Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to postpone the annual "Homes for the Holidays" tour to December of 2010. Thanks to everyone for your interest and encouragement.
May your holidays bring you much joy, The Patchogue Garden Club
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
October Newsletter
Pix from the 2009 Harvest Dinner at the Patchogue Beach ClubGuy’s Greetings
Happy autumn everyone!
As we prepare to end our gardening season, it’s time to clean the perennial gardens and mulch. Mother Nature has been mulching the world each and every year since the beginning of time. We on the other hand have been removing this free mulch in favor of expensive store bought mulch that does no better. The free mulch also stops the unnecessary killing of trees to beautify our gardens and landscaping. Shredding, mowing, and composting leaves and our spent flowers and plants will keep your garden happy, healthy, and more nutrient rich for years to come. Better than that, it will keep you fit and energized and in touch with our planet, knowing you are gardening the way Mother Nature intended our gardens to winter over.
Don’t forget to search your gardens for that house plant you hid in the garden to protect from the sun; you will be upset when it dies from frost before you remember that it’s still outside. Hopefully it didn’t drown this week. Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Jody Banaszak will demonstrate fall flower arranging. Reminder: Election night.
Saturday, November 7, 2009, 9:00 AM-Until We’re Done, is the date for putting the Terry Street garden to bed. Bring your essential tools, gloves, and lots of enthusiasm. Come for as much time as you can spare because many hands make light work.
Sunday, November 8, 2009, 9:00 AM-Until We’re Done, is the rain date for putting the garden to bed.
Important note: We will not meet again until January 26, 2010.
September Meeting in a Flash
We’re back at the Hagerman fire house after a lovely summer of meeting in gardens. Our first speaker of the season was “The Garden Lady”, Lynn Thompson, gave a talk and slide presentation illustrating some of the basic design principles such as shape, texture, and focal points. She says many of us dream of a beautiful garden but don’t know where to begin, so she aimed to show us how.
Reminder: Dues are to be paid by 31 March 2010 (Really, 2010? Scarier than a bat!). The board has voted on a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership would be $20 and a couple would be $25.
If you haven’t already signed on to help out, see Georgia and Arlene volunteering for the Think Spring Luncheon. They are looking for raffle baskets as well as gift certificates from local businesses. The committee will meet every Monday at 1:00 PM beginning in January.
A Tropical Invitation
In response to Frank Lerantini’s generous invitation to the Garden Club, several members visited his Mastic garden. Although we initially had some difficulty finding it, when we spotted the big banana tree in the front yard, we knew we had come to the right place. And the banana tree (only five years old) was just the beginning. The garden seemed to go on forever, crammed with tropical and non-tropical specimens. Frank’s pleasure in gardening and loving attention to his plants was clearly evident. Thank you to Frank for a lovely tour.
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
A Guy’s Guide to Gardening by Kate Elizabeth Queram
Last weekend, I went to a party and watched a guy and girl engaged in
conversation across from me. They were smiling, heads together, and when I got up to refill my drink and caught a snippet of their talk, I was surprised to hear that they were talking tomatoes. Specifically, her troubles growing them in her garden. “I’m having trouble with the wiring,” she said. “And I’m never sure how much to water them.” “Well, it’s not too complicated,” replied the guy, who had mentioned earlier that he’d been growing his own veggies for several years. “I could come over and show you, if you want.” They exchanged numbers. I looked around to see if anyone else found this surprising, but no one batted an eye. Maybe that’s because vegetable gardens, with their inherent healthy, green and money-saving qualities, are incredibly popular right now. It makes sense, then, that the male gardener would wear his healthy, thrifty green thumb as a badge of honor; I just hadn’t considered the idea until right then. It seems I was in the minority. For some guys, assuming the traditionally masculine role of provider contributes to the appeal of gardening. Dan Link, a manager at my gym, began his garden three years ago with potted tomatoes and herbs, a venture that’s now blossomed into a 60 x40-footplot, growing everything from corn and cauliflower to jalapenos and sweet basil. Initially, he said, he was attracted to the challenge of gardening, but now the draw lies in knowing he’s capable of providing for himself without anyone else's help. “It gives you a level of confidence that you can be independent,” Dan said. “You don’t have to rely on someone else to provide you with food. And I just find enjoyment in being able to see something develop from a seed to a harvestable asset.” Growing his own food also means he doesn’t have to head to the store as often, which Dan estimated saves him several hundred dollars per month. “A $200 investment can yield $1,800 in crops,” he said. In fact, 54% of new gardeners say they’re primarily interested in saving money, according to the NGA. While the tangible benefits of gardening are inarguable), perhaps one of its greatest assets is an intangible —the effect that the male gardener has on women. I’ll admit that I hadn’t really considered this before seeing it in front of me at last week’s party. According to Molly Merrick, a 25-year-old clinical social worker from Massachusetts, the idea of dating a gardener is immensely appealing. “I like what a garden represents: nurturing and commitment,” she said. “Gardeners make something from nothing. I like that. I also like the idea of a guy who’s dirty from working the soil. You want to give him a bath and then make him dirty again in a whole new way.” The only time Molly’s ever gardened was when her mother made her, she added, but she’s infatuated with the idea of having a gardener boyfriend and everything it implies. “He can grow me things! He can go nurture the little seeds. Meanwhile, I will sit in the grass nearby and read, and when things grow, I will cook the veggies for us to eat. By the way,” she added, “I’m single and I have a backyard.” [Richard wants you to know these days you can find info on gardening most everywhere, even at www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=78281.
New York Times, September 3, 2009
IN THE GARDEN: Restoring Manhattan as It Once Was
By Anne Raver
IN 1609, when the English explorer Henry Hudson sailed the river that would be named after him, he looked out on an island of hilly forest and wetlands teeming with wildlife. Four hundred years later, that paradise has been crushed by steel and concrete, with pockets of green made up mostly of exotic plants like Norway maples and English ivy But a patch of that lost landscape, so eloquently described by the Mannahatta Project (themannahattaproject.org), is evoked by a 2,200-square-foot native woodland garden being planted at Schwartz Plaza next to the Bobst Library on the New York University campus, just south of Washington Square. There, beneath the lindens and Japanese pagoda trees, are sweeps of native ferns, columbine and wild ginger. Young beech seedlings are barely taller than the mayapples. “We’re not trying to recreate a woodland, it’s a stylized version of a woodland,” said George Reis, N.Y.U.’s supervisor of sustainable landscapes, who became a gardener at the university in 1995. He knew nothing about gardening, but the job included free tuition. “I couldn’t identify English ivy,” he said. “I came to study Portuguese literature.” Nevertheless, he took a few classes at the New York Botanical Garden. And one day he heard Darrel Morrison, a landscape architect renowned for his use of native plants, speak at Columbia University. “It was all about making a design suited for a specific place,” said Mr. Reis, 42. “How can we evoke the natural history and even the social history of that place through design?” He started changing a few areas around campus, replacing the English ivy and leggy boxwoods in front of the admissions building with native azaleas that bloomed at graduation, and filling the sunny expanse around the sports center with swamp mallows and sea oats.
The Mannahatta Project also inspired him to imagine Manhattan before the rest of the world landed here with its seeds and its culture. And when the class of 2008 put out a call for a worthy project for its $25,000 legacy gift, Mr. Reis submitted a proposal — for a native woodland garden designed by Mr. Morrison. The idea won hands down over a proposal for plasma TV’s for the gym.
So this spring, Mr. Reis and Mr. Morrison, with the help of a small student crew, began planting 2,000 plants that were all thriving on Manhattan in the 17th century. Beneath the lindens and a Japanese maple, sweeps of hay-scented ferns undulate against waves of New York ferns, interrupted ferns and Christmas ferns, each species planted en masse to accentuate subtle differences in shape, texture and color. Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), a shrub that once turned the Eastern woods white with its blossoms in early spring, signaling that it was safe to journey into the mountains to hold services for those who had died in the winter, will bloom next spring over wild columbine and bloodroot. A handful of American beech seedlings, grown from local seed by the Greenbelt Native Plant Center, on Staten Island, were only a foot tall. But those little trees are a sign that this urban native landscape is already taking hold.
Why not put a little Mannahatta in your own shady backyard, terrace or tiny front yard that faces the street? Columbine, wood phlox and wild geranium would do well in a small yard, in light to full shade, Mr. Morrison said, and would also work in large pots. Bearberry, a low, rambling evergreen with pink or white flowers in the spring and red berries in summer, is a good ground cover for a sunny, sandy space. Partridge berry, another low-growing evergreen with red berries, prefers fertile soil and shade. Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
A Guy’s Guide to Gardening by Kate Elizabeth Queram
Last weekend, I went to a party and watched a guy and girl engaged in
conversation across from me. They were smiling, heads together, and when I got up to refill my drink and caught a snippet of their talk, I was surprised to hear that they were talking tomatoes. Specifically, her troubles growing them in her garden. “I’m having trouble with the wiring,” she said. “And I’m never sure how much to water them.” “Well, it’s not too complicated,” replied the guy, who had mentioned earlier that he’d been growing his own veggies for several years. “I could come over and show you, if you want.” They exchanged numbers. I looked around to see if anyone else found this surprising, but no one batted an eye. Maybe that’s because vegetable gardens, with their inherent healthy, green and money-saving qualities, are incredibly popular right now. It makes sense, then, that the male gardener would wear his healthy, thrifty green thumb as a badge of honor; I just hadn’t considered the idea until right then. It seems I was in the minority. For some guys, assuming the traditionally masculine role of provider contributes to the appeal of gardening. Dan Link, a manager at my gym, began his garden three years ago with potted tomatoes and herbs, a venture that’s now blossomed into a 60 x40-footplot, growing everything from corn and cauliflower to jalapenos and sweet basil. Initially, he said, he was attracted to the challenge of gardening, but now the draw lies in knowing he’s capable of providing for himself without anyone else's help. “It gives you a level of confidence that you can be independent,” Dan said. “You don’t have to rely on someone else to provide you with food. And I just find enjoyment in being able to see something develop from a seed to a harvestable asset.” Growing his own food also means he doesn’t have to head to the store as often, which Dan estimated saves him several hundred dollars per month. “A $200 investment can yield $1,800 in crops,” he said. In fact, 54% of new gardeners say they’re primarily interested in saving money, according to the NGA. While the tangible benefits of gardening are inarguable), perhaps one of its greatest assets is an intangible —the effect that the male gardener has on women. I’ll admit that I hadn’t really considered this before seeing it in front of me at last week’s party. According to Molly Merrick, a 25-year-old clinical social worker from Massachusetts, the idea of dating a gardener is immensely appealing. “I like what a garden represents: nurturing and commitment,” she said. “Gardeners make something from nothing. I like that. I also like the idea of a guy who’s dirty from working the soil. You want to give him a bath and then make him dirty again in a whole new way.” The only time Molly’s ever gardened was when her mother made her, she added, but she’s infatuated with the idea of having a gardener boyfriend and everything it implies. “He can grow me things! He can go nurture the little seeds. Meanwhile, I will sit in the grass nearby and read, and when things grow, I will cook the veggies for us to eat. By the way,” she added, “I’m single and I have a backyard.” [Richard wants you to know these days you can find info on gardening most everywhere, even at www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=78281.
New York Times, September 3, 2009
IN THE GARDEN: Restoring Manhattan as It Once Was
By Anne Raver
IN 1609, when the English explorer Henry Hudson sailed the river that would be named after him, he looked out on an island of hilly forest and wetlands teeming with wildlife. Four hundred years later, that paradise has been crushed by steel and concrete, with pockets of green made up mostly of exotic plants like Norway maples and English ivy But a patch of that lost landscape, so eloquently described by the Mannahatta Project (themannahattaproject.org), is evoked by a 2,200-square-foot native woodland garden being planted at Schwartz Plaza next to the Bobst Library on the New York University campus, just south of Washington Square. There, beneath the lindens and Japanese pagoda trees, are sweeps of native ferns, columbine and wild ginger. Young beech seedlings are barely taller than the mayapples. “We’re not trying to recreate a woodland, it’s a stylized version of a woodland,” said George Reis, N.Y.U.’s supervisor of sustainable landscapes, who became a gardener at the university in 1995. He knew nothing about gardening, but the job included free tuition. “I couldn’t identify English ivy,” he said. “I came to study Portuguese literature.” Nevertheless, he took a few classes at the New York Botanical Garden. And one day he heard Darrel Morrison, a landscape architect renowned for his use of native plants, speak at Columbia University. “It was all about making a design suited for a specific place,” said Mr. Reis, 42. “How can we evoke the natural history and even the social history of that place through design?” He started changing a few areas around campus, replacing the English ivy and leggy boxwoods in front of the admissions building with native azaleas that bloomed at graduation, and filling the sunny expanse around the sports center with swamp mallows and sea oats.
The Mannahatta Project also inspired him to imagine Manhattan before the rest of the world landed here with its seeds and its culture. And when the class of 2008 put out a call for a worthy project for its $25,000 legacy gift, Mr. Reis submitted a proposal — for a native woodland garden designed by Mr. Morrison. The idea won hands down over a proposal for plasma TV’s for the gym.
So this spring, Mr. Reis and Mr. Morrison, with the help of a small student crew, began planting 2,000 plants that were all thriving on Manhattan in the 17th century. Beneath the lindens and a Japanese maple, sweeps of hay-scented ferns undulate against waves of New York ferns, interrupted ferns and Christmas ferns, each species planted en masse to accentuate subtle differences in shape, texture and color. Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), a shrub that once turned the Eastern woods white with its blossoms in early spring, signaling that it was safe to journey into the mountains to hold services for those who had died in the winter, will bloom next spring over wild columbine and bloodroot. A handful of American beech seedlings, grown from local seed by the Greenbelt Native Plant Center, on Staten Island, were only a foot tall. But those little trees are a sign that this urban native landscape is already taking hold.
Why not put a little Mannahatta in your own shady backyard, terrace or tiny front yard that faces the street? Columbine, wood phlox and wild geranium would do well in a small yard, in light to full shade, Mr. Morrison said, and would also work in large pots. Bearberry, a low, rambling evergreen with pink or white flowers in the spring and red berries in summer, is a good ground cover for a sunny, sandy space. Partridge berry, another low-growing evergreen with red berries, prefers fertile soil and shade. Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
And since so many of you asked for it:
Paula’s Cheddar Cheese and Onion Pie
Buy or make according to you favorite recipe a 9” pie crust.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into very thin slices
2 1/2 cups strong farmhouse cheddar, coarsely grated
2 large eggs;
1/4 cup heavy cream
Leaves from 1 sprig thyme, finely chopped
Sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until softened. Add the apples and cook for a few minutes; they should not lose their texture. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, then add the grated cheese, 2 eggs, cream, thyme and salt and peppers to taste, mixing well. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9” pie pan and line with dough.
