to help from my husband, all the plants I purchased from the SSGC plant sale have been planted. My tomatoes flourish and flower; lovely fragrances float about my yard and catch me unawares; there is something in my garden that the hummingbirds like and something

else that has driven the slugs away. Our hammock beckons me to lie down and dream suspended under the cherry tree and I know, at least several times during the summer, I will do just that. What more can an aspiring gardener ask for?

My daughter tells me of a study she's read that speculates on the reason gardeners live longer and are healthier, on average, than non-gardeners. It's the dirt under our finger-nails. Apparently it's filled with microbes that we unintentionally ingest. I am gob smacked and then struck by a thought: am I getting my daily dirt dosage? Would it help if I planted and harvested additional vegetables and paid more attention to pulling out the weeds? Other than when tangling with roses, I've never been much good at wearing gardening gloves so I see no reason to change habits there. Then again, perhaps I'll be

http://www.southsurreygardenclub.ca

President's Message cont'd...

Ju ly/August/September 2016


just fine. As a child making mud pies in my mother's garden I ate my fair share of dirt. It seemed a good balance to both the spring rhubarb, made edible with a small plastic juice glass of sugar, and the August tomatoes, enhanced with the salt shaker.

I'm curious as to what will unfold garden-wise over the summer. Will this year's SSGC plant sale purchases mesh with what's already in my garden? Those "Garden Gem" tomatoes that club members grew from seed, will they actually live up to the promise of a more favourable tomato? Will the taste remind us of "the freshness of childhood"? As I think of all of us and our gardens, in whatever form they may take, enjoying the "dreamy and magical light" of summer, I'm struck by this comment recently posted on the club's "Seize the Spade" Facebook page: "We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between, we garden" (author unknown).

Here's to the marvel of that "in between" time and the personal touches we each infuse it with.

Lorna Fraser,President

Nancy Moore has had the pleasure of being involved in the horticulture and landscape design field her entire life. And, being raised on a farm, she does mean her ENTIRE life.

Nancy's experienced many different facets of horticulture. She did seedling research for the B.C. Forest Service, was a horticulturist for a parks department, managed a shade tree nursery, and taught for over forty years in the Agriculture and Continuing Education departments of the University of the Fraser Valley. For nearly 30 years, she was the owner of a landscape design and consulting business.

Newly retired from her business, Nancy still enjoys teaching and lecturing about her passions, all aspects of plants and how to care for and use them.

September Speaker: Nancy Moore

Check out the pictures of "Good Bugs, Bad Bugs" compliments of June's speaker, Marilyn Holt.

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/resources/Documents/Resources/Garden%20Pests%20Handout.pdf

The Garden Clippings newsletter is published four times a year: January, April, July and October. Articles must be word-processed and received by the editor a week before the first of the month prior to each production. All submissions are welcome and subject to editing.

Editor/Producer: Juhli FarrellProofreader/Editor: Pamela RobertsonInterviewer/Writer: Lee Bolton RobinsonPhotographers: Pamela Atkinson

Doug RobinsonLand Mail: Lucina Perkin

OPEN GARDENS COORDINATOR: Kathy Starke, 604-535-8264,[email protected]

DOOR PRIZE: Carol Wood, 604-538-1863, [email protected]

MONTHLY PLANT SALE:Karen Ewing, 604-598-0199,[email protected]

MASTER GARDENERS’ DESK: Mary Dunn, 604-536-7966, [email protected]

SUNSHINE GARDENERS: Carol Wong, 604-596-4385, [email protected]

2015/16 SSCG Committee Members

LOST & FOUND: Karen Ewing,604-598-0199, [email protected]

SUNSHINE GREETINGS (GET WELL): Melodie Brandon, 604-536-6180. Note: if you know someone in need of a little sunshine, please contact Melodie.

PHONING COMMITTEE: Melodie Brandon, 604-536-6180, [email protected]

AWARDS: Susan Lazar, 778-294-0244, [email protected]

SET-UP: Dick Logie, 604-541-1196, [email protected] Gray, 604-535-2753, [email protected] Williams, 604-535-0543

CLEANUP: Peace Arch Cub Group parents and leaders

PRESENTATION ASSISTANCE: Linda Stanley Wilson, 604-542-3003,[email protected]

NOMINATING COMMITTEE:Susan Lazar, 778-294-0244, [email protected]

GOODIES COORDINATOR:Ruth Sebastian, 604-535-7173, [email protected]



2015-16 SSGC Executive: southsurreygardenclub.ca

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/page-1773711

mailto:[email protected]












tel:604-538-1863



Sandi Bellamy has resigned her position as goings on contributor. If anyone would like to fill this volunteer position, please contact Juhli Farrell at [email protected].

