FROM THE PRESIDENT
Greetings Fellow Gardeners,
I trust that you all had a joyous holiday season. I hope
that our members were fortunate enough to escape severe damage from Sandy.
Our prayers are with those who lost so much.
Can you believe that it is 2013! When I was much younger I
envisioned that we would have robots at our beck and call by now. Well,
we do to some extent. We have robotic machines that vacuum our floors,
wash our floors and of course wash our cars! Why oh why can’t they come up
with a robot that can distinguish a weed from a desired plant so that we
can save our backs from the task of weeding. Well, maybe some day they
will! We can only hope.
As our gardens are taking their long winter’s nap it’s time
for us to sit back and peruse the pages of the spring catalogues. I see so
many beautiful plants and so little space to plant them! I’m not
complaining mind you. We had an acre in Florida, which is just way too much space. My
shy quarter of an acre suits me just fine!
As we are off to a new year, the Board and I have been
making plans for some possible trips. We all enjoyed the trip to the New York
Botanical Gardens and look forward to another bus ride. We are also
considering at least one Community Work Shop, which thanks to Bonnie Bossert and
Josephine
Miller, was a great success.
Also, we need some ideas for fund raisers and some
volunteers to help out. We will once again address any maintenance to be done
in our Community Garden in the Village. If you have any suggestions or ideas
please feel free to email them to me at keb377@optonline.net. I welcome
any and all suggestions.
I am looking forward to a fantastic 2013. Hope to see you
all at our
Membership meeting on Tuesday January 22, 2013 at the
American Legion, 7:00 PM.
Until then……. June
MARK THE DATE
January 22, 2013: General Meeting, American Legion Hall,
7:00 PM
February 26, 2013: General Meeting, American Legion Hall,
7:00 PM
March 26, 2013: General Meeting, American Legion Hall, 7:00
PM
April 6, 2013: Opening of the Garden, 9 AM
April 18, 2013: Think Spring Luncheon, Mediterranean Manor;
doors open 10:15 AM Theme: Salute America
There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but
our hearts must be still to hear it.
~Submitted by Ronnie Manfredi
2013 Calendar of Events
April—Saturday, April 6, 9:00 AM—Opening of the Gardens
Thursday April 18—Think Spring Luncheon
June—Saturday, June 8, 9:00 AM.—Breakfast in The Garden
July—Saturday July 6—Garden Tour
September—Saturday, September 7—Community Workshop
October—Saturday, October 5—Tentative date for Harvest
Dinner
November—Saturday, November 2, 9:00 AM Closing of the Gardens
*If we should have rain, any event held in the garden on a
Saturday will take place the next day (Sunday).
**There will also be an additional Breakfast in the
Garden—Month & Date to be determined at a later time.
***There will be one or two trips which will be announced
once arrangements have been made.
Our Luncheon Committee is off and running, preparing for the
April 18, 2013 Luncheon, “Salute
America.” If anyone has a donation for the luncheon, you are
welcome to bring it to the January 22 general meeting. Or, our committee meets every Monday at 10 a.m.,
and you are welcome to drop it off, meet other members, and join us for coffee
etc.
Address: 168 East Lakewood Street, Patchogue, NY
Phone: 631-289-0867
jgdulmovits@verizon.net
Georgia Dulmovits
I’d like to give everyone the opportunity to be spotlighted
in this newsletter. If you haven’t had that chance yet, please let me know. I’ll
be passing out flyers at the meeting next week, asking for your information,
or, if you aren’t able to make it to the meeting, please contact me at:
margaretatkinson@gmail.com and I’ll send you a questionnaire via e-mail. If you’d rather have a telephone interview, you can call me at (631) 475-1137. Thanks!
BOOK REVIEW
Paula Murphy recommends this book—Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey
romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, aster for patience, and red roses
for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in
the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only
connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.
Get to Know A Fellow
Gardener—June Petruccelli
June is currently
president of the Patchogue Garden Club.
Where were you born,
and where have you lived?
I was born in Greenport, Long Island. I lived in Greenport
until my early teens and then moved to Riverhead. After Angelo and I were married, I moved to Patchogue
and we began our life together in an apartment on River Avenue.
Tell us about your
family?
We have two daughters, Rosemari and Heather. Heather is
married and has one son who is four years old. Rosemari is divorced and has a daughter
who is 15. Both of our daughters now live in Florida. That is the reason we are
there so much; to see our daughters and our grandchildren.
What gave you your
first interest in gardening?
I became interested in gardening as a child. My mother and father
both had green thumbs. I swear my mother could take a twig and grow a tree!
Growing up in Greenport we lived across the street from Cherry Lane Farm. Part
of what they grew were flowers for the local florist. Directly across the
street from my home was an acre planted with peonies. What a beautiful sight. My
parents also had a large vegetable garden and my mother canned almost
everything we grew. I did some canning when my girls were little but then
decided that it was way too much work.
Outside of gardening,
what are some of your interests?
I love to read. I have a fondness for history, especially
American History. I usually read at least two novels or books at a time
depending on my mood. Recently I was surprised to realize that I had 5 books going
at the same time! I usually don’t get confused about the story line because they
are so different. For example: I am reading Killing Lincoln and a Debbie Macomber novel. You sure can’t get
those two mixed up. I also love to crochet. My mother taught me how when I was
in elementary school, and I crochetedthe lace on many hankies and pillow cases!
