February 2009

Guy’s Greetings
It’s February, and the holidays are over! Christmas, the New Year, and Groundhog Day, yes, Groundhog Day! On February 2nd the groundhogs told us we have six more weeks of winter. How can this be? We have seed packets in the stores, our daylight hours are growing longer, and the daffodils have broken ground. Mother Nature has even given us a peek (just a peek) of things to come with 60 degree weather. But the calendar is never wrong; it is still February. For me, when I see robins, I know winter is coming to an end and spring is around the corner.

As we look forward to the renewal of our gardens, our adventures, and our lives, we have to keep in mind how we got here and where we are going. The Patchogue Garden Club has grown over the years and evolved into an organization we can all be proud of. The accolades are many, but the success is yours. Remember our motto, “Come grow with us”. I invite everyone to join a committee, pull a weed, or share a story. But most of all, become involved, and we will become a stronger service organization
Thanks, Guy

Please Note: The policy of the Patchogue Garden Club is to use member contact information only for club business.

Mark the Date
Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 7 PM, general meeting at Hagerman Fire Department. Guest speaker: Erik Meneses of the Eastern Bonsai Society on "The Art of Bonsai". Please bring your luncheon baskets and other contributions to this meeting if you haven’t already done so. You may also drop them at Georgia’s house, 168 E. Lakewood, Patchogue. Reservations will also be taken; bring check for $32 payable to Patchogue Garden Club or cash. Karen Ferb is collecting payment. Please also pay your dues, $15 for an individual, $20 for a family.

Thursday, March 12, 2009, 10:30 AM, annual “Think Spring” speaker, luncheon and raffle. Mediterranean Manor, tickets $32.00 For more information, call Georgia Dulmovits (289-0867) or Arlene Lamberti (289-3667). If you have a dietary problem, please let me know so I can talk with the Manor and get back to you. I wish to thank you all for your help in donating baskets, other prizes, and gift certificates. This year we have 24 members on our committee, and they have been working really hard. Great group! To all our members, thank you for your continued support. I hope to see you at the luncheon and the meeting.
Georgia

January Meeting in a Flash
Our new president, Guy R. Vitale, thanked the outgoing officers for all the hard work during the past year. He is pleased and proud to have been elected to serve.

Club members voted with great community spirit to again participate in the March 29 Patchogue St. Patrick’s Day Parade for which we have won trophies in the past. So far, the members who have signed up are Guy R. Vitale, Mark Jeffers, Diane Riviello-Voland, Sandra Franco, Bonnie and Fred Bossert, JoMiller, Georgia Dulmovits, Carla Steward, Arlene Lamberti, Mary Ann Tchinnis, and Karen Ferb. Join the ranks and end the parade with the corned beef and cabbage at the BrickHouse Brewery and Restaurant on Main Street!

Calendar of Events for 2009:
Annual Think Spring Luncheon, Thursday, March 12, 2009,Opening of the Terry Street garden, 9 AM Saturday, April 25, 2009; rain date Sunday, April 26, 2009 Annual Plant and Yard sale, 9 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, May 16; rain date, Sunday, May 17, 2009 Breakfast in the Garden, 9 AM, Saturday, June 6, 2009 Annual Garden Tour, Saturday, July 11, 2009, Harvest dinner, 3 PM, Sunday, October 18, 2009, Closing of the Terry Street garden, 9 AM Saturday, November 7, 2009; rain date Sunday, November 8, 2009, Annual Christmas House Tour, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009

Who’s on first? Want to join a committee?
Contact the chairman.Newsletter, Karen Ferb; Web site, Kelleen Guyer & Karen Ferb; Design Committee for the Terry Street garden, Diane Riviello-Voland; Maintenance for the Terry Street Garden, Georgia Dulmovits; History and PR, Josephine Miller; Host/Hostess Committee, Arlene Lamberti; Nominating Committee, rotates yearly; Scholarship Committee, Guy R. Vitale; Membership, June Petruccelli; ‘Think Spring’ Luncheon Committee, co-chairmen Georgia Dulmovits and Arlene Lamberti; Plant and Yard Sale, Carol Tvelia; Breakfast in the Garden, Diane Riviello-Voland; Annual Garden Tour, Paula Murphy; Harvest Dinner, Guy R. Vitale; Christmas House Tour: Mary Ann Tchinnis; Summer Meetings in members’ or their friends’ gardens, please volunteer in advance for June, July, and August to Guy. Sign up at meetings or see the club membership list for contact info.

Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Saving ForestsHere on the northeast coast of the United States we have in the last few decades witnessed the disappearance of various tree species (e.g., Eastern Hemlock forests were wiped out by the wooly adelgid insect). Currently U.S. and Canadian researchers have noted trees in the western United States and Canada are dying quicker than in the past 30 years due to the rise in the average temperature in these areas. With an increase of little more than one degree, warmer temperatures are causing forests to be susceptible to attacks by pine beetles and other destructive organisms. Thinner and weaker forests are more vulnerable to wild fires and are stressed with prolonged droughts that hasten their demise. Various tree species at different elevations are dying faster than ever before.