In the meantime, here are links to some parks, gardens, and club/society information.

B.C. Council of Garden Clubswww.bcgardenclubs.com

B.C. Floral Arts Societywww.bcfloralartsociety.com/

Darts Hill Gardenwww.dartshill.ca

Historic Stewart Farm www.surrey.ca/heritage

Surrey Parks and Recreationwww.surrey.ca

The Gladeswww.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/12205.aspx

U.B.C. Botanical Gardenwww.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca

Van Dusen Gardenswww.vandusengarden.org

Upcoming events are also posted online athttps://southsurreygardenclub.ca


Goings On by Sandi BellamyLinks to What's Going On

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca

http://www.vandusengarden.org

http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca

http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/12205.aspx

http://www.surrey.ca

http://www.surrey.ca/heritage

http://www.dartshill.ca

http://www.bcfloralartsociety.com/

http://www.bcgardenclubs.com




Goings On by Sandi Bellamy cont'd...

Cont'd on page 6...

Flower & Garden Show by Cindy Tataryn

The Flower and Garden Show will be on July 27 this year!

The committee has made up a Class Quick List that is only two pages and easier to take into your garden to collect your wonderful exhibit entries! This quick list has the class number, description and how many blooms or stems are needed for the entry (e.g. 501 Hemerocallis—Daylily—1 spike).

There have been other changes as well. Hostas only require one leaf per exhibit and will be measured from the tip of the leaf to its base (not including the petiole stem) instead of square inches. The class list has been condensed (that's why some numbers are missing) but there is an "any other" in each category if you need it for your exhibit!The Floral Design people must pre-register by phoning Cindy at 604-585-6786 to reserve space for their floral design. Please phone by Monday, July 25.

There won't be baking or photography sections this year. The survey results suggested that having these at a different time would be better, so we'll give it a try this year and see what the members think.

Entry forms are online, along with the show schedule and up-to-date information.

Committee Members: Cindy Tataryn, Gillian Roberts, Carol Wong, Juhli Farrell

2016 FLORAL ART & DESIGN CATEGORIES:

Class One - Theme: Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday

Please contact Cindy at 604-585-6786 by Monday, July 25, 2016, to reserve a space for your exhibit.

** Maximum space allowed for each arrangement is 24" wide by 36" tall ***** Except Miniature Designs which are 4" (102 mm), and Petite Designs, which are 10" (254 mm), in height, depth, and width including the base ***

Fresh flowers and foliage are to predominate unless otherwise specified. Material may be purchased. Accessories allowed. A backdrop is optional and is not provided.

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/page-1699212

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/resources/Documents/Flower%20Garden%20Show/2016-FlowerGardenShowSchedule-Final.pdf

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/resources/Documents/Flower%20Garden%20Show/FlowerShowEntryForm2016.pdf

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/resources/Documents/Newsletters/2016%20Quick%20Sheet.pdf



Flower & Garden Show by Cindy cont'd...Intermediate Section - open to all members

101. Queen's Hat - a circular table centrepiece.102. Crown Jewels - a lighted design.103. Her Royal Highness - a vertical design.104. Sophisticated Elegance - a design of your choice.105. A Royal Couple - a design using two containers.

Novice Section - open only to members who have won fewer than three first place blue ribbons in Floral Design.

N111. Celebration - a design of your choice.N112. Flowers Fit For A Queen - a design of your choice.N113. Victorian Elegance - a design of your choice.N114. Tribute To Her Majesty - a design of your choice.N115. Balmoral Country Holiday - a design of your choice using decorative wood.

Men only class

121. A Man's Coffee & Sweet Treat - a design of your choice (no real food please).

Exhibition Section - open to anyone. Please Note: this section is not eligible for points, "Best of" rosettes or prize money. Non-members may participate in exhibition classes but are not eligible for any prizes other than 1st, 2nd and 3rd ribbons.

131. A Royal Celebration - a design of your choice.132. The Queen's Rose Garden - a design of your choice.



SSGC 2016 Annual General Meeting

The SSGC will hold its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 after the flower and garden, summer social potluck (note agenda on page 7) at St. Mark's Anglican Church.

At this time there will be an election to the office of Vice President as well as Membership Chairperson. Please come out and support your club administration.

