Sechelt Garden Club Newsletter www.secheltgardenclub.com

MAY 2012

President: Charmaine Harris Past President: June Meyer Vice President: Mardie Campbell

Secretary/Webmaster: Lilli McGinn Treasurer: Lorraine Blakeman

Newsletter: Sandra Friedman Membership: Mary Rowles

Speakers : Sandra Markley Tours: Moira Leishman

Directors at Large: Christi Blackman, Carol Steedman

Next Meeting: Monday, May 28 at 7:30pm in the Seaside Centre

Caron Gardens has recently been featured on TV and in Gardens West magazine. More information at: www3.telus.net/rcknight

Ron Knight, retired biology teacher / school administrator and confirmed rhodoholic, will present 4 Seasons in a Rhododendron Garden. He will

begin with a photographic essay (to music) showing the diversity of plant life in Caron Gardens over the course of a year and some spectacular

rhododendrons that bloom in each month from February to July. Ron will then show how the garden evolved from a densely forested hillside to the magical place it is today. He will also describe how the 6 “rooms” in the garden were designed and what maintenance tasks are needed in each season to keep

the plants healthy and presentable.

Ron Knight is past-president of the Vancouver Rhododendron Society, and past-director for the American Rhododendron Society’s BC Division. Over the

last 17 years, Ron and his wife Carla have created Caron Gardens in the Garden Bay area of Pender Harbour. Their one-acre lakeside garden

displays over 500 different rhododendrons, with thousands of companion perennials. In addition, they sell award-winning rhododendrons, host garden

club tours, and teach a variety of gardening workshops on-site.

REMINDER: PLEASE WEAR YOUR NAME TAG

AND BRING YOUR COFFEE/TEA CUP TO THE MEETING!

Membership: Time is running out to pay your dues for 2012 — $15 for individuals and $20 for families. Without your 2012 membership card you won't get your newsletter, email updates and 10% discount at nurseries.

Rental of Equipment: For information about our rental policy and fees for our slide projector and digital Power Point projector, contact Sandra Markley.

STRAWBERRY TEA

Save this date: Sunday, June 10th

Garden Tours from 1:00 to 2:00 (Information to be emailed)

Strawberry Tea from 2:00 to 4:00 pm

at the home of Charmaine and Lester Harris

Wear your best and funkiest garden hat!

PLANT SALE EXTRAVAGANZA

A HUGE "Thank You" to all of you volunteers who made our plant sale so successful. We made $3,500. What a terrific turnout! No one had to go back to Moira's for a second load of plants. We had tons of treats. Thank you bakers! There were loads of people to answer questions and clean up - wasn't that fun! The cashiers and talliers were busy as beavers. Then, there was Grandma June's children's table. They were so excited and proud of their plants. Thank you to the fellas who helped purchasers transfer their plants to their vehicles. Thank you to all of you who came to the dig ups for free plants, who contributed plants, seedlings and tomatoes and who participated in the potting-up sessions. A special thank you to Moira Leishman for hosting the pot ups and caring for the plants all year and to Linda Fogarty from Green Room Organics for donating a tray of seedlings to our sale. Finally, thank you to this executive. You worked like Trojans from the dig ups, pot-ups to the final clean up at Seaside Centre. Thank you for always showing up and working so hard. Terrific job everyone!

Charmaine Harris, President, Sechelt Garden Club

Thanks to our volunteers:

Chris Bessler, Christi Blackman, Bill and Lorraine Blakeman, Linda Boersma, Liz and Ron Campbell, Mardie Campbell, Connie Chapman, Margaret Condon, Nancy Fabbro, Lorraine Gallant, Charmaine and Lester Harris, Judy Hopkinson, Alice Janisch, Bobbi Kelly, Ed and Pat King, Greg and

Gerry Latham, Shirley Lawson, Moira Leishman, Anne Lempfert, Edwin Leung, John Marian, Sandra Markley, Linda Maxwell, Bernadette and Gib McEwen, Lilli and Greg McGinn, June Meyer, Val Morris, Sharon O'Brien, Kay Ogawa, Niels and Frances Ostergaard, Anita Paulin, Ruth Powell, Connie Proach, Mary Rowles, Julia Scott, Sharon Shorter, Pat Smit, Carol Steedman, Ali and David Thompson, Nattanya Wardel