Rather than just reporting on these new discoveries, scientists are now in the process of coming up with land use policies and are suggesting regulations to help forests survive. Reducing development in or near wild forest areas that are prone to fire risk will help these forests survive.

Are You Bats!?!
Ugh! I can't stand 'em. BATS! See? You too! There is something about them that makes you shiver and put your hands on your head and duck for cover. No love lost here. And what do they have to do with gardening, you ask? Just consider how many mosquitoes and other insects swarming in your backyard would increase to if it wasn’t for the bat’s voracious appetite. Along with bees and other beneficial insects, bats aid in the pollination of many plants. But now scientists are discovering that there is a deadly white nose syndrome that has spread in six northeast states (New York included) that has affected the bat population. The fungus that causes this syndrome makes the bat go through its body fat storage before spring while in hibernation, with the result that it leaves to search for food when the insect population is too low. A count of the dead bat population has been estimated in the hundreds of thousands. Researchers are considering a fungicide or a fungus killing bacteria that could spread from bat to bat to counteract this deadly problem. And who would have thought that you might feel sorry for a bat?!?

Right in Our Own Back Yard!
Following six months of research, nominations, and extensive voting by readers of the Long Island Press, Old Westbury Gardens has been named the winner in the Best Public Garden category in the Best of Long Island 2009 program. The garden was also named one of the world’s most beautiful by ForbesTraveler.com, “incredibly beautifully maintained and impeccably manicured”. Plan a visit after the April opening to celebrate their 50th anniversary. See more at http://www.oldwestburygardens.org. Take note too of the astoundingly gorgeous interior.

Members Page. Contribute anything you feel of interest. Want to swap? Want to buy? Want to sell? Share? Giveaway? Carpool? Here’s your soapbox, fire away!
From Betty Baran: The 27th Annual Spring Gardening School of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will be held at Riverhead Middle School on April 4, 2009, Ward Melville High School on April 18, 2009, and Bellport High School on April 25, 2009, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. This day includes your choice of classes from four different sessions, with information for every level of gardener from beginner to advanced. Topics include:• Fundamentals of gardening• Low maintenance shade gardening• Floral design• Home composting• Low-water gardening• Gardening with children• Vegetable gardening• Herbs, dahlias, hydrangeas, bulbs, roses, and many more!

All classes are taught by Master Gardeners and Extension Educators. Included in your fee are free soil pH testing, plant diagnostic clinic, plant sale from some of the finest nurseries, continental breakfast, delicious boxed lunch, and door prizes. The fee is $55 per person; early bird registration is $50 before March 6, 2009. The registration form with a full schedule of classes and their descriptions is available for download at www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk or contact Caroline Kiang at 631-727-7850, ext. 337 or 345.From Ellen Scammon: Is anyone was interested in playing Mah Jong during the day? Call me at 447-9027 or as emailescammon@yahoo.com.

From Josephine Miller and Paula Murphy, by popular demand, the recipe for the Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary they baked for the Christmas House Tour Hospitality spread two years running:
Ingredients
• 3 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for topping cookies
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop rosemary in a food processor. Add pine nuts; pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups flour, the baking soda, ginger, and salt; set aside.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in oil. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture. Add cream; mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, then remaining 1/4 cup flour.
3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls, and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with fingers, and top each with a pine nut. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on sheets on wire racks. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 3 days. They freeze well too.

From Guy R. Vitale:
Two free websites that have great gardening information along with email only coupons are www.homedepot.com/gardenclub and www.learn2grow.com from Lowes. I think this is information worth sharing to get free gardening coupons. We all can all use some help saving money!

Timely Tip
Do you know that February is National Wild Bird Feeding Month? Celebrate by offering up tasty options for your feathered friends. If you're not sure which types of birds will be visiting your yard, your best bets are black-oil sunflower seed and suet, high-calorie energy sources for a variety of species. Cheaperversions contain large percentages of milo and rape seeds that most backyard birds don't like. Buy a somewhat pricier mix that contains plenty of sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn. Birds won't discard as much, your feeder won't empty as quickly, and you'll save money in the long run.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 24, 7:00 p.m., at the Hagerman Fire Department

"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream."
- Barbara Winkler

PRESS RELEASE - The 27th Annual Spring Gardening School

The 27th Annual Spring Gardening School of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will be held at Riverhead Middle School on April 4, 2009, Ward Melville High School on April 18, 2009, and Bellport High School on April 25, 2009, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. This day includes your choice of classes from four different sessions, with information for every level of gardener from beginner to advanced. Topics include:

· Fundamentals of gardening
· Low Maintenance Shade gardening
· Floral design
· Home Composting
· Low-water gardening
· Gardening with children
· Vegetable gardening
· Herbs, dahlias, hydrangeas, bulbs, roses, and many more!

All classes are taught by Master Gardeners and Extension Educators. Included in your fee are free soil pH testing, plant diagnostic clinic, plant sale from some of the finest nurseries, continental breakfast, delicious boxed lunch, and door prizes. The fee is $55 per person, early bird registration is $50 before March 6, 2009.
The registration form with a full schedule of classes and their descriptions is available for download at www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk or contact Caroline Kiang at 631-727-7850, ext. 337 or 345.