FROM THE PRESIDENT
Greetings Fellow Gardeners,
I am hoping that you all faired well with our historic snow
storm, “Nemo”. The view from my Paumanok Room was one of beauty for
sure. We recently replaced our windows, and now it really feels
like we are one with nature. Angelo and I are enjoying watching the birds at our feeders
and also observing the antics of our resident squirrels. Before the
snow some of my early bulbs were starting to peek out from their winter
slumber. Could this mean that spring is around the corner? According to the
calendar we have 4 ½ weeks to go. I sure hope that Mother Nature uses
the same calendar as we do!
I received another spring gardening catalogue today. There
are so many beautiful flowers that I wish I could buy them all. I
know that Angelo would be happy because he would have less grass to cut.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our meeting on
Tuesday, February 26 at the American Legion 7 p.m. If you have not
paid your dues you may do so at the meeting. Also, those of you who paid
last month should receive your membership cards on Tuesday.
Stay safe,
June
MARK THE DATE
February 26, 2013: General Meeting, American Legion Hall,
7:00 PM.
March 26, 2013: General Meeting, American Legion Hall, 7:00
PMApril 6, 2913: Opening of the Garden, 9 AM
April 18, 2013: Think Spring Luncheon, Mediterranean Manor Doors open: 10:15 AM
May your troubles be less.
Your blessings be more.And nothing but happiness
Come through your door.
~Author unknown
(Contributed by Ronnie Manfredi)
Garden Gazette, February 2013, page one
February Meeting Hostesses
MaryAnn TchinnisJoanna Drake
Ronnie Manfredi
February Birthdays
Peg Densing—4
Jack Heyer—7Susan Gebers—11
Bill Steward—18
March Birthdays:
Linda Perniciaro—1Don Rubbo—5
Frank Levantini—6
Janet Heyer—21
January Meeting in a Flash
• Much discussion ensued concerning finances—paying less for speakers, cutting some of the expenditure for the Railroad Station, suggestion of a $5 donation to the Harvest Dinner.
No decisions were made.
• June Petruccelli mentioned the candle and flower memorial et up in the garden gazebo and asked what we could do about it. No decision was made.
• Arlene Lamberti indicated that we had no mail.
• Dues are due; membership cards will be distributed next month.
• Georgia Dulmovits said that 700 flyers are going out
advertising the Spring Luncheon.
• Margaret Atkinson’s last newsletter will be the May
newsletter. Anyone wanting to take over that job, contact June Petruccelli (730-1091).
• Jo Miller and Carol Tvelia are planning a community
project for September on canning foods.
• There was discussion about the Purple Leaf Plum Tree that fell during Hurricane Sandy. Guy Vitale and helpers will cut up and remove the tree. In the fall, the club will decide whether or not a new tree should be planted.
• MaryAnne Tchinnis is working on organizing a Christmas House Tour for this year.
• Paula Murphy hopes to have five gardens this year for the tour.
• Jo Miller is considering various garden tours for club
members. She will keep us informed.
• The Scholarship Committee needs another person to join them. If you’d like to help, call Carolyn Savastano (730-1177).
• We considered the reasons we stopped having a yard sale.
If anyone is interested in heading this up again, let June
know.
• Guy suggested several areas of maintenance needed for the garden—A refurbished sign, new railroad ties, overgrown
areas taken care of, etc. June said these would be taken care of one at a time.
Thanks to Babette Bishop for faithfully recording the minutes each month.
Karen Ferb and Mary Ann Tchinnis are trying to plan the Christmas House Tour for 2013. They are currently contacting the people who were unable to take part last year who declined, asking to try again this year. We’ve had two positive responses. So, everyone, keep your fingers crossed. We know everyone enjoys the House Tour, and will do our best to have it
happen this year. We are
still hoping to have some help from Garden Club members in getting participants. Any suggestions?
Do You Love Garage Sales?
Would you like to organize a garage sale as a fundraiser for the Garden Club? Please let June Petruccelli know. 730-1091
Remember!
Our Think Spring Luncheon, "Salute America", Mediterranean Manor, April 18, 2013, Doors open at 10:15 AM. Reservations can be made at the February meeting—the price remains the same—$35. Don’t forget to wear something red, white, and blue.
Buy tickets earlier so you get a good seat (haha), and send your baskets or gift cards and certificates for the auction so we can get them on the list early. Georgia and Arlene
BETTY BARAN SENDS THIS NEWS—
The 31st Annual Spring Gardening School of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will be held at The Academy of St. Joseph in Brentwood on April 6, 2013 and Riverhead Middle School on April 13, 2013, 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.
The fee is $60 per person; early bird registration is $55 before March 1, 2013. The registration form with a full schedule of classes and their descriptions is available for download at www.ccesuffolk.org or contact Caroline Kiang at 631-727-7850, ext. 337.
