Gardening on the Rocks
APRIL 2019
Theresa Cullum shared this photo last year... robin eggs in an herb pot. Looking forward to spring!
Editor: Hermina Hubert
(705) 692-1442
Membership: Linda Hugli
(705) 693-2476
Website: www.SudburyHorticulturalSociety.ca
Founded in 1911.
Dedicated to the
beautification
of the
Greater Sudbury Region
and the preservation
of our environment.
In Memoriam
Giorgio Certussi
Giorgio came to Canada
from Italy, and worked
for INCO for 36 years.
After his
Giorgio devoted his
time to his vegetable
garden and making
wine. Nothing gave
him more pleasure
than preparing a delicious meal for his family and
friends. Giorgio and Nella’s wondrous
been on the Open Garden tour a few years ago,
testament to Giorgio’s love of gardening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Save The Date!
A Floral Design Workshop is in the planning stages
The date: Saturday, December 7, 2019
list will be available at the August Meeting and
Flower Show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Variety of Free Seeds!
Last month, vegetable, herb, and sprout
were available for our members at the general
meeting. The generous donations to the “
Helping Seniors” program totalled $64
Thank you!
This month, at our April general meeting, we will
have flower seeds available, as well as the
remaining vegetables and herbs. Make sure you
take home a few giant sunflower seeds
SUDBURY MASTER
Answering all your gardening questions!
Follow us on facebook:
facebook.com/SudburyMasterGardeners
Giorgio Certussi
Giorgio came to Canada
Italy, and worked
for INCO for 36 years.
his retirement,
Giorgio devoted his
to his vegetable
garden and making
Nothing gave
him more pleasure
meal for his family and
rous garden had
been on the Open Garden tour a few years ago,
testament to Giorgio’s love of gardening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
loral Design Workshop is in the planning stages.
, 2019. A sign-up
list will be available at the August Meeting and
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
, and sprout seeds
were available for our members at the general
tions to the “Seniors
elping Seniors” program totalled $64 ….. WOW
month, at our April general meeting, we will
have flower seeds available, as well as the
Make sure you
take home a few giant sunflower seeds too.
Things to do in April
These are some things that need to be done in a
normal month of April…However, this year you may
still need to shovel a path to the tool shed to get
your tools (ha, ha, ha)
• Prune your apple trees
cutting off the suckers that rob the fruit
bearing branches of energy, and reduce
flow of air.
• Prune your shrubs, cutting off dead wood
and dried blooms/seed heads that you left
for the wintering birds.
• Sharpen the pruning shears
• Buy potting soil for starting some plants
indoors.
• Grow some sprouts! …
sandwhiches and salads
• Set up your rain barrels to catch those April
showers.
• Find your garden gloves…or just buy new
ones.
SUDBURY MASTER
GARDENERS
Answering all your gardening questions!
Follow us on facebook: https://www.
/SudburyMasterGardeners
Things to do in April
These are some things that need to be done in a
…However, this year you may
still need to shovel a path to the tool shed to get
your apple trees (all fruit trees),
cutting off the suckers that rob the fruit-
ches of energy, and reduce the
Prune your shrubs, cutting off dead wood
and dried blooms/seed heads that you left
for the wintering birds.
Sharpen the pruning shears and shovels.
Buy potting soil for starting some plants
Grow some sprouts! … they’re great in
sandwhiches and salads
Set up your rain barrels to catch those April
Find your garden gloves…or just buy new
Introducing Our Guest Speaker
We are so very fortunate to have Ron Lewis sharing his knowledge with us this month.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Growing Fruit in the North but Were Afraid to Ask.
Choosing, planting, caring for, and of course harvesting and using the fruits of northern-hardy plants.
“Are you sitting on the fence when it comes to including fruiting plants in
your gardening plans? Well, especially if it is a picket fence, it is time to
get off right away”.… Ron Lewis has been growing fruit in Greater
Sudbury since 1974, has learned from his mistakes, and from his reading,
and is wanting to share his experiences with anyone who will listen.
This presentation has you covered regarding spring, summer, fall, and
winter activities in the home orchard. Success for northern fruit growers
is nearly guaranteed, what with free sunshine at our disposal, every type
of soil amendment imaginable at our fingertips, and a hundred+ years of
plant-breeding availing us of the best quality, ultra-hardy, fruit-bearing
trees, shrubs, and vines; plus a very favourable environment,
including the best growing weather known to modern humans; that is, (usually) ample sunshine and
heat, and just (barely) enough rain.