SSGC is one of the largest garden clubs in B.C., well known for its vibrant gardening community, fascinating speakers, field trips, and open gardens. All these wonderful activities are created by our members, and managed by the SSGC executive. The monthly meeting is a result of many different people working together: hall rental, set up, clean up, microphone and sound system; the speaker, which includes research, contract and hospitality arrangements all before the person actually speaks; plant show and tell; master gardener table; plant sales; workshop and field trip sign-ups; the library; tips; membership; the draw; as well as the annual plant sale in May and the summer flower and garden show. It is the president's job to ensure all of these items are addressed in a timely fashion every month—along with myriad of issues seem to pop up every meeting.

This year's executive members meet the second Monday of each month at St. Mark's Anglican Church to plan and organize these activities. President Lorna Fraser sets the agenda and chairs the meeting. Secretary Brenda Woosnan meticulously records the progress of both the general and executive meetings—sometimes challenging to do when everyone talks at once! As treasurer, James Good, reports on the current finan-cial status and is there to support or negate proposals for club spending. Cindy Tataryn contributes plans for monthly flower displays as well as the summer flower and garden show; up until April, Carol Wong, Darts Hill representative, reported on Darts Hill activities (now taken on by Lorna); Anna Ludwinowski gives progress reports on the plant sale committee; Nancy Hoyano, program committee chair, shares the next speaker and his/her requirements, as well as field trips planned; Karen Ewing, logistics coordinator, will then be able to plan the meeting's room format and video/sound system; Sharon Lawson reports on the latest book additions to the library; David Broomhead gives the latest membership numbers; Juhli Farrell, newsletter editor, reports on newsletter articles and deadlines; and webmaster and communications chair Kathy Bryce encapsulates everything to be entered on the website and collates the memos that are emailed to all members. Last but not least, vice-president Melodie Brandon and past president Susan Lazar are there to discuss and support, while

Cont'd on page 9...

SSGC 2016 Annual General Meeting cont'd...



president Lorna Fraser sets the agenda for the general meeting to follow, based on all the input. Most of these meetings involve a lively exchange of ideas and contributions from everyone present.

I am sharing this information so you can appreciate how important it is that members contribute their time and talents to keep the SSGC vibrant. Most of the executive positions that are currently filled would benefit from another person sharing the responsibility, so if any of these fields interest you, please contact me or someone else on the executive. There are job descriptions for all positions on the website for you to explore. It is a great way to get involved with a wonderful group of people while keeping our organization strong. Some of these positions have committees attached to them, which may be a good place to start, if the field interests you. The position of vice-president is a one-year commitment focused on learning what the executive is about, followed by a year of responsibility as president, who becomes the voice of the SSGC, setting agendas for the executive and general meetings and supporting the club activities, completing the three year involvement as past president. Having a new president each year guarantees freshness and energy for the club's leadership position, while presenting a unique way for a member not only to contribute to the club but to enjoy an opportunity for personal growth and development and learn about the South Surrey gardening community.

If you have any questions or concerns about the SSGC executive or AGM or would like to volunteer, please contact me.

Susan Lazar [email protected]




Book Report by Sharon Lawson

The View from Great Dixter

Foreword by Beth Chatto. Preface by Fergus Garrett and Rosemary Alexander.

At the May meeting Gillian Davis returned this book and told me how much she enjoyed it. This, along with the fact that several club members were privileged to hear a talk this spring given by Fergus Garrett, the gardener at Great Dixter, made me decide to review this book.

The book is a compilation of memoirs, letters, observations and pictures of Christopher Lloyd and Great Dixter, the family property in Northiam, East Sussex, England, where he lived and gardened. The contributors to the book are comprised of family members, neighbours, past and present gardeners of Great Dixter, garden writers, artists, garden designers, nursery owners, other plants men and various other people who spent time with Christo (as he was affectionately called) at Great Dixter.

Great Dixter is a medieval property that was started in the year 1220 and added on to over the years. The "Great Hall" where most visitors spent a lot of their time was built in 1450. For historical context, this was about the time that Macchu Picchu in Peru was built.

Christopher Lloyd was the youngest of six children and ended up overseeing most of the gardening at the family property for most of his life. He was an innovator and was always trying something different on the estate. He didn't believe in keeping things the same. When his mother died he ripped out her rose garden and put in a tropical garden. To support himself and the property he wrote a weekly gardening column for Country Life as well as numerous books and articles on gardening and cooking.

Cont'd on page 11...

July/August/September 2016


Book Report by Sharon cont'd...

He was well known for his strong opinions as well as his generosity and hospitality. Every weekend he invited people to come and stay. This could be just one person or several who he would wine, dine and entertain. He was a great cook and mostly used things that were grown on the property. The weekends would consist of music, reading stories and poetry out loud, and practical jokes. He was always inviting people to join him at the opera or a play and would buy them their ticket. When showing his niece how to play a certain piece on the piano he called his fingers "dancing carrots." He had quite a sense of humour.