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
(Thanks to Richard Waldman)
1. Camellias were once thought of as darlings of the Southern garden, but hardier varieties are making their way north. Here’s the shockingly pink Autumn Spirit.
Read more about Mr. Cresson who grows about 60 kinds of hardy camellias in his two-acre garden in Swarthmore, PA. “Mr. Cresson, who has been gardening since he was in first grade, fell in love with camellias in the
1960s
when warm winters allowed a neighbor’s to bloom like mad with ‘big pink blooms, four inches wide, hanging all over
them,’ he said...and thought ‘Wow, you can’t have anything more beautiful than this.’
By his teens, he was growing his own camellias, many from cuttings of the hardiest species and varieties known at
the time. He was also visiting the test sites at Longwood
Gardens near Philadelphia...where William L. Ackerman developed many hardy fall-blooming varieties.”
2. Lehighvalleylive.com gives us these suggestions from Dean Fosdick of Associated Press:
for jogging. Build benches for workouts. Use trees and fence posts for stretching. Lose even more calories by squatting or lifting while weeding, planting, hauling and digging. You can personalize your garden to fit your energy level. Equipment such as exercise beams and conditioning ladders are inexpensive
and simple to make, while portable gear like weighted rollers, jump ropes, dumbbells and Swiss balls can be eased into the routines. ‘If you have children's play equipment, it is easy to add a pull-up bar or climbing frame for adults to a tree house,’ said Bunny Guinness, a landscape architect who runs a garden design business near Peterborough in central England.
Gardening in and of itself can be a formidable calorie
burner, said
Guinness, who with physiotherapist Jacqueline Knox wrote
“Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness” (Timber Press. 2008).
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many illnesses, and
gardening can provide it, said Margaret Hagen, an educator with University
of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.
‘Raking is like using a rowing machine,’ Hagen said.
‘Turning a
compost pile is similar to lifting weights. Carry a gallon
sprinkling can of water in each hand and you've got 8-pound dumbbells.
Pushing a lawnmower is like walking on a treadmill, only much more
interesting.’ Even more calories are burned when calisthenics are included
in the mix. Add push-ups, chin-ups, bridging, power lunges and dips
to the workouts.
Warm up before you begin to avoid cramping and joint pain.
Pace yourself. Hydrate, especially if you're gardening out
in the sun. Avoid bending by using telescoping pruners, edgers and
weeders. Opt for lightweight and easy-to-grip hand tools. Work
ergonomically. Stress good posture and balance.‘As someone who has had a back issue, I do try to follow my physical therapist's advice and be careful to kneel instead
of stooping while gardening and to lift with bent knees and a straight
back,’ Hagen said. ‘One of the things I like most about gardening
is that because you stretch and move in so many directions, it works all
your muscle groups, releasing tension everywhere in your body.’ Don't forget to include mental health in your landscape
design. Add tranquil herb gardens, soothing fountains and small sitting
areas formeditation, relaxing and cooling off.
‘Any gardener can tell you that there is nothing like
spending time
outdoors gardening to refresh the soul,’ Hagen said.
‘Psychologically, I'm sure it provides the same benefits to gardeners that
recent research says recess provides to schoolchildren.’
Good nutrition also is an important part of any fitness
package, and few things taste better than food served fresh from the
garden. 'If you can boost your health and avoid stresses and strains
in the process, it becomes all the more satisfying,’ Guinness said.
3. It’s time for THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW! The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is an annual event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in March. It is the world’s
oldest and largest indoor flower show, attracting more than 260,000 people annually. The show features large-scale
gardens, elaborate landscapes, and over-the-top floral creations. Read more about it here: http://theflowershow.com/show-info
4. What did these owners find when they were digging in the garden? Richard Waldman, who forwarded this article, says, “I often wonder what bones I will find when I start
digging in my garden - so far nothing. Also hoping to strike oil and
become an oil baron (and do a James Dean impersonation from the movie Giant). But all I get is sandy soil.” Read what
these home owners found here: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16732362-homes-new-owners-find-human-skull-bones-during-landscaping-work?
Get to Know A Fellow Gardener—Mark Jeffers
Where were you born, and where have you lived?
Appleton, WI…I have lived in Missouri, Colorado, Massachusetts,Maryland, New Jersey,Florida and NY.
Tell us about your family
My parents are deceased. I have 5 brothers and sisters, I am an identical twin and I have 26 nieces and nephews.
What gave you your first interest in gardening?
It may go way back to when my mom grew peonies in the back yard of our house in Wisconsin. After my mom passed away, we brought one of those peonies to our home here in Patchogue. Guy is really the gardener, and I do the grunt work and pay for most of what we purchase.
Outside of gardening, what are some of your interests?
