Oct. 2015
Happy Autumn, everyone! I can’t believe how fast this summer flew by. It seems like we just opened our gardens and now we have to put them to bed. The fall colours are starting to happen and the squirrels have been keeping themselves busy getting ready for winter. My husband and I visited the Agawa Canyon Park, which is 100 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie by train, on September 21st. The leaves were at peak colour and everything was absolutely stunning. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful province with so many of its parks being within a day’s drive.
The Flower & Vegetable show at the September meeting was a huge success! Pauline Bradford did a wonderful job of creating the class list, and organizing the set up and judging of the classes. A complete list of winners is available on our website. We will definitely do this again next year. Thank you so much to Barb Whyte, Joan King, Lorraine Stevens, Beth Powell, Judy Jeffery and Pauline Bradford for judging. The exhibits were spectacular and I’m sure it wasn’t easy for the judges to pick the winners.
Our guest speaker at September’s general meeting was Ron Duxbury. I’m sure you’ve seen his whimsical bird houses on display each year at the Home & Garden show in Dunnville. He spoke to our group about dahlias. Ron has won numerous awards for his prize dahlias and his slide show highlighted many different varieties, all different sizes and colours. During his presentation he gave a recipe for bug repellant.
It is as follows:
4-5 garlic
2 quarts water
1 TBSP mineral oil
Put in blender then add 1 TBSP dish soap
(do not put dish soap in blender – sudsy nightmare!)
Spray after rain and when needed.
Our speaker at October’s general meeting is going to be Lene Rasmussen of Lakeshore Willows. The topic will be growing cultured willows for basketry and living fences. We will also be holding our annual seed exchange so be sure to label seeds clearly with names and planting requirements (sun/shade/water).
October cleanup day is Saturday, October 18th. We’ll be meeting at the condo parking lot at 9:00 a.m. rain or shine and hopefully if enough people come out the cleanup of the flowerbeds won’t take more than a couple of hours. We had such a tremendous turn out for planting day, so please come out and help on cleanup day. Many hands make light work.
Be sure to mark your calendar for our November Annual General Meeting. The date is Thursday, November 20th. This meeting is the highlight of the year—it’s a big night for all of us. This meeting is our AGM, our Christmas pot-luck dinner and celebration, penny sale, photography contest, food bank drive and installation of 2015 executive and directors. (Rumour has it that one of Mary Lou Johnston’s paintings may make its way to the penny sale table.) If you’re at all interested in helping out as a director we are always looking for new people to come aboard. Don’t be afraid to ask…you don’t have to commit to more than you can do. Our guest speaker for our November meeting will be Sandra Marr. She is Lester Fretz’s daughter and the topic for the evening will be Festive Porch Pots. Just in time for Christmas! Please bring a non-perishable food item for the Dunnville food bank and something good for pot-luck. You can also bring your family members to the dinner as well. The dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the meeting following shortly after. There will be no Ways & Means.
Garden tip of the month: When you’re finished cutting back plants, pulling out annuals and raking, be sure to go for a drive and enjoy the fall colours before they’re gone. Perhaps you can snap one of the winning pictures for the November photography contest.
“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.”
-Albert Camus.
See you at the meeting!
Sue Mazi, DHS Corresponding Secretary.
Essential advice for the gardener: grow peas of mind, lettuce be thankful, squash selfishness, turnip to help thy neighbor, and always make thyme for loved ones. ~Author Unknown