He was fond of dachshunds and had several over the years. They were mostly named after plants: Crocus, Violet, Canna and Tulipa to name a few. Some of them were rather cantankerous and would nip at the heels and shins of guests. He largely ignored any complaints about them so his guests had to fend for themselves.

One visitor, after having lunch with Christo at Great Dixter, stated "I would always drive back to London and my family, feeling twice the person who had set off that morning, with a feast of memories and much more to give the world on my return." This is how I felt after reading this book.

I hope to get to Great Dixter in the next couple of years and see it for myself. Christopher Lloyd died, but he instructed that experimentation and change should continue to happen after he was gone. Fergus Garrett is carrying out his wishes so Christo's spirit is alive and well.

Sharon LawsonThis book is available for loan from the SSGC Library

Need a Ride to Meetings?

If you need a ride to the general meetings, please contact Juhli Farrell at [email protected] or leave her a message at 604-535-8827.

Conversely, if you are willing to pick up other members and take them to general meetings, please let Juhli know via above email or voicemail.

Juhli will coordinate rides until someone volunteers to do this for the club.




2016 Plant Sale Report Overall, the 2016 plant sale was a success! We met our three main objectives of fundraising, education and community involvement, which was terrific!

An event such as this takes many hands to make it successful. On that note, I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out, from the propagators and kitchen helpers, to the Friday and Saturday volunteers! I would also like to personally thank plant sale committee members Colleen Nesbit, Colleen Martin, Carol Wong and Mary Dunn, whose experience and knowledge helped me tremendously.

Some observations

· We had a significant increase in plant material from our membership and propagating group.

· There was also an increase in club donations of plant material, which helped increase the net profit.

· We had a tremendous amount of donations for the Mother's Day table, which was wonderful to see! It was suggested that we limit these items to $15.00 or $20.00 so they're affordable for youngsters.

· There was a slight decline in customers coming to the plant sale this year, maybe because of very good weather and other events on at the same time.

· Friday's potluck dinner was wonderful! It was great to see so many members enjoying a good meal with good friends.

· I can appreciate that after such a busy day, most of us wanted to get home and relax, but we definitely needed a few more volunteers to help with clean up… special thanks to Elizabeth Davies and her crew for their efforts!

Some recommendations

· As with any event there's always some room for improvement to help make things run even smoother!

· Should we limit how many of each type of plant we would like to have at the sale? (e.g. limited amount of hostas, etc.)

· Should we have a list of specific plants we'd like to sell at the plant sale (based on requests from customers)?

· Should we do the seed propagating again? There were concerns about caring for the seedlings until the sale.

· Need more storage for the plants prior to the sale (not just at Darts Hill).· Create a "pot luck" area at the plant sale for generic, unnamed plants.




2016 Plant Sale Report cont'd...

The weeders continue to do a wonderful job of main-taining bed 25 and frequently parts of bed 26—both beds are looking great! New labels have been placed in the beds and all the little plants we planted in the fall appear to be thriving.

If some of you new (or not so new) garden club members haven't had a chance to join the weeders yet but would like to, please contact me at at [email protected] and I'll arrange for you to join in.

Cheers,Carol

Darts Hill Weeders by Carol Wong

· Need more help with transportation (from Darts Hill, members homes, etc.)· Members' plants become club property at 12:00 noon, so we can discount them so

they sell (members MUST pick up before noon).· Whichever group/organization takes our leftover plants should come and pick them

up themselves.· Have the $5.00 per flat for Club plants again as it was quite successful.

If any members have any other suggestions, please forward them to me so I can include them in my notes.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the plant sale and look forward to next year!

Thank you,Anna LudwinowskiPlant Sale Chairperson

Check out Doug Robinson's plant sale slideshow created by Kathy Bryce.

For information on what's happening at Darts Hill check out website www.dartshill.ca.

http://www.dartshill.ca

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/2016-Plant-Sale-Slideshow




Show & Tell by Anna BurianPlectranthus 'Mona Lavender'

· Hybrid developed in South Africa.· Common name is spurflower.· Can reach two feet in height and relatively quick growing.· It is one of the showiest flowering plectranthus.· Makes an attractive houseplant requiring bright indirect light

or partial sunlight. Shorter daylight hours trigger blooming so do not put under artificial light if you want winter flowers.

· The flowers are lavender mauve and go well with the plant's glossy dark green leaves. Flowers form at the tips of new branches so pinching promotes lots of new growth and flowers. It also ensures a source for new plants as they root easily.