Add the cheese and onion filling. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8
Timely Tips for November
This is the best time to fertilize trees and shrubs.
Take advantage of fall sales and plant deciduous trees and shrubs throughout November.
Mulch perennials with evergreen boughs or straw to keep temp constant.
Clean out old annual and vegetable plants, fallen leaves, and perennial tops and compost them.
Winterize your mower or take it to the shop for cleaning and a tune-up.
Friday, September 18, 2009
September Newsletter
Guy’s Greetings
Pumpkins, gourds, and mums, oh my! All the makings for fall. Even though we lost a month of our summer to the rains, we now have a chance to enjoy some beautiful weather, the bounty of our gardens, and, hopefully, a few more days of Indian summer.
I am so looking forward to seeing each and every one of you at the Harvest Dinner on the new date, September 27th. It will be wonderful, as always, to close out the season on Great South Bay, breeze blowing, and the sinking sun glinting on the water. Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 7:00 PM, the autumnal solstice, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Our speaker will be The Garden Lady, Lynn Thompson, on basic landscape design.
Many of us dream of a beautiful garden, but don’t know where to begin. We thumb through catalogs and read books, but are confused by the myriad of choices. We have questions galore. Should I move that shrub? How can I camouflage the chain link fence? Maybe I should put an island bed in the lawn, but where and how big should it be? Well, help is on the way. Lynn Thomson, “The Garden Lady”, will give a talk and slide presentation to show you some of the basic design principles such as shape, texture and focal points. You can make your garden an interesting personal space. Come and see how.
Sunday, September 27, 2009, 4:00 PM, our Harvest Dinner at the Patchogue Beach Club on Maiden Lane just west of South Ocean Avenue. Please bring a dish to share, your choice of appetizer, main course, or dessert. Wine and soda will be provided again by the club. If you are attending, please RSVP to Diane Voland by email, ddjr5418@aol.com, or phone, 758-7350. Please leave a message no later than September 25.
August Meeting in a Flash
We met at Guy’s garden and had a lovely time looking at the pond, flower and vegetable gardens, and the beautiful chickens.
Everyone was given a reminder that dues are to be paid by March 31, 2010. The Board has voted on a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership would be $20 and a couple would be $25.
Arlene will make the arrangements for the Harvest Dinner; please contact her to help out with setup and decorating. Carla will get info on a guitarist to play.
Georgia and Arlene are asking for basket donations or something that can be used in a basket for the Think Spring Luncheon. They are also looking for gift certificates from local businesses. The committee will meet every Monday at 1:00 PM beginning in January. A preliminary meeting will be held in September or October. A quilt show is planned for the luncheon.
Mary Ann said we have four definite houses and are looking for two more for the Christmas House Tour on December 13, 1:00-5:00 PM.
Paula reported the Garden Tour Committee has seen eight gardens thus far as possible candidates for next year’s tour.
Carolyn gave a detailed presentation about club T-shirts. We can order tees, crew-neck sweatshirts, or zip hoodies in many different colors with our logo. Your name is optional. See Carolyn to order.
One wonderful offshoot of inflation's erosion of the weekly paycheck has been a remarkable revival of backyard vegetable gardens. Suburbanites are off calla lilies and into cauliflower, and even city pueblo inhabitants are buying pots and kits to grow their own sprouts. It reminds me of the delight my father took in every meal that featured vegetables from our own garden. We boys found them considerably less so, because their care was one of several jobs that earned us our inconsiderable allowances. His inspection of our efforts every Sunday made the day almost as dismal as did our required church attendance. It took us years to develop a fondness for vegetables.
~ Malcolm Forbes (1975)
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Trees take on Toxins: BNL researches plants to fight pollutants
By Jennifer Smith jennifer.smith@newsday.com
Inside a greenhouse at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a potential remedy for pollution from Long Island's industrial and military past grows in orderly rows.
Slender hybrid poplars planted earlier this year by Lee Newman, an associate biochemist at the lab, now stand at eye level. Bred to grow fast and thirsty, they can suck up groundwater fouled with industrial solvents and then break the toxins down inside the plant tissue.
The approach is called phytoremediation: using plants to contain, remove or destroy toxins. It's been used to help clean sites tainted by dry-cleaning fluid, heavy metals and gasoline - all common pollutants across Long Island.
From trees to vegetables and even ferns, different plants are used to address different environmental pollutants. And they do it "naturally," Newman said, "without having to resort to excavation and incineration of the contaminated material."
In Suffolk, county officials are considering using plants to detoxify soil at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, contaminated about an acre at the southeast corner of the property, where electrical transformers were buried decades earlier during the site's use by the military. Following manual removal of the worst "hot spots," Newman and a colleague have proposed sowing zucchini and pumpkin plants. Their roots can extract PCBs from soil and take them up into plant tissue.
"It's a green alternative," said Carrie Meek Gallagher, Suffolk commissioner for environment and energy. "I think it would be a great pilot project."
Still an emerging technology, phytoremediation has been used with some success over the past decade at dozens of military, agricultural and industrial sites across the country. In some cases, phytoremediation can be two to three times cheaper than traditional treatments. That’s part of the appeal for Suffolk County, which has allocated $361,000 to clean up PCB’s at Gabreski Airport. It is less invasive and helps control erosion and dust emission. So why isn’t the practice more widespread on Long Island?
Plants are not the answer for every hazardous waste headache, particularly when pollution is severe or poses an imminent risk to human health. Plants have to be able to access the pollution. The water table is 50 to 100 feet below the surface in parts of Long Island—far too deep for plant roots to reach, said Jim Harrington of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Still, the DEC has not ruled out phytoremediation as a tool for future cleanups across the state. “We’re still looking at it, and we will pick it when we have the right fit.”
Mark Jeffers Shares No-Dig Secrets for a Carefree Garden
Something magical happens when compost kisses your garden soil.
It energizes your soil with fertility-boosting nutrients. It fluffs up your soil, making it easier to work in. It vaccinates your soil against disease. It preserves life-giving moisture. And it actually invigorates the soil with thousands of beneficial life forms to enrich and protect your garden.
And that's just for starters!
• Imagine a no-work "comforter" composting system that works IN your garden! No more back-breaking wheelbarrowing…no more turning or mixing…no more wasted effort. Instead, you have compost exactly where you need it to be for the most powerful results.
• Imagine Grow Heaps you prepare in just minutes in the fall, and magically, some of the healthiest, most disease-resistant tomatoes, squash, watermelons, and more automatically leap from your garden bed the following spring.
• Imagine a hot-burning "banner batch" that yields black, fluffy, almost velvety compost that's perfect for potting soil or for your prized flower beds – in just a few weeks time.
Well, imagine no more. With the all new, full color step-by-step guide, you’ll discover astonishingly innovative techniques that take traditional composting methods to dramatic new levels that are easier to use and more practical to apply in your garden. For example...
• Turn that idle garbage heap in the back of your yard into a vibrant tool to create new growing space…solve garden problems…host beneficial insects…and invigorate soil all year!
• Trade in all the laborious work of old composting methods for much simpler ways that take little or no effort and guarantee garden-boosting results every time.
• Solve the puzzle of what you can and can't compost when you know about surprising compostable ingredients – and how they can make an amazingly powerful difference in your garden.
These simple composting secrets mean less digging…less mulching…less weeding…and less watering. You'll actually work less and enjoy your garden more! Amazing new uses for compost with step-by-step advice to help you fight weeds…attract beneficial insects…start up new plants…and more. See how simple it is to use compost to loosen up hard, clay soil…plant a bed on a sloping site…fill in erosion-washed ditches…and perk up tired flowers, trees, and shrubs.
Pleasant, Barbara. “The complete compost gardening guide: banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing the most flavorful, nutritious vegetables ever”, Barbara Pleasant & Deborah L. Martin. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, c2008. Available new and used from Amazon or by Suffolk County Library Interlibrary Loan.
Timely Tips for October
Now is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs until the ground freezes.
Water evergreens well, especially the broadleaf ones, to prevent winter injury.
Plant bulbs for indoor forcing this month. Dig up and store tender bulbs.
Plant/transplant deciduous trees and shrubs; water and mulch well.
Plant garlic and shallots for harvest next August.
Trim dead, broken, diseased branches from trees and shrubs.
Cut back plants that have grown onto walks, drives, or patios.
When you get right down to it, as sooner of later you must, gardening is a long-drawn-out war of attrition against the elements, a tripartite agreement involving the animal, insect and bird worlds and the occasional sheer perversity of Nature.
~ Alan Melville
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
August Newsletter
Guy’s Greetings
We’ve been enjoying the bounty of our fruit and vegetable gardens, and I hope those of you who also grow food are having a great harvest. For those of you who don’t, I hope you have good friends who do and are sharing with you.
Much is going on at 36 Grove. Up to my armpits in mulch, can’t wait to see all of you at the meeting in our garden next week and show you the results of our labors!
Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 6:00 PM, general meeting at the sensational garden of Guy Vitale and Mark Jeffers, 36 Grove Avenue, East Patchogue. Bring a chair to be assured of a place to sit.
Thursday, September 9, 2009, Bayard Cutting Arboretum Sunflower Contest; Tom Stemler, Daisy Garden, will be there to judge entries. There will be 8 winners: First, Second & Third Prizes for Large and Small entries and Most Unusual/Whimsical - Large & Small. Entries can be live flowers or photos (please try to include a ruler to estimate flower size).
Jessica Damiano, Newsday’s Garden Detective, at 7:30 PM.
Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, 2009, Fall Festival at Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 440 Montauk Highway, Great River, NY 11739. 631.581.1002. The club will have a display at the event.
July Meeting in a Flash
The September project for the Fall Festival at Bayard Cutting Arboretum was discussed. Mary Ann Tchinnis is chairing the committee . Volunteers are still welcome. The theme selected is “ A Magical Autumn Dinner in the Garden “. Carol Reitz briefly discussed plans for the project. The show is open on September 12 and 13, 2009.
Carol Tvelia handed out copies of the latest financial report. A second CD for the Winona is on hold at present and the money is sitting in our savings account. The club is considering two scholarships next year.
Arlene Lamberti said that the Parks and Recreation Department has seaweed available down by the Village pool behind the Crab Shack.
Plants of the Month
Now is the time to buy and plant a small group of fall blooming bulbs.
Colchicums: C. 'Waterlily', C. 'Lilac Wonder', C. 'Giant
Fall Blooming Crocus: C. sativus, C. speciosus, C. speciousus 'Albus'
Did You Know?
You can force rhubarb early in the year by placing an open-ended box with a glass or plastic cover over a sprouting clump. For winter production inside, cut off a piece of root with a couple of buds, then plant in an 8- or 10-inch pot. Leave it outdoors for a few freezes, then move it into the basement or garage. In two- to three months, you can harvest it. Then replant into the garden in spring. Green-stemmed varieties such as ‘Victoria’ are the most sweet and tender, but the red are more decorative (‘Canada Red’, ‘McDonald’, ‘Valentine’). Look also for non-edible species with brilliant leaf colors.
Serious Dirt From Richard Waldman
The Times Online (UK) 18 August '09 Carnivorous Nepenthes by Chris Smyth
Nepenthes attenboroughii is so big that small rodents could be trapped inside and dissolved by flesh-eating enzymes. He may be best known for his mellifluous tones and gentle manner, but for one group of botanists Sir David Attenborough clearly conjures up different associations. Explorers who discovered a new species of giant rodent-eating carnivorous plant have named it after the TV naturalist. A previously unknown variety of pitcher plant discovered on a remote mountain in the Philippines, it is so big that small rodents could be trapped inside and slowly dissolved by flesh-eating enzymes. It is thought that only a few hundred of the plants exist, growing only on one mountain on the island of Palawan. The species was discovered by a team of scientists who had heard reports from missionaries who got lost in the dense jungle.
Stewart McPherson, Alastair Robinson and Volker Heinrich decided to name the plant after Sir David as an “expression of gratitude” for his decades of work celebrating the natural world. He has inspired a generation into protecting the world and developing greater understanding diversity of the planet,” Mr McPherson said. “We really wanted to name this particular plant after him as an expression of gratitude. This is a very special one because its so big, there’s really been nothing found like it for a long time.” Sir David told The Times that it was a great honour to have the species named after him. He said that the members of the nepenthes family were “very dramatic plants. I’ve always thought they are remarkable things, very elegant and charming.”
Mr McPherson said it was likely that the new species occasionally digested rats and mice. “It is without a shadow of a doubt big enough,” he said. “I found a species in Borneo with pitchers half the size with dead mice in it.” Nepenthes rajah, the only species of pitcher plant bigger than N. attenboroughii, has been known to digest rodents since the British naturalist Spencer St John was astonished to discover a drowned rat in a specimen in Borneo in 1862. Sir David featured that species in his early TV series Zoo Quest and also The Private Life of Plants in 1995. “I’ve seen them in the wild a bit, mostly in Borneo. They’re lovely things,” he said. The naturalist already has several species named after him, including a spiny anteater in New Guinea, a rare tree in Ecuador and a marine reptile, the Attenborosaurus, that lived during the Jurassic period. But he downplayed the scientific significance of such names. “You have to have names for things and you run out after a bit,” he said. “It’s just a compliment, but it’s very nice to receive compliments." Mr McPherson has spent the past three years cataloguing the 120 known nepenthes species. N. attenboroughii was discovered in 2007 but formally described only this year. Mr McPherson mounted an expedition after hearing about missionaries who tried to climb the mountain on Palawan in 2000 to install a radio relay station. They got lost in the uncharted jungle and had to be flown out after 13 days without food. They reported seeing giant pitcher plants on the mountain and Mr McPherson said he was trying to follow up on that lead. He believes that the expedition discovered about 30 new species, only a few of which have been published.
Paula’s Road Trip: Pat and Don’s Pumpkin Patch Farm Stand, 142 LI Avenue, Yaphank
Oh, YUMMY! … Finally! We now have LOCAL CORN!!
As a rule, we don't procrastinate. How could we? We run a seasonal farm stand. But if you do procrastinate and you've neglected to plant or the deer have eaten everything, don't fret..it's not too late. Stop in and we'll help you pick out something.
The blueberries are in bloom, good thing! Now is the time for plums, peaches and nectarines too. These are the real McCoy...supermarket imitations don't come close,don't bother.(Did we just say "imitation"? We sincerely apologize for our bad attitude. From now on, we pledge to keep our opinions to ourselves.)