THE BEAUTIFICATION CONTINUES AT THE ARTS CENTRE

Many, many thanks to: Kathy Archibald, Jon Bell, Jill Bert, Susan and Bill Birch, Lorraine Blakeman, Mardie Campbell, Connie Chapman, Nancy Fabbro, Dan Fivehouse, Sandy Friedman, Charmaine and Lester Harris, Ardath Houle, Alice Janisch, Ron and Carla Knight, Moira Leishman, Edwin and Pianka Leung, Mary Rowles, Carol Steedman. Our volunteers have really turned out —23 different people so far. And there is still time to volunteer and get into the fun.

Thanks to Lorraine Blakeman for all the photographs.

2012 Tours and Workshop Plans: To sign up for any activity or if you have questions or suggestions,

please contact Moira Leishman.

In the Works June 5: - 1:00 to 4:00 pm Hypertufa workshop at Caron Gardens. Cost is $20. June 10: - Strawberry Tea. See notice. Invitation with details will be emailed to you. June 24: - Squamish Gardens Tour — will depend upon the interest shown July 22: - Gardens tour hosted by Gibsons Garden Club July 31: - Gardens tour hosted by Pender Harbour Garden Club August: - Tours of members' gardens. Email with details to follow. September: - Possible trip to Vancouver Island October 14: - UBC Apple Festival. This will be a subsidized bus trip.

MAY Gardening ‘TO DO’ List

Give all your plants, and especially veggies, a drink of compost tea. Fill a pair of pantyhose, porous old socks, or a heavy cheesecloth bag with well-rotted compost or manure. Hang in a bucket filled with water. Steep for a couple of days until the colour of weak tea. Dilute with water if necessary.

Start cucumbers, winter squash and melons indoors or in the greenhouse. Transplant before the third "true" leaf matures (about three to four weeks after planting indoors).

Wait until the temperatures is above 50° F (10° C) or even longer to put out tomatoes.

Direct seed outdoors: broccoli, corn, parsley, turnips, arugula, carrots, cilantro, kale/collards, kohlrabi, scallions, spinach (bolt and heat-resistant varieties), Swiss chard, beets. When soil has warmed thoroughly – it feels warmish to your hand – direct sow bush/pole beans, zucchini/summer squash, and pumpkins.

Direct sow hardy annuals at the beginning of this month.

Plant patio containers. Most flowers only require 15–20 cm (6–8 in.) of soil at the most. Fill the bottom with anything that will fill the space such as dried leaves, pop cans, pots.

Prune back spring-flowering perennials to encourage vigour; plants may bloom a second time.

Remove spent flowers of tulips, daffodils, other bulbs, but be sure to leave the foliage untouched and do not tie in knots. This season’s dieback creates bulbs for next year’s growth.

Place ring supports over peonies before they have grown too much.

Plant out summer-blooming lilies and dahlias. Add handful of bonemeal or bulb food. “Eyes” (sprouts) of dahlias should be located on top. Before adding soil push in a stake beside each tuber as a marker and sturdy support for the plant when it becomes taller.

Tried and True Remedies

Good-bye to Pesky Fruit Flies Lemongrass essential oil (obtainable at the Health Food store on Wharf Street). 10 drops in 2 oz. of hot water. Cool, and then pour into a spray bottle and apply wherever you see the fruit flies. They are so sneaky - you have to keep all fruit in the fridge, or well-covered as well as any compost items. [Note - if you have potted plants, that is likely where the flies are breeding. Last year I had to send my African violets to the garage for several weeks. Sprayed the earth around them several times during the banishment time. Then brought them in, one by one, and observed for any fly activity. Incidentally, once the plants returned they flourished and flowered as never before]. – June Meyers Bambi Spray Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 TBSP baking powder (not baking soda) with 1 liter water. Then spray to your heart's content. The deer don't like it. Always use fresh right after mixing. It's even good for a few days after rain. No odour and does not hurt plants. You can even use it on roses. – Christi Blackman