Rosa Iceberg (also known as Rosa Korbin)

· Introduced over 50 years ago and still one of the top selling floribunda.

· Blooms from June to October.· Regular fertilizing as well as a slow-release fertilizer from

late February through June then September to mid-October. Add a four-inch layer of mulch after early pruning.

· Wants adequate watering during spring and summer.· Plant is very hardy and has good disease resistance.· Pruning is essential for success. Winter prune end of

February leaving five to twelve healthy canes. Remove spent flowers and damaged wood during growing season.

· Has a slightly fruity smell.

Fuchsia 'Eruption'

· New to the market and apparently quite the hit as it seems to have sold out in most mail order nurseries.

· It grows to about 18" high by 18" wide.· It is a triphylla type Fuchsia, meaning it has a longer tube

than the common Fuchsia and has sets of three leaves at each leaf node.

· Tender, so must be taken in for the winter.· A very prolific bloomer.

Photos found on the internet



Chair Men by Lee Bolton Robinson


Certainly, you know who are the president and executive members of the SSGC, but have you met the chair men? Yes chair men, plural! There are three of them and like the many other volunteers at the SSGC, they contribute greatly to each meeting of the club. However, to see them in action, you have to arrive just before 4 pm on meeting day when Ernie Gray, Dick Logie and Bryan Williams have already started to set up the church hall for the meeting. They have been doing so for over 15, 7 and 3 years respectively.

They work from a plan sent by the logistics coordinator and depending on what has been planned by the executive, they set up as many as 200 chairs, all the required tables, the stage platform and whatever is needed in the foyer. This process takes over 90 minutes and then they take a quick trip home for a meal and to change for the meeting.

Notably, Dick and Ernie were brought into the club through their wives, Pat and Rita (both long-time members, and past presidents) and Bryan came later as a member with his wife Lois and joined the chair men when the club began to grow so much that extra help was needed to meet the high demand for seating. They all agree that soon the club will outgrow the space.

Each of the chair men lead active retired lives, yet do make time for us, and we give them a small stipend for their work. They say the work is fun and sometimes they have enough money for a beer. Speaking of fun and work, each of these men had long careers before retirement and this reporter was fascinated to spend time with each of them to learn about their lives before SSGC.

Dick Logie spent 30 years working for Nav/Canada (Department of Transportation-Canada) as an aviation electrician, where he specialized in installing and maintaining aircraft landing systems. Volunteering in the community and in his church is how Dick spends much of his time. He calls it "doing stuff." But if you visit in the afternoon, if he is not helping Pat with their beautiful and extensive garden, you will find him tinkering in his huge garage with vintage and modern cars.

Ernie Gray was born on a farm near Hope and decided not to be a farmer. He came to the city of Vancouver as a very young man and found a job, through an uncle, in the sewers. During his 35 years of brilliant and dedicated work, he became head of sewer operations for the City of Vancouver. He oversaw conversions from clay and lead to copper piping and can tell amazing stories of what goes on under the city. He is renowned for his innovations in the history of the city. Ernie and Rita shyly boast that they have a grandson carrying on this work, whom folks say is worth three ordi-nary men.


Interview by Lee cont'd...


Bryan Williams could spend all day gardening on his large acreage, which was part of the old Thrift property, and he does, when not volunteering or travelling or spending time with family. He retired from the postal service after 22 years and tells tales of what mail service was like when it was six days a week and when, he says, the mail carriers "really cared." He met Lois through his work and they both took early retire-ment for family reasons and to have more time to pursue their love of gardening. He says that Lois knows the names of the flowers, but he knows the weeds.

Bryan attends the meetings, as does Ernie and oftentimes Dick. It worries them when people have to try and find a seat if they come in late. Especially those coming from work in the city. Not wanting to interrupt, they are tempted to get up and give away their seats or to jump up and put out more.

Such sweet chivalry!

Lee Bolton Robinson



Snippets of the Strawberry Moon TripAudrey Anderson is a gardener, painter and writer for the Penticton Herald. I created a Youtube video of her garden in Naramata. Lorna Fraser and Bruce Mariani's vineyard is also located in Naramata, beside the Marichel Vineyard (photo of Lorna with owner, Richard Roskell), so before we left for Summerland, there was a bit of Monday afternoon wine-tasting going on! Though it rained that evening and our sighting of the strawberry moon was curtailed by clouds, we enjoyed Donna Barnes' strawberry shortcake and David's moon talk. Tuesday in Kelowna, Nancy had arranged several private gardens tours, as well a visit to the UnH20 Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Xeriscape is from the Greek word xeros meaning "dry" and "scape" meaning "scene."

