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MARCH 2016
GARDEN THYMES MIDDLEBURY GARDEN CLUB NEWSLETTER
www.middleburygardenclub.com
LIBRARY FLOWERS I
February - Pat DurfeeThank you!
PAY BY MARCH 31 to be listed in our yearbook.
Mail your check for $20, with any change in your information, to
Shari Johnson, 535 Sperry Road, Cornwall, VT 05753, or
bring you check to our March meeting.
If, sadly for us, you have decided not to renew, please let Shari know.
802-462-3366or [email protected]
CAPSULE CALENDARMarch 8 - Org. Vegetable Gdning, 1PM March 15 - Plant Sale Meeting, 1:20PM April 12 - Fruit Trees and Berries May 10 - Pollinator Friendly Landscapes May 21 - Plant Sale June 14 - Annual Meeting
SNOWY DAY
POTLUCKAlthough we have no
photos of our event to share, we do express
sincere thanks to Anne Collins who
hosted our February Potluck Luncheon and business meeting in
her Cornwall home.
We were pleased to meet so many new and newer members and hope they liked our
company and enjoyed the presentation by Barbara Clearbridge, to whom we also
express our thanks, for an interesting how-to on microgreens so we can learn to raise
these fast-growing wonders for consumption on a daily basis throughout our winters.
Among many other dishes and desserts too numerous to name, we enjoyed a variety of deviled eggs, cornbread, cabbage salad,
mini quiches, and warming chili and soup on one of this winter’s few snowy days.
Lorraine Abramson chaired this event.
HELP WANTED!
Are you interested in art and design or in writing and communication? Our club needs someone to take over responsibility for our monthly e-mailed newsletter. If you think you might like to do this, contact Anne
Taylor, [email protected], to learn more about what is involved.
NEXT MEETING!Just in time for spring we present
Ready, Set, Growon March 8, 1PM, with David Cobb in Eastview’s
second floor Community Room, 100 Eastview Terrace, Middlebury
After five successful years of growing vegetables using organic methods in Sudbury, Vermont, and selling them to restaurants in Middlebury, to the Rutland Food Co-op and at the Brandon Farmers’ Market, David Cobb and his wife, Karen, have downsized their operation from a small farm to a large garden. David will share with us some of his tips for success focusing on choosing vegetable winners, seed starting, soils, fertilizers, garden pests, succession planting and other related topics.
This is just what we need to shake us up after the winter and ensure we plan for a successful sowing and reaping season.
The chairs for this event are Anne Taylor and Lorraine Abramson. Hospitality will be provided by Lorraine Abramson.
This meeting is open to members and their guests and parking will be very tight, so please consider car pooling. There will be a brief business meeting following the program.
Be sure you marked your calendar for our
!
Buy seeds now to start in April. Vegetable and herb starts will sell if they look robust
by May 21.
Collect containers: plant pots, large yogurt/cottage cheese containers, milk and juice
bottles or cartons etc., etc., and make several holes in the bottom for drainage.
If needed, buy potting soil or your growing medium of choice.
Raise houseplant cuttings collected from friends and family
Find photos and make labels now for those plants you know you will bring.
E-mail or phone in your name to Anne Taylor, [email protected]
(382-9441) as a plant donor and as a worker, or sign up at our next club meeting.
Volunteer to lend• bird feeder poles for a hanging basket• tables on which special items may be
placed• canopies to shelter workers in case of rain• carts for transporting purchases
Find out whether your favorite not-for-profit is willing to pick up any unsold plants.
Thank you!
Plant Sale MeetingThe garden club’s plant sale has been an annual event for many many years. Over those years its organization has
changed and, hopefully, improved; nevertheless we are always open to new ideas. If you would like to learn
how we pull this off year after year or to make positive suggestions for
improvements, please join co-chairs Anne Collins and Anne Taylor at this meeting on Tuesday, March 15, in the
Ilsley Public Library’s downstairs meeting room. The meeting will begin
promptly at 1:20PM owing to the room’s limited availability.
All members are encouraged and, indeed, expected, to contribute to this
fundraiser in some way. The most important contribution is to donate
plants that we can sell.