General Meeting - Sunday, April 28
at Parkside Centre
Guest Speaker: Ron Lewis - “Everything You Ever Wanted
to Know about Growing Fruit in the North,
but were Afraid to Ask”
Special Treats and Refreshments ready at 1:15 pm
Share the Wealth - Door Prizes - Books & Magazines
White Elephant Table (bring cash) …and Free Seeds
Harming Your Feathered Friends!
Bad for building nests:
Please DO NOT offer yarn, string or human hair for
birds to build nests this spring! It can sometimes
result in the bird losing their foot or entire leg from
the yarn/string/hair slowly tightening and cutting
off circulation.
DO NOT offer laundry dryer lint. The lint collected
in your dryer filter may seem like ideal nesting
material, but it will soak up water and may be
steeped with chemicals unhealthy for birds, such as
remnants of detergent and softener.
Many of our pets are treated with specialty
shampoos or tick/lice treatments which stay on the
hair and can be harmful to birds collecting it for
nesting material. DO NOT offer pet hair that has
been exposed to any shampoo treatments or
chemicals.
Some safer (and natural) alternatives from the
National Wildlife Federation's Blog...
Twigs
For birds looking for small twigs, almost any tree or
shrub you plant will do. When small branches or
twigs fall from a shrub and gather at its base, leave
them for birds to pick up, preferably in lengths
under 4 inches.
Greenery
Some birds line nests with soft plant matter. You
can provide this by growing catkin-bearing trees
and shrubs such as cottonwood, maple, mulberry,
willows, poplar and beech.
Fluff
Many birds—hummingbirds spring to mind, but
other songbirds as well—gravitate toward fluffy
material, such as seeds with silky attachments
designed to waft them on the wind or seed pods
with a soft, hair-like covering. You can provide
these items via cottonwood trees, lamb’s ear
(ground cover), milkweed (also good for attracting
monarch butterflies), honeysuckle, and clematis.
Mud
If you have a difficult spot in your garden that
refuses to grow anything but dirt, try adding a little
water and see if you can grow mud. Mud is a
favored nesting material for swallows, swifts, and
the common robin.
Grass
When you trim your yard, lay out a selection of
dried grass stems cut 2 to 4 inches long. Grass is a
common ingredient in songbird nests, used by
species from native sparrows to robins.
Moss
If you have a shady spot in your yard, trying
growing moss; with its velvety green growth, moss
is a beautiful highlight for any moist garden and is a
favored building material of some hummingbird
species.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Without the support of our hard-working volunteers, it would not be possible for our Society to host
the Sudbury Gardening Festival every spring! If you would be interested In joining this enthusiastic
group and helping to make our event in 2019 a success please contact the following people:
Theresa Cullum
Phone: 705-524-7654 [email protected]
SHS Information Booth
These volunteers help to make visitors more aware of our work in the
community and sell SHS memberships.
Cathy Carr and Pat O’Grady Phone: Cathy – 705-670-8889 Phone: Pat – 705-692-9170
Plant Sale These volunteers help pot up plants for our spring sale and set up and sell
them at the Gardening Festival
Laura Foreshew Phone: 705-855-3646
Gardening Book Sale These volunteers set up the display of gardening books and magazines, price
them and sell them throughout the Festival.
Hermina Hubert Phone: 705-692-1442
Horticultural Show These volunteers set up for the Flower Show, supervise throughout the day
and judge the entries.
Jill Bennett Phone: 705-523-6823
Festival Greeters These volunteers welcome visitors to the Festival and answer their questions
about the event.
Wayne Hugli Phone: 705-693-2476
Set-up and Take-Down These volunteers assist our student volunteers with the physical setup of tables, chairs and tablecloths, as well
as the posting of signage.
Connie Dubois
Phone: 705-524-1292 [email protected]
Volunteer Appreciation
These volunteers will assist in providing coffee, tea, pop and snacks
for our volunteers, vendors & exhibitors.
Connie Dubois and her team will be offering free coffee, tea, pop and snacks to volunteers in the
kitchen at Parkside Centre throughout the Festival to show our appreciation for their assistance.