Now is also the time for local grown lettuce and veggies. We’ve got radishes, carrots, scallions, broccoli, cauliflower, swiss chard, beans and rhubarb, just to name a few. Don’t know what to do with rhubarb? Don’t worry, we’ve got some recipes for you here at the farm stand. And not just for rhubarb. Ask us how to make something!
We’ve also got fresh herbs including basil, parsley, arugula, dill and cilantro. Our resident potter, Jill Fine of glazedOver, has handmade some very charming herb garden stakes that you can purchase to add extra rustic charm to your garden. See you all soon! 631-924-7444 http://pumpkinpatchfarmstand.com/
We Accept Special Orders.
This Is A List Of What We Carry Through Out The Season:
Flowers
Bedding Plants: May To July
Annuals (Over 100 Varieties)
Vegetables (Over 100 Varieties)
Hanging Baskets
Potted Plants (4 ½ “ To 16”)
Local Home Grown Vegetables
Strawberries: May To June
Lettuce: Up To 8 Varieties May To November
Corn: July To October
Tomatoes: August To October
Plum Tomatoes: August To September
Apples: August To November
Peaches: July To October
Fresh Herbs: June To November
Beans: June To October
Summer Squash: June To October
Winter Squash: August To November
Many Other Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Too
Numerous To Mention Are Available From May-Nov
Perennials
A Large Selection Of Full Sun To Shade Plants, Grasses (From May To August) And Mums In The Fall
Potted Herbs
A Full Line Of Medicinal, Ornamental, and Cooking Herbs In Various Size Pots
Local Made Cheeses
Del Fiore’s Fresh Home Made Mozzarella
Catapano’s Fresh Home Made Chevre Goat Cheese
Pies
Harvest Apple, Apple Caramel Walnut, Apple Cranberry, Peach, Peach Blueberry, Peach Praline, Peach Melba, Blueberry, Lemon Blueberry, Very Berry, Blackberry, Red Raspberry, Cherry, Cherry Vanilla, Black Cherry, Apricot Orange Glaze and Strawberry Rhubarb
Condiments To Enhance Food Flavor
Barbecue And Steak Sauce, Chipotle, Salsas,
Pumpkin Patch Salad Dressings, Hot Sauces,
Jams And Jellies And New York State Local Honey. Holey Moses Cheesecakes
Original, Oreo Cookie, Heathbar Crunch, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Marble, Bailey's Irish Cream, Amaretto, White Russian, Blueberry, Key Lime, Pineapple, Raspberry Almond, Strawberry, Cherry, Lemon, and Chocolate and Vanilla Sugar Free
Rocky Point Bread
Delivered Fresh Daily
Yard And Garden Accessories
Statues, Shepherd Hooks, Bird Houses, Planters
Wide Selection Of Frogs And Gnomes, And Painted Slates
Large Selection Of Fall And Halloween Merchandise
Members' Page
Joanna Drake has dig-your-own strawberry plants. Make arrangements with her at 375-8433.
Thanks to Mary Ann Tchinnis: God’s Thoughts on Lawns
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANK: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANK: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it -sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANK: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANK: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANK: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANK: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANK: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANK: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST FRANK: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a movie about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Richard Waldman thinks you should check out the Home Made Simple site that brings you tips, recipes, expert advice, and other solutions for easy living! http://www.homemadesimple.com/en_US/nbrcontent.do?contentType=op&articleId=ar085&subscriber=1
Timely Tips for September
Plant or move broad & narrow-leaved evergreens; soak after planting & mulch.
Now is a good time for fertilize your lawn (see page 5 for more on this subject)
Divide and plant early-blooming perennials, especially overgrown ones.
If your soil hasn’t been tested for pH for 3 years, do it now.
Pot up parsley and chives for fresh herbs throughout the winter.
Compost leaves as they start falling.
Prevent disease next year by cleaning up any infected leaves, twigs, flowers,fruits.
Autumnal Solstice, September 22, 2009, 5:18 PM EDT
"Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!"
- Night An'Fey, Transformation of Energy
We’ve been enjoying the bounty of our fruit and vegetable gardens, and I hope those of you who also grow food are having a great harvest. For those of you who don’t, I hope you have good friends who do and are sharing with you.
Much is going on at 36 Grove. Up to my armpits in mulch, can’t wait to see all of you at the meeting in our garden next week and show you the results of our labors!
Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 6:00 PM, general meeting at the sensational garden of Guy Vitale and Mark Jeffers, 36 Grove Avenue, East Patchogue. Bring a chair to be assured of a place to sit.
Thursday, September 9, 2009, Bayard Cutting Arboretum Sunflower Contest; Tom Stemler, Daisy Garden, will be there to judge entries. There will be 8 winners: First, Second & Third Prizes for Large and Small entries and Most Unusual/Whimsical - Large & Small. Entries can be live flowers or photos (please try to include a ruler to estimate flower size).
Jessica Damiano, Newsday’s Garden Detective, at 7:30 PM.
Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, 2009, Fall Festival at Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 440 Montauk Highway, Great River, NY 11739. 631.581.1002. The club will have a display at the event.
July Meeting in a Flash
The September project for the Fall Festival at Bayard Cutting Arboretum was discussed. Mary Ann Tchinnis is chairing the committee . Volunteers are still welcome. The theme selected is “ A Magical Autumn Dinner in the Garden “. Carol Reitz briefly discussed plans for the project. The show is open on September 12 and 13, 2009.
Carol Tvelia handed out copies of the latest financial report. A second CD for the Winona is on hold at present and the money is sitting in our savings account. The club is considering two scholarships next year.
Arlene Lamberti said that the Parks and Recreation Department has seaweed available down by the Village pool behind the Crab Shack.
Plants of the Month
Now is the time to buy and plant a small group of fall blooming bulbs.
Colchicums: C. 'Waterlily', C. 'Lilac Wonder', C. 'Giant
Fall Blooming Crocus: C. sativus, C. speciosus, C. speciousus 'Albus'
Did You Know?
You can force rhubarb early in the year by placing an open-ended box with a glass or plastic cover over a sprouting clump. For winter production inside, cut off a piece of root with a couple of buds, then plant in an 8- or 10-inch pot. Leave it outdoors for a few freezes, then move it into the basement or garage. In two- to three months, you can harvest it. Then replant into the garden in spring. Green-stemmed varieties such as ‘Victoria’ are the most sweet and tender, but the red are more decorative (‘Canada Red’, ‘McDonald’, ‘Valentine’). Look also for non-edible species with brilliant leaf colors.
Serious Dirt From Richard Waldman
The Times Online (UK) 18 August '09 Carnivorous Nepenthes by Chris Smyth
Nepenthes attenboroughii is so big that small rodents could be trapped inside and dissolved by flesh-eating enzymes. He may be best known for his mellifluous tones and gentle manner, but for one group of botanists Sir David Attenborough clearly conjures up different associations. Explorers who discovered a new species of giant rodent-eating carnivorous plant have named it after the TV naturalist. A previously unknown variety of pitcher plant discovered on a remote mountain in the Philippines, it is so big that small rodents could be trapped inside and slowly dissolved by flesh-eating enzymes. It is thought that only a few hundred of the plants exist, growing only on one mountain on the island of Palawan. The species was discovered by a team of scientists who had heard reports from missionaries who got lost in the dense jungle.
Stewart McPherson, Alastair Robinson and Volker Heinrich decided to name the plant after Sir David as an “expression of gratitude” for his decades of work celebrating the natural world. He has inspired a generation into protecting the world and developing greater understanding diversity of the planet,” Mr McPherson said. “We really wanted to name this particular plant after him as an expression of gratitude. This is a very special one because its so big, there’s really been nothing found like it for a long time.” Sir David told The Times that it was a great honour to have the species named after him. He said that the members of the nepenthes family were “very dramatic plants. I’ve always thought they are remarkable things, very elegant and charming.”
Mr McPherson said it was likely that the new species occasionally digested rats and mice. “It is without a shadow of a doubt big enough,” he said. “I found a species in Borneo with pitchers half the size with dead mice in it.” Nepenthes rajah, the only species of pitcher plant bigger than N. attenboroughii, has been known to digest rodents since the British naturalist Spencer St John was astonished to discover a drowned rat in a specimen in Borneo in 1862. Sir David featured that species in his early TV series Zoo Quest and also The Private Life of Plants in 1995. “I’ve seen them in the wild a bit, mostly in Borneo. They’re lovely things,” he said. The naturalist already has several species named after him, including a spiny anteater in New Guinea, a rare tree in Ecuador and a marine reptile, the Attenborosaurus, that lived during the Jurassic period. But he downplayed the scientific significance of such names. “You have to have names for things and you run out after a bit,” he said. “It’s just a compliment, but it’s very nice to receive compliments." Mr McPherson has spent the past three years cataloguing the 120 known nepenthes species. N. attenboroughii was discovered in 2007 but formally described only this year. Mr McPherson mounted an expedition after hearing about missionaries who tried to climb the mountain on Palawan in 2000 to install a radio relay station. They got lost in the uncharted jungle and had to be flown out after 13 days without food. They reported seeing giant pitcher plants on the mountain and Mr McPherson said he was trying to follow up on that lead. He believes that the expedition discovered about 30 new species, only a few of which have been published.
Paula’s Road Trip: Pat and Don’s Pumpkin Patch Farm Stand, 142 LI Avenue, Yaphank
Oh, YUMMY! … Finally! We now have LOCAL CORN!!
As a rule, we don't procrastinate. How could we? We run a seasonal farm stand. But if you do procrastinate and you've neglected to plant or the deer have eaten everything, don't fret..it's not too late. Stop in and we'll help you pick out something.
The blueberries are in bloom, good thing! Now is the time for plums, peaches and nectarines too. These are the real McCoy...supermarket imitations don't come close,don't bother.(Did we just say "imitation"? We sincerely apologize for our bad attitude. From now on, we pledge to keep our opinions to ourselves.)
Now is also the time for local grown lettuce and veggies. We’ve got radishes, carrots, scallions, broccoli, cauliflower, swiss chard, beans and rhubarb, just to name a few. Don’t know what to do with rhubarb? Don’t worry, we’ve got some recipes for you here at the farm stand. And not just for rhubarb. Ask us how to make something!
We’ve also got fresh herbs including basil, parsley, arugula, dill and cilantro. Our resident potter, Jill Fine of glazedOver, has handmade some very charming herb garden stakes that you can purchase to add extra rustic charm to your garden. See you all soon! 631-924-7444 http://pumpkinpatchfarmstand.com/
We Accept Special Orders.
This Is A List Of What We Carry Through Out The Season:
Flowers
Bedding Plants: May To July
Annuals (Over 100 Varieties)
Vegetables (Over 100 Varieties)
Hanging Baskets
Potted Plants (4 ½ “ To 16”)
Local Home Grown Vegetables
Strawberries: May To June
Lettuce: Up To 8 Varieties May To November
Corn: July To October
Tomatoes: August To October
Plum Tomatoes: August To September
Apples: August To November
Peaches: July To October
Fresh Herbs: June To November
Beans: June To October
Summer Squash: June To October
Winter Squash: August To November
Many Other Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Too
Numerous To Mention Are Available From May-Nov
Perennials
A Large Selection Of Full Sun To Shade Plants, Grasses (From May To August) And Mums In The Fall
Potted Herbs
A Full Line Of Medicinal, Ornamental, and Cooking Herbs In Various Size Pots
Local Made Cheeses
Del Fiore’s Fresh Home Made Mozzarella
Catapano’s Fresh Home Made Chevre Goat Cheese
Pies
Harvest Apple, Apple Caramel Walnut, Apple Cranberry, Peach, Peach Blueberry, Peach Praline, Peach Melba, Blueberry, Lemon Blueberry, Very Berry, Blackberry, Red Raspberry, Cherry, Cherry Vanilla, Black Cherry, Apricot Orange Glaze and Strawberry Rhubarb
Condiments To Enhance Food Flavor
Barbecue And Steak Sauce, Chipotle, Salsas,
Pumpkin Patch Salad Dressings, Hot Sauces,
Jams And Jellies And New York State Local Honey. Holey Moses Cheesecakes
Original, Oreo Cookie, Heathbar Crunch, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Marble, Bailey's Irish Cream, Amaretto, White Russian, Blueberry, Key Lime, Pineapple, Raspberry Almond, Strawberry, Cherry, Lemon, and Chocolate and Vanilla Sugar Free
Rocky Point Bread
Delivered Fresh Daily
Yard And Garden Accessories
Statues, Shepherd Hooks, Bird Houses, Planters
Wide Selection Of Frogs And Gnomes, And Painted Slates
Large Selection Of Fall And Halloween Merchandise
Members' Page
Joanna Drake has dig-your-own strawberry plants. Make arrangements with her at 375-8433.
Thanks to Mary Ann Tchinnis: God’s Thoughts on Lawns
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANK: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANK: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it -sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANK: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANK: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANK: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANK: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANK: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANK: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST FRANK: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a movie about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Richard Waldman thinks you should check out the Home Made Simple site that brings you tips, recipes, expert advice, and other solutions for easy living! http://www.homemadesimple.com/en_US/nbrcontent.do?contentType=op&articleId=ar085&subscriber=1
Timely Tips for September
Plant or move broad & narrow-leaved evergreens; soak after planting & mulch.
Now is a good time for fertilize your lawn (see page 5 for more on this subject)
Divide and plant early-blooming perennials, especially overgrown ones.
If your soil hasn’t been tested for pH for 3 years, do it now.
Pot up parsley and chives for fresh herbs throughout the winter.
Compost leaves as they start falling.
Prevent disease next year by cleaning up any infected leaves, twigs, flowers,fruits.
Autumnal Solstice, September 22, 2009, 5:18 PM EDT
"Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!"
- Night An'Fey, Transformation of Energy
Friday, July 24, 2009
July Newsletter
“All the dirt you need to know . . . and a whole lot more!
Guy’s Greetings
And summer at last! We’ve waited a long time for fine weather, and we got it in spades for the 9th Annual Garden Tour. The gardens and their gardeners were terrific and much appreciated by the visitors. The party following the tour was also a great success with plenty of camaraderie, yummy food and drink. And the music was even free.
Many thanks for a job well done to Paula Murphy and her committee: Karen Ferb, Jo Miller, Judy Zuck, Ann Rubbo, Mary Ann Tchinnis, Georgia Dulmovits, Arlene Lamberti, and Susan Toplitz. Thanks also to the garden sitters: Pauline Carleton, Rosalie Coleman, Georgia and John Dulmovits, Arlene Lamberti, Ruth Szuminskyj, Jo Miller, Carol Tvelia, Ann Rubbo, John and Barbara Gustafson, Millie Zimmerman, Barbara Bestafka, and Mark Jeffers. And last but not least, our crew of generous gardeners: Brian and Stephanie Anderson, Gail and Chris Hohwald, Frank Quatrale, and our own Angelo and June Petruccelli and Rocco and Camille Ida.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting at Sandra’s.
