The Garden Club met on Monday the 20th. Our thanks to the hospitality committee for a great selection of snacks. Our guest speakers were Roberta Fox and Tony Glinskas. They educated us on how to maintain an orchid garden in the house. We are blessed with the ideal climate to grow orchids. Most of the common cultivated orchids are epiphytes and hence grow on trees, upside down, with the roots exposed to the air. They do best with indirect sunlight, with adequate moisture and plenty of air. The roots grow best under these circumstances. They grow best in bark, but coconut husk chips or hydroponic stones may be used instead. The most popular orchid for the indoors is the Phalaenopsis, considered the coffee table plant. It likes the same living conditions that we do.
Our next meeting is on November 17. At this meeting we will undertake the “Forget Me Not” project, something the Garden Club members have been generously donating their time and money to. We put together thirty packages that contain a variety of items that are useful for the homebound seniors during the Christmas season. This is done in coordination with the Dana Point Senior Center.
The Nigel Shores Garden Club approved a new project that will help maintain the small north garden at the Dana Point Library. Funding for this project has been approved by the Friends of the Dana Point Library Board. A group of members from the Niguel Shores Garden Club (Ann Strauss, Al and Grace Glatt and Barbara Berez) has completed the planting of the garden. The vegetation comprises pygmy palms, some ferns, grass and small shrubs with an irrigation system already in place. In addition to the current vegetation, mulching some areas with river pebbles and bark was done and small low maintenance shrubs and potted plants were introduced to add some color. This outdoor project will complement the great work being done indoors at the Library. It is an important part of our neighborhood. As a member of the Friends of the Library Board and Garden Club, Karla Sanders was appointed as liaison.
And finally, having just visited a pumpkin patch with our granddaughter, Maya, reminded me of the Chicago farmer whose pumpkin won a blue ribbon at the State Fair, that led him to exclaim” Oh my Gourd”.
– Lakshman Sehgal
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