A Book Review
‘Teeny Tiny Gardening’ by Emma Hardy offers you
an experience with unique gardening projects.
inspiring small space gardening ideas will help you
express a creative way of gardening. The book
explains how to plant a gorgeous fern terrarium,
potted fruit bushes, and a vertical herb garden.
Various ideas on how to present foliage in unique
containers, including recycled items, will make your
gardening experience a conversation piece with
guests.
If you wish to build “a dinosaur swamp garden” or a
“fairy garden” with your children, the book
provides step by step ways to make this tiny space
garden. You can also plant a small edible garden
children to enjoy. Advice is also included
plant a lush water garden in miniature form, a tiny
desert garden, or a seaside garden… and y
find practical tips to make your plant displays
thrive.
Take the opportunity to
make your garden
experience creative and
fun by viewing this
book. It is available at
your local library.
Laura Foreshew
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Street Park Work Bees
Note that work bees will now take place
mornings from 9:00 am to noon, followed by
pizza lunch. If it rains, we will meet the
following day.
May 8 – clean-up in the park
June 5 – planting
July 10 – weeding and such
August 14 – weeding again
September 25 – preparing the gardens for winter
y Emma Hardy offers you
unique gardening projects. The
inspiring small space gardening ideas will help you
ardening. The book
how to plant a gorgeous fern terrarium,
potted fruit bushes, and a vertical herb garden.
how to present foliage in unique
will make your
experience a conversation piece with
If you wish to build “a dinosaur swamp garden” or a
children, the book
step by step ways to make this tiny space
ble garden for
included on how to
plant a lush water garden in miniature form, a tiny
and you will
to make your plant displays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
take place in the
, followed by
we will meet the
reparing the gardens for winter
Directors and Treasurer Needed
Our district is in need of volunteers to fill
following three positions:
District Director – shall pres
the District Executive, District Advisory Council
District Annual Meeting. The District Director shall
rule on all questions of order at meetings and shall
advance on the purpose of th
Assistant District Director –
the advancement of the purpose of the District
within their defined regions. They shall prepare
reports of their activities for the past year and
present these reports at the annual meetin
absence of the DD, the Assistant
the responsibilities of the DD.
Treasurer - shall have the care and custody of all
funds and securities of the District and shall pay
and disburse funds under the direction of the
District Executive. The treasurer shall be bonded to
ensure faithful performance of duties and proper
administration of the District
If you wish to chat with the ladies that held t
positions, their info is below:
District Director, Christine Marsh
[email protected] or 705
Donna Butson, ADD for Sudbury area
[email protected] or 705
Treasurer, Fran Ireland irel
or 705-857-8343
This Year's AGM is being held in Bruce Station,
just north of Bruce Mines, on Saturday, May 4,
2019. Bruce Station is about 240 kilometres west
of Sudbury, so drivers will need 3 to 3.25 hours to
drive there. Meeting begins at 9:00 am, so a hotel
stay is recommended as well as car
OHA Convention will be
weekend of July 19-21. Check out the OHA website
www.gardenontario.org for information on
speakers, competitions, registration, etc. Our
Society is allowed five voting
planning to attend, contact
Directors and Treasurer Needed
Our district is in need of volunteers to fill the
preside over all meetings of
rict Advisory Council, and
. The District Director shall
rule on all questions of order at meetings and shall
advance on the purpose of the District.
– shall be responsible for
the advancement of the purpose of the District
within their defined regions. They shall prepare
reports of their activities for the past year and
present these reports at the annual meeting. In the
ssistant DD shall assume
of the DD.
shall have the care and custody of all
funds and securities of the District and shall pay
e funds under the direction of the
District Executive. The treasurer shall be bonded to
ensure faithful performance of duties and proper
administration of the District’s resources.
If you wish to chat with the ladies that held these
heir info is below:
District Director, Christine Marsh
or 705-377-5198
Donna Butson, ADD for Sudbury area
or 705-857-0993
is being held in Bruce Station,
just north of Bruce Mines, on Saturday, May 4,
Bruce Station is about 240 kilometres west
of Sudbury, so drivers will need 3 to 3.25 hours to
Meeting begins at 9:00 am, so a hotel
stay is recommended as well as car-pooling.
held in Windsor on the
. Check out the OHA website
for information on
speakers, competitions, registration, etc. Our
voting delegates…if you are
, contact Wayne Hugli.