All in all, it was a great trip to Naramata, Summerland and Kelowna. On the way home, my husband Glen White said, "I thoroughly enjoyed the past few days! The SSGC are a great group of people." Thanks for organizing another fun trip Nancy and David. Glen and I look forward to next year's adventure. I'm sure we're not the only ones!

Great strawberry shortcake, but no strawberry moon!!!

Juhli Farrell

https://youtu.be/rvqbJMBV7FA



Report on Flower Arts Course by Lee Bolton

"Opening a door," "Filling an empty vessel," "Switching on a light"...

The metaphors are many for learning and teaching. One of my favourite, and perhaps apropos of the recent six-session SSGC floral arts course in which I participated, is "planting a flower."




Report on Flower Arts Course cont'd...

It is apt because, under the superb organizational skills of Gail Robertson, Cindy Tataryn and Nancy Hoyano, eleven members of the club were welcomed into David Hunter's Garden Centre on Saturday mornings in March and April and we certainly did flower and bloom! Cindy was on hand to give us extra coaching and teaching and Gail and Nancy kept us organized and comfortable.

Our teacher was Lynne White from the Chilliwack Floral Arts Club. She is a profes-sional educator of 35 years, and a renowned floral arts judge and teacher. She led us through a steep and exciting learning curve as we progressed from almost zero knowledge to full confidence in creating our own beautiful designs.

Initially, like planting the seeds, we learned basic techniques that were needed for the work. These included the materials, tools and terminology, of the art form, but here, the growing began and the creativity was forced to flow. It was a shift in under-standing. These were the tools and the materials, but it was up to each of us to decide how to interpret and use them.

It wasn't just about flowers! That led us to the delights of foraging in thrift shops, bookshelves, basements, garages and crawl spaces for containers appropriate to each new design and in our gardens, swamps, forests and local florists for floral material that we never would have encountered before. Each week required planning from container through to choice of colour, size, shape, weight, texture and the other components and tangible characteristics and elements of floral design. The learning was intense.

Each class was comprised of a critique of each of our designs, the introduction of a new technique or design, and the assignment for the new week. The learning abounded from seeing our designs set out professionally and the magical changes that involved seeing how the movement of one flower or leaf could set the design into even more perfection. And the learning was cumulative. Each new lesson built upon the last. We progressed from table design to vertical, to crescent and inverted cres-cent, through to triangle and asymmetrical designs. Each lesson more challenging than the next. And the tips: the little secrets learned from experienced teachers Lynne and Cindy. Well... you will see them in our work.

Final class was a joy. We were friends. We laughed. Congratulated each other on our fabulous final designs and how much we had learned and how relevant the course is to plant choice in the garden. Much of our attention now will be on plant material that is suitable for floral arts projects and also great in the garden.

And I'm sure we will go on "blooming."

Lee



Gardening by David Saveleiff

I had the fireplace on and wore a sweater as I glanced at the calendar, yep, June 14th. I proceeded to look at the water-soaked back garden as the radio blared in the back-ground telling me the first month of the sprinkling ban had indeed been a big success. But then I looked at the beautiful view I have of the North Shore mountains and I noticed that good old Grouse Mountain cut, plus the old blueberry ski run had a nice dumping of snow the night before, and it got me to thinking that perhaps I had made the right decision not buying that olive plant, or the water melon seeds, the cantelope plant, or the lemon tree, as my tired old bones and brain were not quite convinced we were California North in 2016.

It isn't that I don't believe that the climate has changed over the number of decades I've inhabited the earth. It is the realization that, yes, change indeed is taking place. I recall some 50 years ago in good old Geography 101 at U.B.C. that the Hope-Princeton Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton had three climate zones. Decades of increasing rain and snow had seen the area basically become one climate zone. Last year we saw a drastic dry spell much of the spring and summer. So far this year we have been having a more typical damp and cool spring with a couple of exceptional weeks of warmer weather. I recall in recent years that farmers in the valley had problems with too much rain for the berry crops.