Enjoy your summer, Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6:00 PM, general meeting at the home and garden of club member Sandra Franco, 42 Bailey Avenue, Patchogue. Guy Vitale will be hosting the August meeting.
Garden Gazette Page 2
June Meeting in a Flash
Jo Miller introduced our host, Doug Steigerwald, proprietor of Long Island Flower Garden and Designscapes Landscaping on South Country Road, and a co-founder of our club. Doug helped to get the community garden started. Both he and Jo gave us a brief history of its beginnings. Another part of the reason for holding the meeting at this location was so that members could see the evergreen plantings, the remains of an old glass house entwined with wisteria, and the model conservatory room that are at the far end of the property that most people don’t know are there. http://www.liflowergarden.com/
The Plant and Yard Sale proceeds went to this year’s scholarship recipient Cady Bilski . She responded quickly with a nice thank you note.
We were all looking forward to the 9th Annual Garden Tour and party.
Garden Gazette Page 3
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Irish famine disease hits N.Y. gardens
Bill Cary: wcary@lohud.com
Home gardeners need to be on the lookout for a highly destructive and infectious fungal disease, late blight, that's destroying tomato and potato plants across the state and much of the Northeast--the same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s….Farmers are blaming the cool, wet June weather.
"This particular bout of late blight is definitely the worst I've ever seen," Algiere said. "And all the other farmers I've talked to are saying the same thing."
The fungus, Phytophthora infestans, is highly contagious because it spreads on airborne spores that can travel for miles.
"It's everywhere," said Dianne Olsen, horticultural educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam, which has a plot in the community garden run by the county parks department. "All of our tomatoes have been lost: totally, completely gone. They die in a week - it's just horrible. Once the leaves turn yellow, they're goners.
"I've heard that those folks who bought tomato seedlings in big-box stores and those giant nurseries are having the biggest problems," she said yesterday. Earlier this month, Bonnie Plants, a plant wholesaler based in Alabama, recalled about $1 million worth of possibly infected tomato plants from the stores it supplies, which include Wal-Mart, Lowe's and The Home Depot. People who grew tomatoes from seed seem to have escaped late blight problems so far, Olsen said.
"Not every variety has been affected in the same way," Algiere said. Some of the older heirloom varieties have shown surprisingly strong resistance to late blight, while newer varieties that he expected to be tougher have gone under.
Late blight symptoms on tomato leaves, stems or fruits are fairly dramatic and easy to spot. Look for nickel- to quarter-sized lesions that are olive-green or brown and look wet. Leaf or lesion edges may appear yellowish. When the lesions dry out, they may appear lime green or beige. The edge of the water-soaked lesion will be covered with white fungal growth that contains the contagious spores.
In potatoes, the disease destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. The Irish Potato Famine was the worst in Europe in the 19th century. About 1 million people died of related diseases and up to 1.5 million more left Ireland.
Petunias are closely related to tomatoes and potatoes and may be infected, too, with similar symptoms. It's important for homeowners with infected plants to destroy them quickly to avoid affecting commercial growers. The best way to stop the spread of late blight would be two weeks of dry weather with temperatures above 80 degrees, Algiere said. "Every time it rains or we have humidity above 50 percent, the incubation process happens quickly."
Those with infected plants can take steps in August to avoid problems next year, Olsen said.
"Cover the area with black plastic and let it bake in the August sun," she said. "This will help kill some of the organisms in the soil that were left over from the tomato plant roots.
"Next year, plant something else other than tomatoes or potatoes in the spot where you grew this year," she said.
Garden Gazette Page 4
Member’s Page
The Evolution of the Garden Gnome
By: Kelly Laffey [Thanks to Susan Toplitz via aol.com]
While gnomes have long adorned the lawns of avid gardeners, their reputation is more kitschy than cool. Can they have a resurgence? The traditional garden gnome is depicted as a tiny, bearded man who dons a colorful hat. According to folklore, gnomes come alive to tend to the gardens when no one is watching. For people who lack a green thumb, gnomes ensure the fertility of the land and vitality of the vegetation. Various sources attribute the first crafted garden gnomes, made by hand from terracotta clay, to ceramicists in Gräfenroda, Germany in the early-1800s. Gnomes spread quickly through Europe. Sir Charles Isham first brought the figurines to Great Britain in the 1840s. One of his original 21, affectionately called Lampy, still guards the gardens of the Isham estate in Northamptonshire. In 1997, Lampy was insured for 1 million pounds (about $1.6 million). Supply shortages during World War II briefly halted gnome production. When manufacturing resumed after the war, gnomes were more frequently made from plastic and resin than the traditional terracotta. More recently, some garden enthusiasts have snubbed the kitschy plastic creatures. The Royal Horticultural Society banned them years ago from the elite Chelsea Garden Show, though one high-profile RHS member managed to sneak her gnome in earlier this year. Although gnomes are still welcome in some gardens, their presence is further compromised by tongue-in-cheek organizations that pledge to free the gnomes from their punishing fates. According to the "Chief Liberator" of one such group, Free the Gnomes, who answered questions by email, "We find that peaceful negotiation is not always effective when facing pure unadulterated belligerent oppression... Many times citizens simply overlook the mistakes of their ways because they have been duped by a society that systemically tolerates and promoted gnome captivity." Uhhh, okay. Another organization, the Gnome Liberation Front, periodically carries out "mass liberations." The police, however, are quick to correct the movement’s choice of words and have arrested many "liberators" on counts of robbery.
"Gnoming," or the traveling gnome prank, involves removing a gnome from its leafy lair, bringing it on a trip, and photographing it in front of various landmarks. The pictures are then sent to the unfortunate gardener, whose prized floral arrangements have undoubtedly suffered in the gnome’s absence. Despite its origins as a garden laborer, today's gnome is also used as a symbol for carefree vacationing. Traveling gnomes have gained international attention as the commercial mascot [photo above left] of Travelocity and the underlying story in the Oscar-nominated film Amélie. With a more cosmopolitan view of the world, gnomes have updated their conventional hobbies of fishing and napping. Today they are commonly depicted pursuing a variety of activities, from sight-seeing to dancing.
Timely Tips for August
Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; new growth will not be winter hardy
Continue watering lawns thoroughly once a week during dry spells
Cut out berry canes that have just fruited
Begin planting fall crops: Beans, peas, beets, lettuce, spinach, chard
Perennials that have finished flowering shouldn’t be cut back all the way
Transplant and divide peonies, phlox, and daylilies
Cut and dry flowers that are suitable for winter bouquets
If you have bare lawn spots, spot seed between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15
"In August, the large masses of berries, which, when in flower, had attracted many wild bees, gradually assumed their bright velvety crimson hue, and by their weight again bent down and broke their tender limbs."- Henry David Thoreau
Guy’s Greetings
And summer at last! We’ve waited a long time for fine weather, and we got it in spades for the 9th Annual Garden Tour. The gardens and their gardeners were terrific and much appreciated by the visitors. The party following the tour was also a great success with plenty of camaraderie, yummy food and drink. And the music was even free.
Many thanks for a job well done to Paula Murphy and her committee: Karen Ferb, Jo Miller, Judy Zuck, Ann Rubbo, Mary Ann Tchinnis, Georgia Dulmovits, Arlene Lamberti, and Susan Toplitz. Thanks also to the garden sitters: Pauline Carleton, Rosalie Coleman, Georgia and John Dulmovits, Arlene Lamberti, Ruth Szuminskyj, Jo Miller, Carol Tvelia, Ann Rubbo, John and Barbara Gustafson, Millie Zimmerman, Barbara Bestafka, and Mark Jeffers. And last but not least, our crew of generous gardeners: Brian and Stephanie Anderson, Gail and Chris Hohwald, Frank Quatrale, and our own Angelo and June Petruccelli and Rocco and Camille Ida.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting at Sandra’s.
Enjoy your summer, Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6:00 PM, general meeting at the home and garden of club member Sandra Franco, 42 Bailey Avenue, Patchogue. Guy Vitale will be hosting the August meeting.
Garden Gazette Page 2
June Meeting in a Flash
Jo Miller introduced our host, Doug Steigerwald, proprietor of Long Island Flower Garden and Designscapes Landscaping on South Country Road, and a co-founder of our club. Doug helped to get the community garden started. Both he and Jo gave us a brief history of its beginnings. Another part of the reason for holding the meeting at this location was so that members could see the evergreen plantings, the remains of an old glass house entwined with wisteria, and the model conservatory room that are at the far end of the property that most people don’t know are there. http://www.liflowergarden.com/
The Plant and Yard Sale proceeds went to this year’s scholarship recipient Cady Bilski . She responded quickly with a nice thank you note.
We were all looking forward to the 9th Annual Garden Tour and party.
Garden Gazette Page 3
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Irish famine disease hits N.Y. gardens
Bill Cary: wcary@lohud.com
Home gardeners need to be on the lookout for a highly destructive and infectious fungal disease, late blight, that's destroying tomato and potato plants across the state and much of the Northeast--the same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s….Farmers are blaming the cool, wet June weather.
"This particular bout of late blight is definitely the worst I've ever seen," Algiere said. "And all the other farmers I've talked to are saying the same thing."
The fungus, Phytophthora infestans, is highly contagious because it spreads on airborne spores that can travel for miles.
"It's everywhere," said Dianne Olsen, horticultural educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam, which has a plot in the community garden run by the county parks department. "All of our tomatoes have been lost: totally, completely gone. They die in a week - it's just horrible. Once the leaves turn yellow, they're goners.
"I've heard that those folks who bought tomato seedlings in big-box stores and those giant nurseries are having the biggest problems," she said yesterday. Earlier this month, Bonnie Plants, a plant wholesaler based in Alabama, recalled about $1 million worth of possibly infected tomato plants from the stores it supplies, which include Wal-Mart, Lowe's and The Home Depot. People who grew tomatoes from seed seem to have escaped late blight problems so far, Olsen said.
"Not every variety has been affected in the same way," Algiere said. Some of the older heirloom varieties have shown surprisingly strong resistance to late blight, while newer varieties that he expected to be tougher have gone under.
Late blight symptoms on tomato leaves, stems or fruits are fairly dramatic and easy to spot. Look for nickel- to quarter-sized lesions that are olive-green or brown and look wet. Leaf or lesion edges may appear yellowish. When the lesions dry out, they may appear lime green or beige. The edge of the water-soaked lesion will be covered with white fungal growth that contains the contagious spores.
In potatoes, the disease destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. The Irish Potato Famine was the worst in Europe in the 19th century. About 1 million people died of related diseases and up to 1.5 million more left Ireland.
Petunias are closely related to tomatoes and potatoes and may be infected, too, with similar symptoms. It's important for homeowners with infected plants to destroy them quickly to avoid affecting commercial growers. The best way to stop the spread of late blight would be two weeks of dry weather with temperatures above 80 degrees, Algiere said. "Every time it rains or we have humidity above 50 percent, the incubation process happens quickly."
Those with infected plants can take steps in August to avoid problems next year, Olsen said.
"Cover the area with black plastic and let it bake in the August sun," she said. "This will help kill some of the organisms in the soil that were left over from the tomato plant roots.
"Next year, plant something else other than tomatoes or potatoes in the spot where you grew this year," she said.
Garden Gazette Page 4
Member’s Page
The Evolution of the Garden Gnome
By: Kelly Laffey [Thanks to Susan Toplitz via aol.com]
While gnomes have long adorned the lawns of avid gardeners, their reputation is more kitschy than cool. Can they have a resurgence? The traditional garden gnome is depicted as a tiny, bearded man who dons a colorful hat. According to folklore, gnomes come alive to tend to the gardens when no one is watching. For people who lack a green thumb, gnomes ensure the fertility of the land and vitality of the vegetation. Various sources attribute the first crafted garden gnomes, made by hand from terracotta clay, to ceramicists in Gräfenroda, Germany in the early-1800s. Gnomes spread quickly through Europe. Sir Charles Isham first brought the figurines to Great Britain in the 1840s. One of his original 21, affectionately called Lampy, still guards the gardens of the Isham estate in Northamptonshire. In 1997, Lampy was insured for 1 million pounds (about $1.6 million). Supply shortages during World War II briefly halted gnome production. When manufacturing resumed after the war, gnomes were more frequently made from plastic and resin than the traditional terracotta. More recently, some garden enthusiasts have snubbed the kitschy plastic creatures. The Royal Horticultural Society banned them years ago from the elite Chelsea Garden Show, though one high-profile RHS member managed to sneak her gnome in earlier this year. Although gnomes are still welcome in some gardens, their presence is further compromised by tongue-in-cheek organizations that pledge to free the gnomes from their punishing fates. According to the "Chief Liberator" of one such group, Free the Gnomes, who answered questions by email, "We find that peaceful negotiation is not always effective when facing pure unadulterated belligerent oppression... Many times citizens simply overlook the mistakes of their ways because they have been duped by a society that systemically tolerates and promoted gnome captivity." Uhhh, okay. Another organization, the Gnome Liberation Front, periodically carries out "mass liberations." The police, however, are quick to correct the movement’s choice of words and have arrested many "liberators" on counts of robbery.
"Gnoming," or the traveling gnome prank, involves removing a gnome from its leafy lair, bringing it on a trip, and photographing it in front of various landmarks. The pictures are then sent to the unfortunate gardener, whose prized floral arrangements have undoubtedly suffered in the gnome’s absence. Despite its origins as a garden laborer, today's gnome is also used as a symbol for carefree vacationing. Traveling gnomes have gained international attention as the commercial mascot [photo above left] of Travelocity and the underlying story in the Oscar-nominated film Amélie. With a more cosmopolitan view of the world, gnomes have updated their conventional hobbies of fishing and napping. Today they are commonly depicted pursuing a variety of activities, from sight-seeing to dancing.
Timely Tips for August
Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; new growth will not be winter hardy
Continue watering lawns thoroughly once a week during dry spells
Cut out berry canes that have just fruited
Begin planting fall crops: Beans, peas, beets, lettuce, spinach, chard
Perennials that have finished flowering shouldn’t be cut back all the way
Transplant and divide peonies, phlox, and daylilies
Cut and dry flowers that are suitable for winter bouquets
If you have bare lawn spots, spot seed between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15
"In August, the large masses of berries, which, when in flower, had attracted many wild bees, gradually assumed their bright velvety crimson hue, and by their weight again bent down and broke their tender limbs."- Henry David Thoreau
Friday, June 19, 2009
June Newsletter
See Page 4 for Web site information
“All the dirt you need to know . . . and a whole lot more!
