DUNNVILLE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
MONTHLY PROGRAM NIGHT, OPTIMIST HALL
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017
Our October program night began with a full house of 98 members and guests. Debbie Thomas warmly welcomed everyone, especially our Junior Gardeners and 4H guests including Haldimand County 4H President Isoble Miller and 4H leaders Wendy Strong, Gwen Schauffner, Reta Vandervliet. Morgan Schaeffer (4H Jr. Gardeners President) led the 4H pledge.
Updates: -Centennial Park & Fountain Rededication, Sept. 23: appreciation was expressed to DHS Board & Executive, DHS members, community volunteers and all who made this event and work leading up to it a huge success. Special recognition of Debbie Thomas and Katrina Schmitz (Haldimand County) was made.
-Tree Canada/Grand Erie Home Hardware & Building Centre grant: DHS 2017 recipient. Debbie provided an update on the tree plantings: 7 trees planted in all, 2 Honey Locusts, 2 Ginko, 2 London Plane, I white spruce. 3 trees went to Kinsmen Park, 3 to Central Park, 1 to new Waterfront Park. Central Park was the humble beginning of DHS. The Norway Maples surrounding the park and weaving the paths were planted by DHS more than 88 years ago and sadly some are marked to come down.
-DHS Board of Directors 2018: joining will be Nelly Engelage, Lynn Loney, Ian Steele.
-DHS/DCS: honoured with the Haldimand County Canada 150 Project Award.
New Business: -9-11am, Oct. 21 Fall cleanup. Meet at the bridge parking lot. Mike Lessard of “Jeff’s Outdoor” will join us with his trailer for hauling our plant debris.
-10am, Nov. 4: Decorate winter planters. Meet at town fountain. Bring pruners, gloves, and materials such as birch, curly willow, dogwood, sumac, hydrangea, evergreen, etc. Make sure they are long enough for deep pots (soil is 12” below top of pot)
-Jr. Gardeners Flower, Vegetable and Pumpkin Show winners were presented:
Best Flower Arrangement : 1st Prize – Christopher Reynolds
2nd Prize – Morgan Schaeffer
3rd Prize – Isabella Harper
Best Carved or Decorated Pumpkin : 1st Prize – Meghan Silverthorne
2nd Prize – Alicia Stavinga
3rd Prize – Morgan Schaeffer
Best Vegetable Animal : 1st Prize – Meghan Silverthorne
2nd Prize – Morgan Schaeffer
3rd Prize – Caitlan Thompson
Largest Sunflower Head : 1st Prize – Aiden Lucas
2nd Prize – Harley-Lynn Atkinson
3rd Prize – Jennessa Melik
Judges : Denise Richardson, Mary-lou Johnston, Kim Christoff
-Jr. Gardeners were recognized by Margaret Bottrell for their excellent season of gardening. The following awards were presented: 1st place garden Mackenzie Caddick, 2nd place garden Lilianna Peirson, Harley Lynn Atkinson, 3rd place garden Landon Lucas, Christina Lucas, Aiden Lucas. The Judy Jeffrey outstanding achievement award for 2017 went to Harley Lynn Atkinson.
Refreshment break was announced with appreciation to 4H for providing snacks. Kitchen tips and snack donations were $61.70.
Our guest speaker, Lester Fretz was introduced. Lester is a 6th year returning favourite DHS speaker. He shared an informative power point on “Gardening with Raised Beds” and engaged everyone in a hearty question period following his talk. Lester concluded his presentation by giving out 14 containers of fertilizer to lucky recipients.
The Flower, Vegetable and Pumpkin Show winners in the adult categories were announced:
Annuals : 1st Prize – Angela Lathan
2nd Prize – Gloria Hunter
3rd Prize – Gwen Van Natter
Perennials : 1st Prize – Sharon Kennedy
2nd Prize – Gloria Hunter
3rd Prize – Ian Steele
Now How’s That? : 1st Prize – Denise Richardson
2nd Prize – Marilyn Stavinga
3rd Prize – Gloria Hunter
Fill Your Boots : 1st Prize – Marilyn StavinGa
2nd Prize – Gwen Van Natter
3rd Prize – Denise Richardson
It’s Scary Out There!: 1st Prize – Marilyn Stavinga
2nd Prize – Denise Richardson
3rd Prize – Leona Crumb
Judges : Gwen Schauffner, Wendy Strong, Isobel Miller
Reminders:
-Feel free to pass your year-end suggestions along to Debbie T. or Deb Z. or place in the suggestion box provided on program nights. There will be no survey this year.
-Visit your local garden centres for end of season sales.
-Gather and save your seeds for next year.
-6pm, Nov. 16: AGM, Christmas Potluck, 4-Seasons Garden Photo Contest, Raffle table (no Ways & Means) & our Food Drive for the Salvation Army.
-Flower bouquets on the tables were given away with thanks to Petra D-K for donating these vase arrangements from Windecker Woods Flower Farm, 215 Windecker Road, Cayuga (www.windeckerwoods.ca)
-Ways and Means winners were also called and everyone was dismissed.
Sandi Marr, DHS Recording Secretary