If you cannot or choose not to attend the meeting but have questions, please
contact Anne Taylor ([email protected]; 382-9441).
OTHER MARCH EVENTS OF POSSIBLE INTEREST
The following five events take place at UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center, 65 Green Mountain Drive, South Burlington. Email [email protected] to register.
http://www.friendsofthehortfarm.org/FOHFCalendar.html
Tree Care Basics: Planting and Care For Thriving Trees - SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 9-1Arborist V.J. Comai, of Bartlett Tree Experts, will tell you what to look for when purchasing a tree, the pros and cons of container grown trees vs B &B, proper planting and the problems associated with planting too deeply, selecting the right tree for the right place, follow up care, and the basics of good structural pruning. Members & Current Master Gardeners (bring ID) $10; Non-members $15; Master Gardener Education Hours (“MGE”).
Conifers: Workhorse for Northern GardensSATURDAY, MARCH 12, 9-12Conifers are essential design elements in our northern landscapes. Texture, color and architectural form are qualities this diverse group of plants bring to a well-designed garden. Join local Garden Designer and Horticulturist, Paul Wieczoreck, to explore the selection and cultivation of conifers suitable for our cold northern climate, and learn how they can enhance your garden all year. Members & Current Master Gardeners (bring ID) $10; Non-members $15; MGE.
Creating Healthy SoilWEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 6-8Explore the wonderful worlds of soil, compost and ecology. Wendy Sue Harper will present ecological gardening methods to build soil tilth to biodiversity as a preventative practice, make good compost, and unlock the secrets to great gardening. Members & Current Master Gardeners (bring ID) $10; Non-members $15; MGE.
Crabapple Pruning WorkshopSATURDAY, MARCH 19, 9-1Test your pruning skills on the Hort. Farm’s Crabapple Collection with Curator Mark Biercevicz as he gives you basic instruction. Bring pruners, gloves, loppers. Some tools provided. Q and A about growing and pruning apple trees for yourself and wildlife, and an intro to heirloom varieties. Free; MGE.
Viticulture for the Home GardenerWEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 6-8Learn from Terry Bradshaw, Hort. Farm Manager, about new opportunities for grape and wine production in Vermont and other cold, northern climates. Site design, horticultural needs, and varietal selection will be included. Members & Current Master Gardeners (bring ID) $10; Non-members $15; MGE.
Pollinator Quilt Slide ShowTUESDAY, MARCH 15, at noonHope Johnson of Vermont Quilt Bee will be presenting a slide show at the South Burlington Library. She’ll show her bee quilts, talk about their connection to bee population preservation, and recount some of her experiences in this important work. Join her for tea and cocoa; bring a sack lunch. This program is free and open to the public.
There’s More to March than Daffodils
Now is the time to bring branches indoors and force some early color from the buds. For detailed advice on how to succeed with this, download the PDF from Purdue’s Extension Service:
https://hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-23.pdf
MINUTES - FEBRUARY MEETING
Please read. You will be asked to
vote on accepting
these minutes.
The Middlebury Garden Club met on February 9 at the home of Anne Collins for the annual Potluck Luncheon. Members arrived at noon with a variety of entrees and desserts including soup, chili, deviled eggs, mini quiches and cornbread. Lunch was followed by a short business meeting chaired by President Pat Morrow after which Barbara Clearbridge educated us about raising microgreens.
Pat summarized the November minutes for the benefit of members before they were approved unanimously following a motion to accept by Lynne Boie which was seconded by Anne Collins.
Treasurer's Report: Lorrie Muller: The report covered November, December and January. There were expenses for Christmas decorations and full payment of $1,345 was made to the Porter Hospital ARCH fund. When there is growth in the garden in spring a photograph will be submitted to the newspaper. A plaque acknowledging the club’s contribution will also be erected. As of February 9, 2016, the checking account balance was $8,715.
Membership Report: Shari Johnson reported that membership dues are are payable by the end of March for the 2016 - 2017 year. She introduced three new members: Gail Smith, Lillian Snow and Tawnya Kiernan.