Guy’s Greetings
In the doom and gloom of the weather these past few weeks, Mother Nature, in conjunction with the weatherman, managed to give us a beautiful morning for our “Breakfast in the Garden” last weekend. I want to thank all who attended and brought something to nibble on. We had some very tasty treats to savor, and I don’t think anyone who attended left wanting anything we didn’t have. I also want to thank our historian, Jo Miller, for bringing some club memorabilia to share. It really shows how the Patchogue Garden Club, our garden, our members, and our community have grown over the years. I look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting and at the 9th Annual Garden Tour coming up in July. Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 6:00 PM, general meeting at the Long Island Flower Garden (courtesy of Doug Steigerwald, one of the original Patchogue Garden Club members) on South Country Road between Hedges and Orchard Streets. Bring your own chairs. Sandra Franco is hosting the July meeting, and Guy Vitale is hosting the August meeting.
Saturday, July 11, 2009, Patchogue Garden Club’s 9th annual garden tour. Pre-purchase tickets at $13 ($15 on the day of the tour). Gardens open at 10 AM and close at 3:00 PM. For more information, call Paula at 289-0234. The post-tour dinner will be on the same day as the tour at the home of Paula Murphy, 6:00 PM, 125 Smith Street, Patchogue, NY. Sorry, no fireworks this year. Bring your own bottle and an appetizer or dessert (the club provides the protein) and a seat if you want to be assured of having one. There is a performance at the band shell, so parking will be at a premium. It is best to arrive from the east.
Garden Gazette Page 2
May Meeting in a Flash
Carol Tvelia reported that we made $850 at the Plant and Yard Sale to support the Scholarship Fund. Josephine Miller had donated time to the Boys and Girls Club raffle for 2½ years resulting in a $200 donation.
Josephine asked members if anyone was having trouble with their boxwoods. There have been quite a few reports of them suddenly turning brown and dying.
Mary Ann said she has four houses for the Christmas tour on December 13, but would like two additional houses. The houses do not have to be members’ houses, just interesting ones, nicely decorated for the season.
The Memorial Plaque will be moved to the other side of the new barberry shrubs after they are planted. The plaque was loose, so Guy has it for safe keeping.
Caretakers of sections of the Community Garden should discuss what they want to change/plant with Diane from the Design Committee.
Georgia spoke with an elderly gentleman in the Community Garden requesting more benches in the shade. It will be looked into.
Millie Zimmerman opened up her yard to the Garden Club Members to visit on Sunday May 31st between 1PM and 5PM. [Ed. note: It was a lovely day for a change. Millie put out a nice variety of food and drink. Many members came and enjoyed the history of her place and the company.
Carol Tvelia reported that we made $850 at the Plant and Yard Sale to support the Scholarship Fund. Josephine Miller had donated time to the Boys and Girls Club raffle for 2½ years resulting in a $200 donation.
Josephine asked members if anyone was having trouble with their boxwoods. There have been quite a few reports of them suddenly turning brown and dying.
Mary Ann said she has four houses for the Christmas tour on December 13, but would like two additional houses. The houses do not have to be members’ houses, just interesting ones, nicely decorated for the season.
The Memorial Plaque will be moved to the other side of the new barberry shrubs after they are planted. The plaque was loose, so Guy has it for safe keeping.
Caretakers of sections of the Community Garden should discuss what they want to change/plant with Diane from the Design Committee.
Georgia spoke with an elderly gentleman in the Community Garden requesting more benches in the shade. It will be looked into.
Millie Zimmerman opened up her yard to the Garden Club Members to visit on Sunday May 31st between 1PM and 5PM. [Ed. note: It was a lovely day for a change. Millie put out a nice variety of food and drink. Many members came and enjoyed the history of her place and the company.
What? A Paper Birch Resistant to Bronze Birch Borer?
And not only that, but with great stress tolerance too. Introduced by North Dakota State University in Fargo ND, Betula papyrifera ‘Prairie Dream” has been tested for 30 years. With snow-white exfoliating bark it is Zone 3 hardy.
Always wanted a smoketree, but didn’t have enough room?
Now available from Holland is the dwarf smoketree, Cotinus coggygria ‘Young Lady”. It grows only 4-6’ tall and can be ordered from RareFind Nursery, 957 Patterson Rd., Jackson, NJ 08527.
How about a double-flowered gaillardia?
‘Dakota’ stands 15” tall by 18” wide at maturity. Its blooms are yellow with a red throat, and it has the usual gaillardia virtues of long bloom and great drought tolerance. Shown here, Gaillardia grandiflora Dakota ‘Reveille’ is a double-flowering type with trumpet-shaped petals throughout. The tight center buds are lime green with red tips before opening. The trumpets flare out larger as the plant ages. Removing the spent blooms will fuel the flowering performance to continue into early fall. Outstanding cut flower.
‘Dakota’ stands 15” tall by 18” wide at maturity. Its blooms are yellow with a red throat, and it has the usual gaillardia virtues of long bloom and great drought tolerance. Shown here, Gaillardia grandiflora Dakota ‘Reveille’ is a double-flowering type with trumpet-shaped petals throughout. The tight center buds are lime green with red tips before opening. The trumpets flare out larger as the plant ages. Removing the spent blooms will fuel the flowering performance to continue into early fall. Outstanding cut flower.
Garden Gazette Page 3
Serious Dirt from Paula Murphy [Richard is on leave this month]
Maple-seeded Madness
By Kendra Meinert at greenbaypressgazette.com
Someday I'd like to start a support group for homeowners with old maple trees. I say someday, because as the owner of three of the towering, helicopter-spewing beasts, who has time for support groups? Not this week anyway. But if I did …I'd call it MOA: Maple Owners Anonymous. The fact that you can put an "n'' on the end of MOA and get "moan'' is just a happy coincidence because that's exactly what we do when they start littering the yard with seeds this time of year. Our meetings could be held under the shade of — what else? — a maple tree. But not one of those silver maples that seemingly every homeowner on every street in our neighborhoods planted in the 1950s. No, no — much too messy, not to mention counterproductive. We'd commiserate instead beneath a nice, new, well-behaved variety of maple, perhaps a lovely "Autumn Blaze.' We would be identifiable by the stray helicopter hiding in our hair or sticking out from the hood of our sweatshirt. Fellow members would know better than to laugh, because they've all experienced the embarrassment of being caught out in public with their seeds showing. Sessions would start something like this, "Hi, I'm Kendra. I have three maple trees. I've been cleaning up after them for seven years now.'' Applause.
Rookies would find strength in the resilience of the veterans, like a neighbor who has been raking up seeds for more than a half-century from trees he planted himself for $1.50 each. Members like that would earn a Golden Helicopter Badge, akin to the 10-gallon pins the American Red Cross gives to its blood donors. Mostly what we would do at meetings is openly complain — without apology or guilt — about how something as simple as little yellow seeds the size of our pinky make us hate our yards for about two weeks every year in early June. How they find their way absolutely everywhere — in between the slats in the deck, the cracks in the sidewalk, the shingles of the roof and the rocks of garden borders. How they congregate in the center of hosta leaves and on top of Asiatic lilies. How they plant themselves in pots. How they turn perfectly nice spring garden beds into chaos. How they make a freshly mowed lawn look like somebody shot a confetti cannon over it. How they clog gutters — and then add insult to injury by starting to sprout if we don't get to them soon enough. How they have an uncanny knack for transforming an otherwise clean birdbath into a disgusting bowl of helicopter booyah. Knowing it was a futile effort, we would then engage in a lively exchange of the best ways to clean them up. Don't bother with a broom unless it's a push one. Those suckers are so streamlined that they don't sweep worth a darn. Blowers? Good luck corralling them into something that resembles a pile without blowing your garden beds clean of mulch in the process. Rake? Sure, so long as you've got hours to kill. Shop-Vac? Don't laugh. If we haven't tried it ourselves, we've seen a neighbor do it. At the end of the session, we would open it up for parting thoughts. Things like who could top whom with how many bags of seeds they've hauled so far to the yard waste site, or how we could dream up a way to turn helicopters into an alternative source of energy. Then we'd pat each other on the back as a sign of fellowship, politely point out that stray seed in our fellow MOA member's hair and recite a little prayer that next year is "a good year'' — a relative term in the world of us maple tree owners.
Someday I'd like to start a support group for homeowners with old maple trees. I say someday, because as the owner of three of the towering, helicopter-spewing beasts, who has time for support groups? Not this week anyway. But if I did …I'd call it MOA: Maple Owners Anonymous. The fact that you can put an "n'' on the end of MOA and get "moan'' is just a happy coincidence because that's exactly what we do when they start littering the yard with seeds this time of year. Our meetings could be held under the shade of — what else? — a maple tree. But not one of those silver maples that seemingly every homeowner on every street in our neighborhoods planted in the 1950s. No, no — much too messy, not to mention counterproductive. We'd commiserate instead beneath a nice, new, well-behaved variety of maple, perhaps a lovely "Autumn Blaze.' We would be identifiable by the stray helicopter hiding in our hair or sticking out from the hood of our sweatshirt. Fellow members would know better than to laugh, because they've all experienced the embarrassment of being caught out in public with their seeds showing. Sessions would start something like this, "Hi, I'm Kendra. I have three maple trees. I've been cleaning up after them for seven years now.'' Applause.
Rookies would find strength in the resilience of the veterans, like a neighbor who has been raking up seeds for more than a half-century from trees he planted himself for $1.50 each. Members like that would earn a Golden Helicopter Badge, akin to the 10-gallon pins the American Red Cross gives to its blood donors. Mostly what we would do at meetings is openly complain — without apology or guilt — about how something as simple as little yellow seeds the size of our pinky make us hate our yards for about two weeks every year in early June. How they find their way absolutely everywhere — in between the slats in the deck, the cracks in the sidewalk, the shingles of the roof and the rocks of garden borders. How they congregate in the center of hosta leaves and on top of Asiatic lilies. How they plant themselves in pots. How they turn perfectly nice spring garden beds into chaos. How they make a freshly mowed lawn look like somebody shot a confetti cannon over it. How they clog gutters — and then add insult to injury by starting to sprout if we don't get to them soon enough. How they have an uncanny knack for transforming an otherwise clean birdbath into a disgusting bowl of helicopter booyah. Knowing it was a futile effort, we would then engage in a lively exchange of the best ways to clean them up. Don't bother with a broom unless it's a push one. Those suckers are so streamlined that they don't sweep worth a darn. Blowers? Good luck corralling them into something that resembles a pile without blowing your garden beds clean of mulch in the process. Rake? Sure, so long as you've got hours to kill. Shop-Vac? Don't laugh. If we haven't tried it ourselves, we've seen a neighbor do it. At the end of the session, we would open it up for parting thoughts. Things like who could top whom with how many bags of seeds they've hauled so far to the yard waste site, or how we could dream up a way to turn helicopters into an alternative source of energy. Then we'd pat each other on the back as a sign of fellowship, politely point out that stray seed in our fellow MOA member's hair and recite a little prayer that next year is "a good year'' — a relative term in the world of us maple tree owners.
Garden Gazette
Page 4
ROAD TRIP
For more details, see
http://www.nybg.org/edible_garden/?xsc=eml_soe_2008_06_15_evt
http://www.nybg.org/edible_garden/?xsc=eml_soe_2008_06_15_evt
GardenGazette Page 5
Timely Tips for July
Young crucifers should be transplanted from the seed bed by mid-month.
Put a summer mulch on roses to conserve soil moisture and control weeds.
Deadhead spent blossoms to promote continuous flowering.
Prune climbing roses after flowering to promote new growth.
Divide and transplant Oriental poppies if necessary.
Mulch shrub and flower borders and beds if not done already.
Sow seeds of English daisy, forget-me-not, and pansy now.
Don’t use lawn weed killer in 75+ heat or damage to ornamentals will result.
Put a summer mulch on roses to conserve soil moisture and control weeds.
Deadhead spent blossoms to promote continuous flowering.
Prune climbing roses after flowering to promote new growth.
Divide and transplant Oriental poppies if necessary.
Mulch shrub and flower borders and beds if not done already.
Sow seeds of English daisy, forget-me-not, and pansy now.
Don’t use lawn weed killer in 75+ heat or damage to ornamentals will result.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May Newsletter
Guy’s Greetings
A thank you is owed to Carol Tvelia, who once again chaired the plant and yard sale this year, and all the members who donated there time and “stuff”. We made $815.00 this year. Remember, the proceeds from this event go to our Scholarship for a graduating Patchogue-Medford High School senior.
As we prepare for Memorial Day, please take a moment and remember those who gave their all, so we can enjoy the freedoms we have.
It’s finally time to plant, plant, plant!!!
Mark the Date
Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 7:00 PM, general meeting at Hagerman Fire Department, on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale.
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 9:00 AM, Breakfast in the garden. Bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage. The club provides bagels, coffee, tea, and fixin’s.
Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, 2009, Neighbors and Gardeners of Bayport and Blue Point will be having a garden tour on the 6th, 1:00-5:00 PM, and a plant sale on the 6th and 7th, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM at 63 Gillette Avenue, Bayport. For more information: P.O. Box 525, Bayport, NY 11705. Get tickets at 472-1898; more info: Maureen at 363-8913 or 806-7640.
Saturday, July 11, 2009, Patchogue Garden Club’s 9th annual garden tour. Pre-purchase tickets at $13 ($15 on the day of the tour). Gardens open at 10 AM and close at 3:00 PM. For more information, call Paula at 289-0234. The post-tour dinner will be on the same day as the tour at the home of Paula Murphy, 6:00 PM, 125 Smith Street, Patchogue, NY. Sorry, no fireworks this year.
April Meeting in a Flash
Lee Ann Sealy representing Natural Gardening the Organic way through Neudorff gave a very informative talk. She also had a variety of products for the members to look at and information to take home. There was a lively question and answer session. The information was much appreciated.
Guy spoke about meeting with Village representatives regarding the feasibility of renovating the Winona Cottage. We still don’t know the answer to if and how the cottage can be utilized.
The Design Committee reported on adding and replacing plants in the Community Garden and on working on getting it named a National Wildlife Federation's Certified Wildlife Habitat™ (see below).
Bring Life to Your Backyard
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 9:00 AM, Breakfast in the garden. Bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage. The club provides bagels, coffee, tea, and fixin’s.
Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, 2009, Neighbors and Gardeners of Bayport and Blue Point will be having a garden tour on the 6th, 1:00-5:00 PM, and a plant sale on the 6th and 7th, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM at 63 Gillette Avenue, Bayport. For more information: P.O. Box 525, Bayport, NY 11705. Get tickets at 472-1898; more info: Maureen at 363-8913 or 806-7640.