Volunteer work…at PlazaMac, my church, and wherever needed.
A television show you like?
Downton Abbey, Big Bang Theory, Modern Family.
A book you’d recommend?
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
An accomplishment you are proud of?
Reaching 10 years of continuous catechetical service to the Catholic Church. Becoming a Cantor….never thought either would be achieved.
An interesting place you’ve traveled to or visited?
Riga and Tallinn in the Baltics.
Your favorite dessert or food?
Pear Pie.
A talent you have we may not know about?
Singing.
Favorite sport?
NFL Football, especially the Green Bay Packers. I bleed green and gold.
A favorite internet site?
Ancestry.com
What would you do if you won the lottery?
It would have to depend on how much the winnings were. If significant, I would pay off my house and travel to Italy, Germany, and France, each for one year. I would work odd jobs and travel the entire country of each. I would also take every bill of every family member and pay it off if they wanted me to.
Something you keep postponing?
Going into business with my sister Kathryn and youngest brother, Robert.
An interesting job you’ve had?
I loved working for Marriott Hotels after graduating college in 1979. I got to travel and live in various U.S. cities, my absolute favorite being Baltimore MD.
Anything else you’d like us to know about you?
I would like to retire and travel and have a second home, a log cabin with five acres of wooded land in southwestern Wisconsin, so that I could go there whenever I wanted. This would allow me to be closer to all my nieces, nephews, siblings, and cousins.
(NB: We hope Mark is doing well after his injury. He was caught at work under an awning, heavy with snow, that collapsed on him. He had to have some stitches. ~Ed.)
KAREN FERB SENDS THIS INFORMATION— The Garden Conservatory is announcing its Open Days Garden Visiting Season.
The link to the site is http://www.gardenconservancy.org/, then click on 'Open Days'. They put the whole country up on the site so people who are traveling can plan.
Here are some of the New York gardens:
- New York Columbia County: May 11; June 1, 15 and 30; July 21; and August 17
- Delaware County: July 6
- Dutchess County: May 5 and 11; June 15 and 30; August 17; and October 12
- Ithaca Area: March 16, June 15
- Nassau County: May 18
- Onondaga County: September 22
- Suffolk County: May 4 and 25; June 22, July 14; and September 7
- Ulster County: June 15, July 13, September 14
- Westchester County: April 28; May 5, 19, 25 and 26; June 1, 2, and 30; July 28; August 10; September 8; October 19; and November 2
Karen says, “When I get the gardens for Suffolk, I’ll forward them for the newsletter.” But you can go to the Web site for yourself if you want to.
Carolyn Savastano sent this website with beautiful floral tunnels. Look for it here: http://www.zuzafun.com/top-10-most-beautiful-tree-tunnels-in-the-world
5. Here’s something Richard sent from the Home Depot Garden Club: “Doctors tell you to listen to your body when
you exercise, but you don’t have to listen hard to know that
gardening can be a real workout. When you come in after mowing the lawn, dividing lilies, or hilling potatoes, your muscles
scream if you’ve overdone it. But heating pads and ice packs aside,
gardening is a great way to boost your fitness. The key is to garden moderately. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start
slowly and build up your activities. http://ext.homedepot.com/community/blog/home-depot-garden-club/columns/the-good-seed-garden-for-good-health/
6. Here are some great ideas for “unexpected houseplants”: Tovah Martin suggests zonal geraniums, lemon cypress in
large pots, and gives instructions on growing kalanchoes. http://www.tovahmartin.com/
Here is a NY Times article, “Inviting the Garden Inside,”
withmore of Tovah Martin’s ideas: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/garden/inviting-the-garden-in-for-the-winter.html?pagewanted=all
7. If you ignore the curmudgeonly introduction, this NY Times article gives some good suggestions for “Trees that
Make the Best Neighbors.” The author quotes Nelson Sterner of the Bayard Cutting Arboretum as suggesting Southern magnolias, the Asian pear, flowering crab apples, white oaks, and paperback maples as a few on his list. Read more about it here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/garden/trees-that-make-the-best-neighbors.html?pagewanted=all
February Tips for the Garden
• Check stored bulbs, tubers and corms. Discard any that are soft or diseased.
• Don’t remove mulch from perennials too early. A warm day may make you think spring is almost here, but there may be more cold weather yet to come.
• Late winter is the time to prune many deciduous trees. Look over your plants now and remove dead, dying or unsightly parts of the tree, sprouts growing at or near the base of the tree trunk, and crossed branches.
• Don’t start your vegetable plants indoors too early. Six weeks ahead of the expected planting date is early enough for the fast growth species such as cabbage. Eight weeks allows enough time for the slower growing types such as peppers.
Patchogue Garden Club, Founded 1996
“Come grow with us”
A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul
~Sadi