Pat thanked all who helped with the decoration of the Ilsley Public Library and worked to put together a successful holiday party, events coordinated by Lorraine Abramson, Barbara Blodgett, Peggy Cox, Pat Durfee, Lorrie Muller and Kate Tilton. Pat noted that the decorations were well received by the community. The theme for the 2016 decoations is red plaid. It is anticipated that there will be another workshop to prepare for decorating day. Ideas for the decoration should be sent to Barbara Blodgett.
Program Committee: Pat introduced First Vice Presidents Ashley Dewey and Anne Collins who are taking over from Lorraine Abramson for the remainder of the 2015 - 2016 club year; and thanked Lorraine for the club year’s programs through the June annual meeting.
Pat reminded us of our upcoming events and invited the chairpersons present to speak. There will be a meeting to collect ideas for the coming year’s programs on Tuesday, February 16, at Eastview. On March 8, David Cobb from Stonebottom Farm, Sudbury, will speak on organic vegetable gardening; and on March 15 there will be a meeting about the May 21 plant sale that will again be held on the
Town Green. On April 12, Charlie Nardozzi will speak to our club and members of the public at the Counseling Service of Addison County. While in May Annie White will speak at The Residence about pollinators. Both of the latter two programs qualify for Extension Master Gardener education credits. In March there are a couple of events at The Hort Farm on designing with and caring for trees. Hospitality for the Nardozzi event is to be provided by Lynne Boie, Shari Johnson and Marilyn Needham. Sign up sheets for the plant sale and for hospitality including the Creations and Donations luncheon were made available to members.
Barbara Blodgett announced that the 2016 Extension Master Gardener Scholarships were awareded to Lesley Bienvenue and Naila Baloch.
Pat announced a number of upcoming events which may be of interest to our members including the classes sponsored by Gardeners’ Supply, the July 9 – 18 tour of England and Wales with Charlie Nardozzi, and the Fifth Annual Garden and Landscape Symposium at Fort Ticonderoga on April 9.
Respectfully submitted, Anne Taylor for Pat Durfee, Recording Secretary.
http://www.fortticonderoga.org/education/workshop-seminars/garden
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/retail_cat_seminars.html
Tawnya Kiernan (Mike)803 Sheep Farm Road, Weybridge, VT [email protected]
Lillian Snow 594 Weybridge Street, Middlebury, VT [email protected] phone number provided
Gail Smith (Wes)27 Prunier Road, Weybridge, VT [email protected]
Tawnyna and Lillian are interested in the plant sale as well as the Sheldon Museum Garden. Gail is also interested in assisting with the Sheldon Museum Garden and with decorating the Ilsley Public Library and the Sheldon Museum. Tawnya has an interest in hospitality.
PLEASE ADD THESE NEW MEMBERS’
INFORMATION TO YOUR YEARBOOK
WHEN PLANTS GO TO WAR
Take a look at this interesting article about the arsenal of chemical defenses against
insects that plants have evolved.
http://m.nautil.us/issue/31/stress/when-plants-go-to-war
CLIMATE CHANGE INFORMATION
The Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library has partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to facilitate access to the latest
science-based information on climate change and effects of selected agricultural conservation
practices.http://wqic.nal.usda.gov/climate-change
Flowers at the funeral of member Jane Miller obtained and arranged by Barbara
Blodgett and paid for by our club.
Thank you Barbara!
WHAT TO WATCH
Make sure you haven’t missed David Attenborough’s “Kingdom of Plants”.
Seen it? Try “Life” or “The Secret Life of Birds”.
All his programs are fascinating and beautifully shot. Find on Netflix or
DVDs at your local library.
INTERESTED IN THE ENGLAND & WALES TOUR?Read all about it:
http://gardeningwithcharlie.com/garden-tours/2016-gardens-castles-of-england-
and-wales-tour/
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR TWO NIGHTS OF FUN
Coach trip with Nardozzi and Perry to the Newport Flower Show and surrounding gardens and garden centers of interest, June 24 - 26.
http://gardeningwithcharlie.com/garden-tours/gardens-of-newport-bus-tour/?utm_source=Charlie%27s+Garden+Newsletter+mailing+list&utm_campaign=c403b2dc1b-Charlie%27s_Late_February_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9d85c82a2-c403b2dc1b-348404169