Saturday, July 11, 2009, Patchogue Garden Club’s 9th annual garden tour. Pre-purchase tickets at $13 ($15 on the day of the tour). Gardens open at 10 AM and close at 3:00 PM. For more information, call Paula at 289-0234. The post-tour dinner will be on the same day as the tour at the home of Paula Murphy, 6:00 PM, 125 Smith Street, Patchogue, NY. Sorry, no fireworks this year.
April Meeting in a Flash
Lee Ann Sealy representing Natural Gardening the Organic way through Neudorff gave a very informative talk. She also had a variety of products for the members to look at and information to take home. There was a lively question and answer session. The information was much appreciated.
Guy spoke about meeting with Village representatives regarding the feasibility of renovating the Winona Cottage. We still don’t know the answer to if and how the cottage can be utilized.
The Design Committee reported on adding and replacing plants in the Community Garden and on working on getting it named a National Wildlife Federation's Certified Wildlife Habitat™ (see below).
Bring Life to Your Backyard
Join more than 118,000 folks who have already created havens for wildlife through National Wildlife Federation's Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program. You'll get great benefits, too! Get started at http://www.nwf.org/index.cfm
When you certify with your application fee of $20, you'll receive all these great benefits: a personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat™; a free NWF membership which includes a full year's subscription to the award-winning National Wildlife® magazine and 10% off all NWF catalog purchases; a free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full of insightful tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year after year; and your name listed in NWF's National registry of certified habitats...to recognize all you've done for wildlife. And, once you complete your application, you'll be eligible to purchase the "wildly" popular Certified Wildlife Habitat™ yard sign that shows your commitment to conserving wildlife. All you need to do is provide elements from each of the following areas: food and water sources, places for cover, places to raise young, and sustainable gardening.
Long Island Natives
The use of native plants in landscaping and restoration activities on Long Island are being increasingly encouraged by local government, environmental organizations, and scientists, as the impacts of invasive species and development on biodiversity are understood. The all-volunteer Long Island Native Grass Initiative (LINGI) is one of the efforts to provide native plant material to the public. Species currently available at LINGI’s first annual sale are Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), Little Bluestem (Schizachryium scoparium), Big Blue Stem (Andropogon gerardii), Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), Purple Top (Tridens flavus) and various forbs. The sale is June 12, 13, 26, and 27 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Suffolk Community College Eastern Campus Greenhouse. For more details contact Polly L. Weigand, 757-2315 Ext. 3, or polly.weigand@suffolkcounty.ny.gov .
Soil District Technician & LINGI Coordinator
Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District
423 Griffing Ave. Suite 110
Riverhead, NY 11901
(631) 727-2315x3
(631) 727-3160 (fax)
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
So You Think YOU Have a Bug Problem?
24 April 2009, Wall Street Journal by JIM CARLTON
TUSCARORA, Nev. -- The residents of this tiny town, anticipating an imminent attack, will be ready with a perimeter defense. They'll position their best weapons at regular intervals, faced out toward the desert to repel the assault. Then they'll turn up the volume. Rock music blaring from boom boxes has proved one of the best defenses against an annual invasion of Mormon crickets. The huge flightless insects are a fearsome sight as they advance across the desert in armies of millions that march over, under or into anything in their way. The 2-inch-long blooded, ravenous insects often carpet the arid landscape in the spring and summer, devouring vegetation and driving residents to distraction.
But the crickets don't much fancy Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, the townspeople figured out three years ago. So next month, Tuscarorans are preparing once again to get out their extension cords, array their stereos in a quarter-circle and tune them to rock station KHIX, full blast, from dawn to dusk. "It is part of our arsenal," says Laura Moore, an unemployed college professor and one of the town's 13 residents.
They march in columns that in peak years can be two miles long and a mile across, swarms move across the badlands in search of food. Starting in about May, they march through August or so, before stopping to lay eggs for next year and die. In between, they make an awful mess. They destroy crops and lots of the other leafy vegetation. They crawl all over houses, and some get inside. "You'll wake up and there'll be one sitting on your forehead, looking at you," says Ms. Moore. They swarm on roads, where cars turn them into slicks that can cause accidents. So many dead ones piled up on a highway last year that Elko County, Nev., called in snowplows to scrape them off. Squashed and dying crickets give off a sickening smell. "For us, it's mostly the yuck factor," says Ron Arthaud, a painter here.
Many springs, the infestation is negligible. But every few years, far bigger swarms hatch. From 2003 to 2006, armies of crickets went forth. They smothered the county seat, Elko, causing pandemonium as residents fled indoors. Realtor Jim Winer couldn't, because he had to show homes. "I carried a little broom in my car," he says, "and when I got out, I would sweep a path through the bugs to the house."
Every half-century or so, plague like numbers hatch. The critters got their name in the 19th century after a throng of them ravaged the crops of a Mormon settlement. But "I don't think they care about Mormons or Baptists," says Lynn Forsberg, who runs Elko County's public-works program. "I don't think they care about anything."
Including one another. Mormon crickets are programmed to march. Any cricket that falls by the wayside is eaten by others, ensuring that at least some cross the hot, barren stretches well-fed.
Charm to Cricket Menace"Taking the gong and a club, she faced the army of crickets and beat hard." Read the 1934 article from the Elko Free Press.
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Following an unseasonably warm winter, some in Elko County fear a big crop this year of Mormon crickets, known more precisely as shield-backed katydids, or Anabrus simplex. State entomologist Jeff Knight is using computer models to document when the crickets will hatch, and "once they have hatched, we will start going in and mapping where all the crickets are," he says.
Towns in their path aren't waiting to find out. Elko County officials have stored tons of poison bait, which they'll soon start handing out. Placed properly, it can help. In 2003, which was a bad year, residents organized a bucket brigade to lay poison bait in the countryside, luring many bugs to their doom.
But last year Diana Bunitsky sprinkled the bait too close -- right outside the rural diner she runs, Lone Mountain Station -- and crickets swarmed onto her property to gobble it. Ms. Bunitsky ran outside and sprayed them with a garden hose, "but when I looked back, they had gone around and were all over my walls," she says.
Some people use chalk dust to try to smother crickets. Lori Roa, a job counselor in Elko, swears by Lemon Joy. She sprinkles the detergent over her shrubbery. In Jarbidge, Nev., Rey Nystrom, proprietor of the Jarbidge Trading Post, says a neighbor uses a squirt bottle loaded with soapy water. "But you're squirting one at a time, so it's spitting against the wind, so to speak," he says.
Here in Tuscarora, signs are worrisome this spring. Numerous cricket nymphs in the sandy soil are beginning to wiggle, says Elaine Parks, a local artist.
Tuscarora began as a gold-mining town in the late 19th century, and by 1878 had a population of 5,000. But the ore mostly petered out by 1900, and the town has been dwindling ever since, to its current size of just over a dozen. ("But in summer we get up to 20," says postmaster Julie Parks.)
What to do with all that Rhubarb: Rhubarb Almond Bars
These simple tangy rhubarb bars with an almond shortbread crust have all the sweet-tart flavors of rhubarb pie without the fussiness of pie crust—and you can still serve them topped with ice cream and/or whipped cream. The bars can be made through step 2 up to a day ahead of time.
Total Time: 2 hrs 40 minutes. Makes: 24 bars.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) frozen unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup whole unsalted almonds, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine rhubarb and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, stir to combine, and cook until rhubarb releases some juices, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is soft and just starting to fall apart, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let cool.
2. Combine flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Grate butter on the large holes of a box grater, add to flour mixture, and rub between your fingertips until ingredients just hold together when squeezed, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and combine until dough forms large, fist-size chunks when squeezed, about 1 minute (the dough will be crumbly). Shape dough into a flat disk, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coarsely chop the almonds and set aside.
4. Evenly crumble chilled dough over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, then firmly press it into the dish using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup. Sprinkle almonds over top and press lightly into the dough. Using a slotted spoon, evenly spread cooled rhubarb over the base. If you have any remaining syrup, pour up to 1/3 cup over the top. Bake until dough is brown and rhubarb mixture is bubbly around the edges, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. –Ed.
“Come Hither, Bumblebee, and Pollinate”
In the New York Times, April 30, Anne Raver wrote about research showing that native species are more attractive to pollinators than non-native species. A thousand different plants were surveyed, only 50 of which were native, but 80% of them attracted pollinators. Of the 950 non-native species, only 10% were. While the European honeybee population has dwindled, there are many other pollinators to take its place, e.g., native bumblebees, large and tiny wasps and flies, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, and solitary native bees. Many of our native bees are better than the European honeybee at pollinating because they can vibrate the flower, causing the pollen to fall from the stamens to the stigma where it fertilizes the ovules. The more habitat we provide and desirable species we plant, the more we will attract pollinators and increase their numbers. No one suggests giving up your lavender, catmint, oregano or rosemary; just pack in more natives, perennials such as black-eyed Susans, coneflower, giant hyssop, coreopsis, larkspur, Joe-pye weed, blanketflower, sunflower, lupine, evening primrose, poppy, penstemon, salvia, goldenrod, asters, and sedum. Annuals and biennials to plant include milkweed, cosmos, poppy, mullein, daisy, and verbena. Attractive shrubs include wild roses, blueberries, berry brambles, elderberry, and sumac. –Thanks to Paula Murphy
Timely Tips for June
Remove old flowers, not foliage, from spring-flowering bulbs & perennials.
Prune shrubs that just flowered—weigela, philadelphus, deutzia, etc.
Many shrubs can be propagated from softwood cuttings thru early July.
Sow seeds of fast-growing annuals for late bloom—marigolds, zinnia, cosmos.
Last chance to fertilize trees and shrubs!
Remove faded flowers from rhodies and azaleas.
Establish regular watering schedule for tomatoes to avert blossom-end rot.
Give house and greenhouse plants a vacation outdoors in a shady area.
Remove old flowers, not foliage, from spring-flowering bulbs & perennials.
Prune shrubs that just flowered—weigela, philadelphus, deutzia, etc.
Many shrubs can be propagated from softwood cuttings thru early July.
Sow seeds of fast-growing annuals for late bloom—marigolds, zinnia, cosmos.
Last chance to fertilize trees and shrubs!
Remove faded flowers from rhodies and azaleas.
Establish regular watering schedule for tomatoes to avert blossom-end rot.
Give house and greenhouse plants a vacation outdoors in a shady area.
Thought for Memorial Day
Our battle-fields, safe in the keeping
Of Nature's kind, fostering care,
Are blooming, - our heroes are sleeping, -
And peace broods perennial there.
~John H. Jewett
Our battle-fields, safe in the keeping
Of Nature's kind, fostering care,
Are blooming, - our heroes are sleeping, -
And peace broods perennial there.
~John H. Jewett
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April 2009
President Guy R. Vitale, Babette Bishop, Charlie & Carol Reitz-Butler
Guy’s Greetings
“April showers bring May flowers”, so the saying goes.
If this is true, don’t be blue: The showers will subside,
The flowers will arrive, and May will take away your blues….By Guy R. Vitale
I‘d like to thank Richard & Babette Bishop, Charlie & Carol Reitz-Butler, Paula Murphy, and Mark Jeffers for their participation in building and marching with our float last Sunday in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was truly the first beautiful spring day this season. Thanks to Kelleen Guyer and June Petruccelli for cheering us on from the side lines.
I hope to see everyone at our spring garden clean up. Remember, the more the merrier and we’ll get done that much faster.
Mark the Date
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 7:00 PM, general meeting at Hagerman Fire Department, on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Our speaker will be LeeAnn Seeley. She will talk about organic gardening and products.
Saturday, April 25, 2009, opening of the Terry Street garden; rain date Sunday, April 26. Both days begin at 9:00 AM. Bring gloves, tools, and plenty of energy. The club will provide bagels, tea, and coffee to keep you going.
Saturday, May 16, 2009, 9 AM-4 PM, Annual Plant & Yard Sale. Clean out your attic and garage, pot up extra plants, and bring them to the garden with prices attached (Carol has stickers) at 8:00 AM. Workers needed; please contact Carol Tvelia. Rain date is Sunday, May 17, same time, same place.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:00 AM, Sayville Garden Club Luncheon and Raffle Boutique. Lands End, 80 Browns River Road, Sayville. Reserve by May 5, $40, payable to the Sayville Garden Club. Send to Pat Osarchuk, 144 Handsome Avenue, Sayville, NY 11782. Speaker: Floral designer Joan Smith.
March Meeting in a Flash
Joy Kaminski, self-proclaimed tree-hugger and proud of it, gave a very interesting and informative talk and slide presentation about the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The club plans to apply for National Wildlife Habitat Certification from the NWF (nwf.org) for the Community Garden. Sandra Franco talked about HOG, the Hamlet Organic Garden, a Community Supported Agriculture farm located in Brookhaven Hamlet on Beaverdam Road. There are still shares available at the farm for pickup on Monday or Friday and in Bayshore. Visit http://hamletorganicgarden.org/ for details. Members Kathy McMahon, Ellen and Mike Scammon, and Arlene Lamberti all won tickets to the Patchogue Theatre that the club received through its membership in the Chamber of Commerce.
Thanks to all the club members who have signed on to care for the Community Garden this season: Fred & Bonnie Bossert, Peg & Frank Densing, Margaret Atkinson, June & Angelo Petruccelli, Babette Bishop, Carol & Charlie Butler, Carla Steward, Bert Voland, Lynn Kane, Sandra Franco, Carol Tvelia, Guy Vitale, Carolyn Savastano, Arlene Lamberti, Jo Miller, Karen Ferb, and John & Georgia Dulmovits.
Danger to Dogs of Cocoa Bean Mulch
If you’ve heard "Don't give your dog, chocolate it will kill him", you're probably wondering if it’s true. Yes, chocolate contains theobromine, toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. Cocoa bean mulch is pretty and smells great, but may have toxic concentrations of theobromine. Home Depot only sells a "cleaned" version of cocoa mulch (look for "pet safe" on any brand you buy; 2 are Mirana and Cocoa Mulch). If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the proper treatment for your pet. (Thanks, Guy)
Where’s the Beet?
Is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard the brou-ha-ha over the beet-free White House Garden? First it was Bush and broccoli, now Obama and beets. Our own Sandra Franco disliked beets until she had fresh ones prepared properly from Hamlet Organic Garden last year. Could Sandra be our emissary to the White House to show the prez the tasty nutritional powerhouse he’s missing?
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Pinching Pennies?
