Garden Club – March 2012

Annual Election of Officers: In accordance with the Garden Club’s Bylaws, a committee was selected at the February meeting to nominate members to fill the two year terms for officers for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. The following nominees were announced, with the election to be held at the April meeting:

President Jerry Koppang

Vice President Irene Hopson

Secretary Melanie Wilcox

Treasurer Karl Kuhn

Membership Chair Gunjan Anand

Hospitality Committee Carmen

Murphy, Carole Daly, Joanne Webb

Seashore News Correspondent

Morry Meadow

 

Installation of the new officers will take place on June 18 at the Club’s annual Beach Bluff Barbeque.

 

Guest Speaker: Tim Isle, Pest Control Advisor for Crop Production Services Company, provided some disturbing information about the thrips, mites, aphids, caterpillars, leaf miners, mealybugs, borers, weevils and the ever-unpopular psyllid; and other garden and agricultural pests that lay siege to our botanica, reminding us that we must maintain a constant vigil.

 

Representatives of Harvest Landscape, the Shores new landscape contractor, gave an update on improved irrigation maintenance, tree trimming progress, dethatching of green belts, and lacing of shrubs and trees to promote strength, growth and flowering.

 

Field Trip: Signups were held for the trip to LaCanada-Flintridge, slated for April 17 for a tour of Descanso Gardens. The cost for the bus and private tour is $30. This 160 acre, award winning botanical gem has North America’s largest collection of camellia plants. Latecomers and non-members can still sign up, depending on availability of space on the bus, by calling President Jerry Koppang. Lunch is available on the grounds. The bus will leave the ClubHouse at 9:00 a.m.

 

Bad Gardening Advice—Some

Misconceptions:

 

Putting gravel at the bottom of containers does not improve drainage…instead, use soilless potting mix, especially formulated to drain well. Gravel and styrofoam actually discourage good drainage. To avoid runoff mess, you can use some pottery shards, fine mesh screen or even a coffee filter to retain the soil, and allow water to escape.

 

• Planting acid-loving plants under pine trees does nothing to acidify the soil below the tree. A better idea is to use plants that can take dry soil and dense shade; or, add a layer of organic mulch such as wood chips under the pine tree.

 

• Are you using ladybugs in your garden to kill off pests such as aphids and mites? Not necessarily a good thing, since these gentle insects live solitary lives and are prone to leave your garden to make homes in other places…probably your neighbors’ yards. (Hence, the saying, “fly away, fly away…”)

Glossary of Gardening Terms:

Grass: A plant found in flower gardens that needs little or no care.

Bulb: Potential flower buried in fall, never to be seen again.

Perennial: A plant that would have come back year after year if it had survived.

 

Correction to last month’s column:

we incorrectly described our guest speaker’s farm as inorganic. It is an organic farm, open to the public on Saturdays only.

 

“A man should never plant a garden larger than his wife can take care of.”  —T.H. Everett

 

—Morris Meadow

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