Now I make doilies and afghans. I have also made a couple of dresses for my
granddaughter when she was a toddler. When the girls were little I used to sew a lot of their clothes. I even did some hand
smocking, which I am very proud of.
A television show you
like—
My favorite TV show is The Big Bang. I just love Sheldon. I
think he is a hoot!
A book you’d
recommend—
New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherford. It is a historical
novel about New York City. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot about how
certain parts of the city got their names.
Your favorite dessert
or food—
My favorite dessert is Crème Brûlée. Some day I need to
learn how to make it.
What would you do if
you won the lottery?
If I won the lottery, depending on how much I won, I would
buy a house in Florida so that we could snow-bird. I would also buy Angelo the
Alfa- Romeo that he wants, help my girls and set up a trust fund so that the
monies would keep coming in after I am gone! Oh, and I would also hire a
chauffer because I do not like to drive!
An interesting job
you’ve had—
When I worked in the Trust Department of SunTrust Bank in
Florida we had some very famous
clients. We had several sports figures, race car drivers and
recording artists, not to mention people that were famous in the Tech Industry.
Anything else you’d
like us to know about you---
Angelo and I were married 41 years ago (42 on May 1st).
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
1. Here are some photos from Richard Waldman's trip to Dumbarton Oaks,
www.doaks.org , where the gardens were designed by Beatrix Farrand.
|
Ellipse Fountain with Plants |
|
Lover's Lane Pool |
|
Orangerie Terrace
2. Here’s a good article by Daniel Overcash on Understanding Fertilizer Numbers: N-P-K
Trying to determine what fertilizer to use can be an
overwhelming task. Which formulation do you need for your particular situation? Should you get the bag of 18-9-9 or the bag of
5-10-5? And what the heck do those numbers mean anyway? It may seem intimidating, but you can figure it out. When selecting a fertilizer – whether it’s for annuals, vegetable
gardens, trees and shrubs, perennials or lawns, the first question to answer is, “What analysis do I need?” The analysis is
actually the three large numbers you see on every fertilizer label –
put there by law – such as 10-20-10 or 10-10-10 or 18-46-0.
These numbers represent the percentage (by weight) of the three
major nutrients required for healthy plant growth, always in the
same order: nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K). Each of these nutrients affects plant growth differently, and the
formulation you select should depend on your specific gardening needs. The first number is the percentage of nitrogen in the bag. So a bag of 24-8-4 has 24 percent total nitrogen.
Nitrogen provides plants with the ability to produce more
chlorophyll, which in turn allows plants to grow quickly. With each
additional nitrogen application, plants will grow taller and develop a
darker green color. So if you want a dark green lawn, use a lawn
fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen – but then expect to mow more often.
The second number in the analysis is the percentage of phosphorus in the mix. For example, a bag of 24-8-4 would
contain 8 percent phosphorus. Phosphorous aids in root development and increases flowering ability and bloom size. The
fertilizer industry smartly markets high phosphorus fertilizer as Bloom Booster.” High-phosphorous fertilizer should be used when plants are being established in your garden – when
sowing a new lawn or planting a new tree, for instance.
The third number represents the percentage of potassium found in the product. A bag of 24-8-4 has 4 percent
potassium in the mix. Potassium has many functions: It guards the plant against diseases and aids in drought protection and
cold tolerance. It also serves a role in improving root
development and helps in the process of photosynthesis. You might
consider using a high-potassium fertilizer at the start of winter and
summer to protect crops from temperature extremes or when insects and disease have caused damage to your plants.
Now, if you’re a left-brainer, you’ve probably noticed that the sum of the percentages don’t equal 100 percent. That’s
because there are other nutrients and filler product in fertilizer
mixtures. This filler helps to apply the nutrients evenly over an
area. So no need to double-check the math.
An experienced gardener may recognize a plant’s need for fertilizer. For example, plants that are deficient in
nitrogen may start turning light green or yellow. Similarly, purple
foliage (on an otherwise green plant) is a telltale sign of
phosphorus deficiency. The only true way to determine how much
fertilizer a crop needs is to conduct a soil test. Most states offer soil
samples through their Cooperative Extension Service at no charge (or for a small fee). A soil test ensures that the correct
amount and type of fertilizer will be used on your plants.
Next time you’re in the garden center selecting fertilizer, don’t let the numbers on the package intimidate you. Just
consider what your plants need and match their needs to the numbers. You, and your yard, will be fine!
4. If you are interested in growing Paperwhites indoors,
here’s a video from Paula that will help you:
Paula Murphy found a beautiful site featuring wisteria grown in Japan. There are pinks through purples and yellows and whites. You can see some of the beautiful flowering plants and can read more here: http://www.ashikaga.co.jp/en/wisteria.html
Timely Tips for the Garden in January
• On mild days, remove winter weeds, such as wild onions and chickweed.
• Sow seeds of Shirley poppies for bloom in May and June
• Sow larkspur seeds directly in flowerbeds where you want them to grow; look for blooms by midspring.
• Indoors, start seeds of perennials or slow-growing annuals, like coleus and geraniums, beneath lights.
• Start seeds of cabbage, early lettuce, and at the end of the month, broccoli.
• Near the end of the month, weed the asparagus bed and strawberry plot, then feed the plants and renew the thinning mulches.
Patchogue Garden Club
P.O. Box 3030
Patchogue, NY 11772-0887
“Come grow with us”
Founded 1996
Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up
where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me
that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect
wonders ~Henry David Thoreau
|
Winterberry, a Native Plant with Winter Interest