Now, being an avid vegetable gardener I've got to rely on 40 years of growing in my 33 by 127 lot in East Vancouver. It becomes a gut feeling of what one can expect. My article in the last issue about planting by the lunar phases of the moon emphasized avoiding planting seeds too early in the spring. Especially with the cold, cool nights. That coldness at night is of course even more pronounced as you go farther out in the valley. In my area, being relatively close to the mountains, I get a lot more cloud cover and rain than say White Rock or the Delta area. Whereas I will get a bit of a cool breeze from the ocean, the farther you get away from Vancouver, the warmer it gets. Case in point, a rental home I have in Citadel Heights in Port Coquitlam is usually five degrees warmer than my place in Vancouver. Thus I'm very careful as to when I plant. I'm also aware of ever-increasing shade from growing trees, larger homes, and even a small shed my neighbour added. I no longer plant tomatoes or peppers on the west side of the lot due to the additional shade.

Us gardeners can be stubborn at times, as I do tend to overplant—the better half suggests I could feed the rabbit population with the amount of lettuce I grow. For years I grew giant pumpkins but then I got the bright idea of outgrowing the state of Idaho for number of potatoes. This led to a conflict of potatoes and pumpkins close together. Needless to say, I had lectured on growing giant pumpkins but as the gourds



Gardening by David cont'd...

and taters don't like each other, I changed my lecture into growing anorexic giant pumpkins. I finally decided to move the pumpkins away from the potatoes and surprise, I'm getting bigger pumpkins again. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

Obviously cold frames and small greenhouses make a big difference as to what you can grow as vegetables. People also very effectively use plastic to cover tomato plants. When my wife ribs me about how big the neighbour's tomato plants are compared to mine, I remind her that the guy is probably using steroids. I am indeed delighted that the garden shops are coming up with more and more varieties of vegetables that can handle our cool springs and cool evenings. Such is the case of the wonderful sweet potato varieties I have been growing for a few years, since they can handle the cool evenings.

As most of you are aware I am an amateur astronomer. Last July the annual gathering of the astronomy and astrophysics associations got together in a meeting in Wales. One of the major papers presented was a discussion of a model created that predicted our wonderful sun was about to go through a repeat of a cycle of lack of solar flares and sun spots similar to the mini ice age back in the 1650 era. The model projects that quite possibly, beginning in 2030, we could see a significant cooling period for more than a decade. There I was, ready to put in a vineyard, and now these experts are possibly predicting I should grow and produce ice wine.

I've got to admit that if it does get really, really hot in the near future I just might go buy a vegetable better suited for the sunny Kelowna and Penticton areas. After all I spent $50.00 on the french fries and ketchup plant last year, which produced wonder-ful small grape-size tomatoes but very few potatoes.

In conclusion, I tend to take all the predictions, theories and trends with a grain of salt. I simply get out there in the good old soil and enjoy the greatest form of relaxation there truly is, namely gardening. Now I will admit that it gets a little tougher each year. But I kind of have the philosophy of Toby Keith's number one country single a few years back "I'm not as good as I once was but I'm good once as I ever was."

To quote the late great Orson Welles, I remain obediently yours,

Dave



Succulent Workshop

Elaine Kashani submitted these pictures taken by Kathy Starke at a workshop led by Melodie Brandon on how to make a tender succulent planter.



Beware the Dreaded SWD by Mary Dunn

SWD, the Spotted Wing Drosophila, or Drosophila suzukii, is a type of vinegar fly which has unfortunately been present in B.C. since 2009. It infests many of our soft fruits, both cultivated and wild, and is a serious problem for both home and commercial growers. Raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, cherry, peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, fig and grape are only some of the cultivated fruits affected, and Oregon grape, snow-berry, elderberry, currant, dogwood, salmonberry, thimbleberry, Indian Plum, salal and red huckleberry are some of the wild fruit affected.

Unlike most fruit flies that infest overripe, decaying or fallen fruit, SWD females lay their eggs inside sound fruit before harvest. Each egg has two fine white hair-like fila-ments that can be seen sticking out of the fruit, and aid in respiration. The larvae hatch and feed inside the fruit, causing it to soften. The small holes made by the females' ovipositors are entry points for diseases such as brown rot and botrytis.

The flies are about 1/8 inch long, light yellow or brown, with red eyes and clear wings. Males have a dark spot on the end of each wing and dark combs or bands on the front legs. The females have neither spots nor bands, but have a serrated, saw-like oviposi-tor on their hind end (not easy to see without magnification).

Traps baited with cider vinegar can be used to monitor and identify the flies. Make four to five small holes on one side of a 500 mL plastic cup with a tight-fitting lid. Add about one inch of apple cider vinegar, and hang the trap in the shade near the fruit (on the ground for strawberries). Check the traps for male flies, as they are easier to identify than the females. Replace the vinegar once a week, but don’t pour the old vinegar out on the ground as it will attract more flies.