Have you turned over the sofa cushions to look for loose change? As gardeners we know how to stretch a dollar by dividing perennials, but now the Wall Street Journal’s 'Cheapskate' column (April 16, 2009) agrees that growing a vegetable garden could help stretch the family food budget. A study sponsored by Scotts Miracle-Gro found that an average family could spend $70 yearly on seeds and supplies and reap about $600 worth of vegetables. Now that is an impressive return on investment! Of course, missing from the $70 tab is the initial outlay of any fencing, irrigation, soil amendments, etc., and nowhere is there any accounting for labor - how well we know about that! Weeding, insect control, and staying off the lounge chair with a cool drink in the hot summer sun until the garden is tended to are things we know all too well. But once we taste the difference in the vegetables grown in our own back yard compared to some of the wax coated supermarket replicas, we know that growing a garden is more than just a way to save money.
Anne Frank Saplings May be Planted in 10 US Cities
NEW YORK — Saplings from the tree Anne Frank used to measure the seasons while hiding from the Nazis could be planted in 10 cities around the United States. The Anne Frank Center USA wants to plant the trees in 10 U.S. cities to symbolize the growth of tolerance. The saplings would come from an ailing horse chestnut tree in Amsterdam. (New York Times, April 17, 2009)
Amsterdam had to cut down the 170-year-old chestnut tree that Anne Frank mentioned in her diary while she was in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland because it was attacked by an aggressive fungus and a leaf miner.
Amsterdam had to cut down the 170-year-old chestnut tree that Anne Frank mentioned in her diary while she was in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland because it was attacked by an aggressive fungus and a leaf miner.
In “The Diary of Anne Frank”, the teenager looks at the tree through an attic window of the apartment, concealed in her father's factory, where she and her family hid from the Germans for more than two years. The factory and apartment where they hid, on the Prinsengracht canal, is preserved as a tribute to Anne Frank and to her book, which has been read by 25 million people worldwide.
"Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs," Anne wrote on Feb. 23, 1944. "From my favourite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind..."As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy."
The tree was in an inner courtyard and one of the few green living things visible at a time when windows had to be blacked out to prevent neighbours seeing people moving through the apartment.
Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, spring, 1945.
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Submit your pictures, stories, recipes, or other items of interest. Swap or sell. Whatever.
Peanut Butter Pie from the kitchen of June Petruccelli
15 minutes prep time, serves 8
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 package whipped topping mix
½ cup milk (skim or 2%)
1 graham cracker crust (9”)
¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy, beat in sugar and peanut butter. Prepare whipped topping with milk according to package instructions. Fold topping into peanut butter mixture, taking care not to break down topping. Pour into pie shell, top with chopped nuts. Chill until firm.
(Ed. note: If you are a diehard peanut butter cup fan—okay, I confess—decorate the top of this with chocolate sauce or chocolate curls. You could even chop up peanut butter cups and sprinkle on the top.)
thanks for sending the PGC site......if there is a spot for "old member news", I can report that I have joined the local Saturday New Baltimore Farmers' Market (www.newbaltimorefarmersmarket.com) & the Thursday Selkirk / New Bethlehem Farmers' Market & happily grow & sell herbicide- & pesticide-free veggies, berries, & fresh herbs up here near Albany from spring to fall...was always looking to have a road-side stand, even in Patchogue, but didn't have enough property to grow for sale.....here, all I have to do is remove all the rocks on these mineral-rich 3 acres, incorporate with truck-loads of compost & manure, mulch with hay/straw & I can plant what I want....picked my 1st 105 Red Haven & Belle of Georgia peaches last year & expect more this year, along with assorted plums & pears....specialty varieties are my aim so as to minimize competition at the markets....I miss my friends in Patchogue, but I now have exactly what I have been looking for....Love to all, Lynn G.
See the astonishing work of Frances Pelzman Liscio at http://www.punksandroses.com/. Originally a photographer of punk and country musicians, she has turned her lens towards no less romantic (but much prettier) subjects, photographing carefully-arranged and brilliantly-colored botanical collages. “I photographed the punks as if they were rare botanicals, and I photograph my botanicals as if they were vulnerable icons. What I attempt to underscore in both treatments is the fragile beauty that transcends our mortality—and the mortality that makes such beauty even more precious.” (Thanks to Carol Reitz-Butler)
Timely Tips for May
Plant dahlias, glads, cannas, and daylilies through the end of the month.
All annual flowers can be safely planted outdoors after mid-May.
Fertilize roses every 2-3 weeks and spray weekly with an all-purpose spray.
Stake perennial plants that may be damaged by wind before they’re too tall.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after blooming.
Apply summer mulches to perennial borders and beds.
Plant tuberous begonias and caladiums out in a shady protected area.
Sow beans, corn, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cukes, and squash outdoors.
My Mother's Garden
By Alice E. Allen
(Thanks to June Petruccelli)
Her heart is like her garden,
old-fashioned, quaint and sweet,
with here a wreath of blossoms,
and there a still retreat.
Forget-Me-Nots there linger,
to full perfection brought,
and there bloom purple Pansies,
in many a tender thought.
And in the quiet garden-
the garden of her heart-
song birds are always singing
their songs of cheer apart.
And from it floats forever,
o'ercoming sin and strife,
sweet as the breath of roses blown,
the fragrance of her life.
Peanut Butter Pie from the kitchen of June Petruccelli
15 minutes prep time, serves 8
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 package whipped topping mix
½ cup milk (skim or 2%)
1 graham cracker crust (9”)
¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy, beat in sugar and peanut butter. Prepare whipped topping with milk according to package instructions. Fold topping into peanut butter mixture, taking care not to break down topping. Pour into pie shell, top with chopped nuts. Chill until firm.
(Ed. note: If you are a diehard peanut butter cup fan—okay, I confess—decorate the top of this with chocolate sauce or chocolate curls. You could even chop up peanut butter cups and sprinkle on the top.)
thanks for sending the PGC site......if there is a spot for "old member news", I can report that I have joined the local Saturday New Baltimore Farmers' Market (www.newbaltimorefarmersmarket.com) & the Thursday Selkirk / New Bethlehem Farmers' Market & happily grow & sell herbicide- & pesticide-free veggies, berries, & fresh herbs up here near Albany from spring to fall...was always looking to have a road-side stand, even in Patchogue, but didn't have enough property to grow for sale.....here, all I have to do is remove all the rocks on these mineral-rich 3 acres, incorporate with truck-loads of compost & manure, mulch with hay/straw & I can plant what I want....picked my 1st 105 Red Haven & Belle of Georgia peaches last year & expect more this year, along with assorted plums & pears....specialty varieties are my aim so as to minimize competition at the markets....I miss my friends in Patchogue, but I now have exactly what I have been looking for....Love to all, Lynn G.
See the astonishing work of Frances Pelzman Liscio at http://www.punksandroses.com/. Originally a photographer of punk and country musicians, she has turned her lens towards no less romantic (but much prettier) subjects, photographing carefully-arranged and brilliantly-colored botanical collages. “I photographed the punks as if they were rare botanicals, and I photograph my botanicals as if they were vulnerable icons. What I attempt to underscore in both treatments is the fragile beauty that transcends our mortality—and the mortality that makes such beauty even more precious.” (Thanks to Carol Reitz-Butler)
Timely Tips for May
Plant dahlias, glads, cannas, and daylilies through the end of the month.
All annual flowers can be safely planted outdoors after mid-May.
Fertilize roses every 2-3 weeks and spray weekly with an all-purpose spray.
Stake perennial plants that may be damaged by wind before they’re too tall.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after blooming.
Apply summer mulches to perennial borders and beds.
Plant tuberous begonias and caladiums out in a shady protected area.
Sow beans, corn, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cukes, and squash outdoors.
My Mother's Garden
By Alice E. Allen
(Thanks to June Petruccelli)
Her heart is like her garden,
old-fashioned, quaint and sweet,
with here a wreath of blossoms,
and there a still retreat.
Forget-Me-Nots there linger,
to full perfection brought,
and there bloom purple Pansies,
in many a tender thought.
And in the quiet garden-
the garden of her heart-
song birds are always singing
their songs of cheer apart.
And from it floats forever,
o'ercoming sin and strife,
sweet as the breath of roses blown,
the fragrance of her life.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
March 2009
Guy’s Greetings
Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! The Patchogue Garden Club hosted our 6th successful “Think Spring” luncheon. Congratulations and thank you to Georgia Dulmovits, Arlene Lamberti, and all the wonderful members on the committee for your tireless dedication to the luncheon’s success. In our shaky economy you managed make the luncheon grow in both attendees and the beautifully crafted baskets. Again, the accolades have been many, but the success is all yours.
St. Patrick’s Day was Tuesday, March 17th, and Patchogue’s parade is Sunday, March 29th at 1:00 pm. We start on Rider Avenue and finish with corned beef, cabbage, and a beer or two at the BrickHouse Brewery. Let’s show the village what makes the Patchogue Garden Club such a great service organization: our community involvement.
Historically, the average spring temperature in late March is in the mid 50’s, perfect weather for a Sunday stroll down Main Street and to get the blood flowing for another gardening season.
Mark the Date
Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 7:00 PM, general meeting at Hagerman Fire Department, on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale Avenue. The speaker will be Joy Kaminsky from Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The topic will be the history of arboretums, including cemetery arboretums, which will tie in with the idea of creating an arboretum cemetery on West Main Street where the cemetery restoration project is taking place. THIS IS NOT A GARDEN CLUB PROJECT!!!! Some members of the club are advisors.
Sunday, March 29, 1:00 PM, Patchogue St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Rider Ave.
Final dues closing date is March 31.
If anyone is interested in having a summer club meeting in your garden, please contact Paula. This invitation is offered to members' friends as well and does not have to be in Patchogue. Gardens are needed for June, July, and August.
April 4, 3:00-8:00 PM, Hagerman Fire House Spaghetti Supper fundraiser for Michael Vignato. See www.HagermanFD.com for details or call 654-2790 Ext. 200.
Saturday, April 25, 2009, opening of the Terry Street garden; rain date Sunday, April 26. Both days begin at 9:00 AM.
February Meeting in a Flash
Erik Meneses, Asian garden specialist, of Blue Monkey Asian Design and President of Eastern Suffolk Bonsai, made a presentation about bonsai which included a slide show and raffling off of the maple bonsai specimen he demonstrated. Marie Magnano was the happy winner. Eric also brought a beautiful specimen of azalea in flower. For further information about Eastern Suffolk Bonsai, email www.EasternSuffolkBonsai.org or call 363-6490.
Garden Conservancy Open Days: Plan Ahead!
More than 300 gardens participating in the Conservancy’s Open Days program will be open in 2009. You are invited to explore first-hand examples of outstanding design and horticultural practice that are growing in America’s gardens. The 2009 Open Days Directory is now available. The Suffolk County Open Days for May 2 are listed here. For details and directions, other dates, or if you happen to be traveling during the garden season, checks out the other gardens on the schedule at http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/events.pl. For general information about the Conservancy, visit http://www.gardenconservancy.org/.
Abby Jane Brody. 44 Glade Road, East Hampton This is primarily a woodland garden in which the native oaks are the upper story. I am an inveterate plant collector with a special interest in rare or unusual flowering trees and shrubs as well as herbaceous plants. The half-acre site has something in flower, preferably fragrant, almost every day of the year. In early May, the last of the camellias and hellebores may be in bloom, as well as daphne, epimediums, and hundreds of other woodland plants.
Biercuk/Luckey Garden 18 Sayres Path, Wainscott. Our four-season woodland garden under a high oak canopy shelters a collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmia, pieris, understory trees, perennials, bulbs, and tropicals in season. A mostly sunny rear corner contains a pool designed as a pond with a waterfall and is surrounded with plantings which peak mid-July through October. Winding paths and stone walls enhance a sense of depth and elevation change on a mostly flat acre. There is something in bloom every season.
Margaret Kerr. The garden, designed by Kerr, surrounds the house and studios on two acres that extend down to the wetlands of Accabonack Harbor. Kerr’s brick rug sculptures, inspired by tribal Middle Eastern carpets, are placed throughout the garden. One, a brick prayer rug, lies in a contemplative glade below her studio. Kerr collects plants grown in the Middle Ages in a courtyard around a fountain and lily pool highlighted with espaliered pear trees. In the spring, drifts of thousands of daffodils bloom in the fields around the house and are left unmown until late fall. Native grasses and wildflowers make islands of meadow during the summer.
Mrs. Donald J. Bruckmann. This seaside location emphasizes traditional and informal plantings of herbaceous borders, woodland, meadow, and rose gardens. Two ponds are surrounded by iris, asters, and other sun-loving plants. An ocean terrace and adjacent dune combine beach vegetation with bright annuals for an interesting contrast of the cultivated and naturalistic.
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Roberto Burle Marx
At the New York Botanical Garden until April 12th is the Orchid Show featuring an exhibit designed by the landscape designer Raymond Jungles. He has used influences the well-known Brazilian landscape architect, painter, ecologist and naturalist Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994). Jungles met Marx when attending a lecture while a student at the University of Florida; he subsequently made many trips to Brazil to view Marx’ design work. Landscape architects have been influenced by Marx through his many lectures and writings.
Marx was born in Sao Paulo, but it was in Germany as a student of painting that he became interested in Brazil’s native flora while visiting a local botanical garden. When he returned to Brazil in 1930 he began his extensive collection of native plants and two years later had his first commission for a landscape at a private residence. Years later his collection of native plants grew to be housed in a large estate outside of Rio de Janeiro that had been donated to the Brazilian government in 1985. The use of native species within his designs was very important in order to show off each plant’s characteristics. The use of water and pavements is also something that can be found in many of his designs such as in the Copacabana promenade.
If Roberto Burle Marx found influences in his work at a trip to a botanical garden, isn’t it time you venture out to the New York Botanical Garden yourself?
Economics 101
This is the garden club newsletter, not the Wall Street Journal, so I am not about to write about the current state of the economy. But I am reminded of Econ 10, reading about the cost of tulips and the havoc caused in the Netherlands back in the 1600's. A book written in 1841, “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds”, claims that investors in tulip bulbs were ruined in the dramatic rise and fall of bulb prices, with tulip contracts selling for more than ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsman at that time. Historians now disagree with author using with the term 'tulipomania' as it refers to an economic bubble. Tulips were introduced to the Netherlands from the Ottoman Empire in the mid-16th century. Within a short time tulips became status symbols. Previous thinking had the entire population speculating, causing the cost of tulip bulbs to rise. People felt this could last forever and had visions of wealth for all. In 1637 the traders weren’t able to get new buyers willing and able to pay the highly inflated prices, so the demand for tulips fell along with the price, and the bubble burst. Tulip speculators were now asking for aid from the government in declaring that contracts could now be voided by paying a 10% fee. According to the author, those who now held the tulip bulbs were left without any enforcement of their contracts since the judicial courts considered this gambling. Now it is thought that the tulipomaniacs were really just a small group of people, not the entire Netherlands as originally believed. Recent findings show trading in tulips was only by merchants and wealthy craftsmen, making the bubble very limited. During 1636-1637 there was a dramatic rise and fall in the cost of tulip bulbs, but not as dramatic a bubble as originally thought. Since the original book was highly popular and widely cited by other writers and economists (even up till the 1980's) the use of the term 'tulipomania' has remained. What will they say about today’s economic climate years from now? I just hope they keep the plant world out of it!