Good sanitation is important to help control the flies. Clean up any fallen fruit, and pick all the fruit promptly as it ripens. Some plants can be covered with fine netting if they're small enough. Home composting will not kill the larvae, so freezing the fruit in a sealed plastic bag is one way to kill them before composting.

I haven't noticed any SWD yet (I'm checking my raspberries), but others have reported their presence early this year. Last year I could see them on blackberries and identify the males quite easily without using a magnifying glass.

Further information and pictures can be found at: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/swd.htm#managementwww.mountvernon.wsu.edu/entomology/pests/swd.html

http://www.mountvernon.wsu.edu/entomology/pests/swd.html

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/swd.htm#management

Group Pic from France/Italy Trip



Aluminum name badges may be purchased by calling Roberta atDogwood Awards and Engraving at the same price as group orders.

Prices: $6 for pin and $8 for magnet. The colour should be silver.Caution: do not make the mistake of putting your credit or similar

cards anywhere near your magnetic name badge, as several of us did on the recent garden tour to Italy!

The company has a template—just give them your name and membership number.

15585 24th Avenue, Surrey, BC, 604-535-1828.

https://www.yelp.ca/biz/dogwood-awards-and-engraving-surrey



ReminderMembership renewals are due in August, watch for emails with payment information and instructions on how to update your contact details and volunteer interests. Part

of the renewal process includes how to volunteer for one or more activities.

Check out the volunteer activities list at ssgc.wildapricot.org/Resources/Documents/VolunteerActivities.pdf

Previous newsletters, minutes of the executive and general meetings, MEMBERSHIP FORM, UPCOMING EVENTS,

and LOTS MORE can be found online at...southsurreygardenclub.ca

FOR SSGC MEMBERS ONLYSeize the Spade on Facebook

facebook.com/groups/southsurreygardenclub

AGM Meeting is July 27thNext General Meeting is September 28th

Welcome New Members

Sharon AndersonDonna BarnesWendy BarrettDorothy Brown

James ChenSenga FullamJanet HsiaoKaren Gibbs

Debora HarmanJanet Jamieson

Jennifer JordanBarb Kinsella

Candace LantingaSharon LightstoneSheila McCutcheon

Marilyn MurphyTrena Pepper

Didi TorrJean Vanderbyl

Gary Yang

https://www.facebook.com/groups/southsurreygardenclub/

https://southsurreygardenclub.ca/

http://ssgc.wildapricot.org/Resources/Documents/VolunteerActivities.pdf



2016/17 Proposed SSGC Budget

Preamble...

On page 27 is the proposed budget for the South Surrey Garden Club's September 1, 2016, to August 31, 2017, fiscal year. The budget, prepared by club treasurer James Good, has been approved by the executive. It will be presented for approval by the membership in attendance at the July 27, 2016, Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The budget is prepared using an annual membership fee of $25 and guest drop-in fee of $5 with 350 full-paying members and 50 annual guests (approximating the actual 2015/2016 numbers). These fees represent a $5 increase over the current $20 membership fee and a $2 increase over the current $3 meeting drop-in fee. By approving this budget, the membership is approving these fee increases.

These fee increases will not be sufficient to cover the projected expenses. The executive proposes that the projected shortfall will be covered by the club's excess accumulated cash, as held in our bank account.

Excellent, reliable sound is a critical component of a successful garden club meeting. The executive has not been successful in finding volunteers to manage the audio equipment for the club's monthly meetings. The executive has investigated contracting with a local sound technician to manage this part of our meetings and this new expense is in the budget as "Audio set-up."

If you have any questions about the budget and would like them answered prior to the AGM, please contact your club president, Lorna Fraser.

Phone: 604-727-2131 Email: [email protected]




2016/17 Proposed SSGC Budget REVENUEMembership fees including guest drop-in fees 9,000

Plant Sale 3,000 TOTAL REVENUE 12,000

EXPENSESAudio set-up 1,500 Awards 1,025 BC Council Dues & Mee�ngs 250 Equipment 100 Flower & Garden Show 1,500 Gi�s/Dona�ons 100 Insurance 350 Library 500 Miscellaneous 200 Monthly Door Prizes 300 Monthly mee�ng set up/take down 1,500 Newsle�er 400 Office 100 Rent 1,950 Speakers/Workshops 3,000 Sta�onery 500 Website 1,000 TOTAL EXPENSES 14,275

NET LOSS (2,275)

Con�ngency for new computer and related equipment 2,000

CASH IN BANKProjected Bank Balance at September 1, 2016 15,200 Less net loss for 2016 / 2017 (2,275)Projected Bank Balance at August 31, 2017 12,925 Less con�ngency for computer & related equipment 10,925