The 6th Annual “Think Spring” luncheon was a grand success, and a good time was had by all who attended. The Mediterranean Manor, as always, did not disappoint, and in fact was better than ever.
Many club members made donations for the raffle baskets. Those marked with an * were members of the committee who gave generously of their time as well. Those marked with & also participated in the Members’ Art Show, a first for the luncheon and a big hit. Let’s have a round of applause for all of these members!
Special thanks to co-chairs Georgia Dulmovits and Arlene Lamberti for a bang-up job yet again! In no particular order: Margaret Atkinson*, Babette Bishop*, Barbara Bruce*&, Rosalie Coleman&, Sandra Franco, June Petruccelli*, Carolyn Savastano*&, Diane and Bert Voland, Judy Zuck, Jo Miller, Fred and Bonnie Bossert, Peg and Frank Densing, Jim Tooher, Barbara Aragon*, Guy R. Vitale and Mark Jeffers, Joan Delaney, Ann Rubbo*, Marie Magnano*, Carolyn Young*, Ruth Szuminskyj*, Paula Murphy, Millie Zimmerman*, Donna Mujic&, Karen Ferb*&, Violet Mulligan*, Janet Heyer*, Carol Tvelia, Gladys Heimburger*, Joanna Drake, Marita Morello*, Joan Kattau, Mary Ann Tchinnis. Other members of the committee were Barbara Bestafka, Pauline Carleton, Carla Steward, Ellen Brandt, and Joan Tifford. Other members in the Art Show were Kathy Barthman, Carol Reitz-Butler, Kathy McMahon, and Tony Wenderoth. If I left anyone out, please let me know and accept my apologies. Ed.
Many businesses and organizations gave their generous support to our 2009 luncheon. We are ever grateful:
Jim Tooher Three Village Music Bayport Flower Houses
Friends of the Patchogue-Medford Library The Fish Store
Trendsetters Hair and Skin Care Blum’s
Town of Brookhaven Highway Dept. Nino’s Pizza
Long Island Statuary J&R Steak House
Waitress to Go Casino Clam
Fantastic Gardens Country Kitchen Restaurant
New York New Wave Hair Salon The Curry Club
Petite Pets Day Care and Boarding Swiftway Wine & Liquor
Finest Fitness Health and Sports Club The Pilates Studio at Bayport
Signs and Advertising Associate Prime Meat Market
Karl Ehmer Pork Store Advance Auto Parts
Time On My Hands Bissett Nursery
Bobbique Swan Cleaners
King Kullen Grocery Gallo Tropical Restaurant
BrickHouse Brewery and Restaurant The Good Steer Restaurant
Pura Vida Burrito Company Carvel
Panera Bread Painter’s
SunWave Liquors Alchemy Design
Tricia’s Hair Galleria Home Depot
Head Cutters Long Island Flower Garden & Florist
Quench Wine & Spirits Forever Young National Display Garden
Timely Tips for April
Prune forsythia soon after it finishes flowering for next year’s flowers.
Plant trees and shrubs. Plant new roses before growth begins.
The months of March, April and May are ideal for pruning evergreens. Remove all dead, diseased, and undesirable wood. However, do not prune back into the bare wood of the plant.
Plant summer flowering bulbs, but take care to wait until last frost for tender ones.
April is a great time to select and plant fruit trees and berry plants. Fruits and berries do best in full sun.
On Arbor Day, attend a ceremony and plant a tree.
If you ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it…
But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.
~Frank Lloyd Wright
Thanks to Diane Riviello-Voland for the quote.
Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! The Patchogue Garden Club hosted our 6th successful “Think Spring” luncheon. Congratulations and thank you to Georgia Dulmovits, Arlene Lamberti, and all the wonderful members on the committee for your tireless dedication to the luncheon’s success. In our shaky economy you managed make the luncheon grow in both attendees and the beautifully crafted baskets. Again, the accolades have been many, but the success is all yours.
St. Patrick’s Day was Tuesday, March 17th, and Patchogue’s parade is Sunday, March 29th at 1:00 pm. We start on Rider Avenue and finish with corned beef, cabbage, and a beer or two at the BrickHouse Brewery. Let’s show the village what makes the Patchogue Garden Club such a great service organization: our community involvement.
Historically, the average spring temperature in late March is in the mid 50’s, perfect weather for a Sunday stroll down Main Street and to get the blood flowing for another gardening season.
Mark the Date
Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 7:00 PM, general meeting at Hagerman Fire Department, on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale Avenue. The speaker will be Joy Kaminsky from Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The topic will be the history of arboretums, including cemetery arboretums, which will tie in with the idea of creating an arboretum cemetery on West Main Street where the cemetery restoration project is taking place. THIS IS NOT A GARDEN CLUB PROJECT!!!! Some members of the club are advisors.
Sunday, March 29, 1:00 PM, Patchogue St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Rider Ave.
Final dues closing date is March 31.
If anyone is interested in having a summer club meeting in your garden, please contact Paula. This invitation is offered to members' friends as well and does not have to be in Patchogue. Gardens are needed for June, July, and August.
April 4, 3:00-8:00 PM, Hagerman Fire House Spaghetti Supper fundraiser for Michael Vignato. See www.HagermanFD.com for details or call 654-2790 Ext. 200.
Saturday, April 25, 2009, opening of the Terry Street garden; rain date Sunday, April 26. Both days begin at 9:00 AM.
February Meeting in a Flash
Erik Meneses, Asian garden specialist, of Blue Monkey Asian Design and President of Eastern Suffolk Bonsai, made a presentation about bonsai which included a slide show and raffling off of the maple bonsai specimen he demonstrated. Marie Magnano was the happy winner. Eric also brought a beautiful specimen of azalea in flower. For further information about Eastern Suffolk Bonsai, email www.EasternSuffolkBonsai.org or call 363-6490.
Garden Conservancy Open Days: Plan Ahead!
More than 300 gardens participating in the Conservancy’s Open Days program will be open in 2009. You are invited to explore first-hand examples of outstanding design and horticultural practice that are growing in America’s gardens. The 2009 Open Days Directory is now available. The Suffolk County Open Days for May 2 are listed here. For details and directions, other dates, or if you happen to be traveling during the garden season, checks out the other gardens on the schedule at http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/events.pl. For general information about the Conservancy, visit http://www.gardenconservancy.org/.
Abby Jane Brody. 44 Glade Road, East Hampton This is primarily a woodland garden in which the native oaks are the upper story. I am an inveterate plant collector with a special interest in rare or unusual flowering trees and shrubs as well as herbaceous plants. The half-acre site has something in flower, preferably fragrant, almost every day of the year. In early May, the last of the camellias and hellebores may be in bloom, as well as daphne, epimediums, and hundreds of other woodland plants.
Biercuk/Luckey Garden 18 Sayres Path, Wainscott. Our four-season woodland garden under a high oak canopy shelters a collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmia, pieris, understory trees, perennials, bulbs, and tropicals in season. A mostly sunny rear corner contains a pool designed as a pond with a waterfall and is surrounded with plantings which peak mid-July through October. Winding paths and stone walls enhance a sense of depth and elevation change on a mostly flat acre. There is something in bloom every season.
Margaret Kerr. The garden, designed by Kerr, surrounds the house and studios on two acres that extend down to the wetlands of Accabonack Harbor. Kerr’s brick rug sculptures, inspired by tribal Middle Eastern carpets, are placed throughout the garden. One, a brick prayer rug, lies in a contemplative glade below her studio. Kerr collects plants grown in the Middle Ages in a courtyard around a fountain and lily pool highlighted with espaliered pear trees. In the spring, drifts of thousands of daffodils bloom in the fields around the house and are left unmown until late fall. Native grasses and wildflowers make islands of meadow during the summer.
Mrs. Donald J. Bruckmann. This seaside location emphasizes traditional and informal plantings of herbaceous borders, woodland, meadow, and rose gardens. Two ponds are surrounded by iris, asters, and other sun-loving plants. An ocean terrace and adjacent dune combine beach vegetation with bright annuals for an interesting contrast of the cultivated and naturalistic.
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Roberto Burle Marx
At the New York Botanical Garden until April 12th is the Orchid Show featuring an exhibit designed by the landscape designer Raymond Jungles. He has used influences the well-known Brazilian landscape architect, painter, ecologist and naturalist Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994). Jungles met Marx when attending a lecture while a student at the University of Florida; he subsequently made many trips to Brazil to view Marx’ design work. Landscape architects have been influenced by Marx through his many lectures and writings.
Marx was born in Sao Paulo, but it was in Germany as a student of painting that he became interested in Brazil’s native flora while visiting a local botanical garden. When he returned to Brazil in 1930 he began his extensive collection of native plants and two years later had his first commission for a landscape at a private residence. Years later his collection of native plants grew to be housed in a large estate outside of Rio de Janeiro that had been donated to the Brazilian government in 1985. The use of native species within his designs was very important in order to show off each plant’s characteristics. The use of water and pavements is also something that can be found in many of his designs such as in the Copacabana promenade.
If Roberto Burle Marx found influences in his work at a trip to a botanical garden, isn’t it time you venture out to the New York Botanical Garden yourself?
Economics 101
This is the garden club newsletter, not the Wall Street Journal, so I am not about to write about the current state of the economy. But I am reminded of Econ 10, reading about the cost of tulips and the havoc caused in the Netherlands back in the 1600's. A book written in 1841, “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds”, claims that investors in tulip bulbs were ruined in the dramatic rise and fall of bulb prices, with tulip contracts selling for more than ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsman at that time. Historians now disagree with author using with the term 'tulipomania' as it refers to an economic bubble. Tulips were introduced to the Netherlands from the Ottoman Empire in the mid-16th century. Within a short time tulips became status symbols. Previous thinking had the entire population speculating, causing the cost of tulip bulbs to rise. People felt this could last forever and had visions of wealth for all. In 1637 the traders weren’t able to get new buyers willing and able to pay the highly inflated prices, so the demand for tulips fell along with the price, and the bubble burst. Tulip speculators were now asking for aid from the government in declaring that contracts could now be voided by paying a 10% fee. According to the author, those who now held the tulip bulbs were left without any enforcement of their contracts since the judicial courts considered this gambling. Now it is thought that the tulipomaniacs were really just a small group of people, not the entire Netherlands as originally believed. Recent findings show trading in tulips was only by merchants and wealthy craftsmen, making the bubble very limited. During 1636-1637 there was a dramatic rise and fall in the cost of tulip bulbs, but not as dramatic a bubble as originally thought. Since the original book was highly popular and widely cited by other writers and economists (even up till the 1980's) the use of the term 'tulipomania' has remained. What will they say about today’s economic climate years from now? I just hope they keep the plant world out of it!
The 6th Annual “Think Spring” luncheon was a grand success, and a good time was had by all who attended. The Mediterranean Manor, as always, did not disappoint, and in fact was better than ever.
Many club members made donations for the raffle baskets. Those marked with an * were members of the committee who gave generously of their time as well. Those marked with & also participated in the Members’ Art Show, a first for the luncheon and a big hit. Let’s have a round of applause for all of these members!
Special thanks to co-chairs Georgia Dulmovits and Arlene Lamberti for a bang-up job yet again! In no particular order: Margaret Atkinson*, Babette Bishop*, Barbara Bruce*&, Rosalie Coleman&, Sandra Franco, June Petruccelli*, Carolyn Savastano*&, Diane and Bert Voland, Judy Zuck, Jo Miller, Fred and Bonnie Bossert, Peg and Frank Densing, Jim Tooher, Barbara Aragon*, Guy R. Vitale and Mark Jeffers, Joan Delaney, Ann Rubbo*, Marie Magnano*, Carolyn Young*, Ruth Szuminskyj*, Paula Murphy, Millie Zimmerman*, Donna Mujic&, Karen Ferb*&, Violet Mulligan*, Janet Heyer*, Carol Tvelia, Gladys Heimburger*, Joanna Drake, Marita Morello*, Joan Kattau, Mary Ann Tchinnis. Other members of the committee were Barbara Bestafka, Pauline Carleton, Carla Steward, Ellen Brandt, and Joan Tifford. Other members in the Art Show were Kathy Barthman, Carol Reitz-Butler, Kathy McMahon, and Tony Wenderoth. If I left anyone out, please let me know and accept my apologies. Ed.
Many businesses and organizations gave their generous support to our 2009 luncheon. We are ever grateful:
Jim Tooher Three Village Music Bayport Flower Houses
Friends of the Patchogue-Medford Library The Fish Store
Trendsetters Hair and Skin Care Blum’s
Town of Brookhaven Highway Dept. Nino’s Pizza
Long Island Statuary J&R Steak House
Waitress to Go Casino Clam
Fantastic Gardens Country Kitchen Restaurant
New York New Wave Hair Salon The Curry Club
Petite Pets Day Care and Boarding Swiftway Wine & Liquor
Finest Fitness Health and Sports Club The Pilates Studio at Bayport
Signs and Advertising Associate Prime Meat Market
Karl Ehmer Pork Store Advance Auto Parts
Time On My Hands Bissett Nursery
Bobbique Swan Cleaners
King Kullen Grocery Gallo Tropical Restaurant
BrickHouse Brewery and Restaurant The Good Steer Restaurant
Pura Vida Burrito Company Carvel
Panera Bread Painter’s
SunWave Liquors Alchemy Design
Tricia’s Hair Galleria Home Depot
Head Cutters Long Island Flower Garden & Florist
Quench Wine & Spirits Forever Young National Display Garden
Timely Tips for April
Prune forsythia soon after it finishes flowering for next year’s flowers.
Plant trees and shrubs. Plant new roses before growth begins.
The months of March, April and May are ideal for pruning evergreens. Remove all dead, diseased, and undesirable wood. However, do not prune back into the bare wood of the plant.
Plant summer flowering bulbs, but take care to wait until last frost for tender ones.
April is a great time to select and plant fruit trees and berry plants. Fruits and berries do best in full sun.
On Arbor Day, attend a ceremony and plant a tree.
If you ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it…
But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.
~Frank Lloyd Wright
Thanks to Diane Riviello-Voland for the quote.
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