January Program night: January 18 2018: Minutes by recording secretary:Petra Kruis-Daly
DHS President, Debbie Thomas, opened the meeting at 7pm by welcoming everyone.
Business:
· Memberships on sale, early bird draw to be at March program
· Anyone interested in attending the Orchid Society show, limited coupons to the show available tonight.
· Tonight’s refreshment were provided by Denise, Gloria, Nelly and Petra.
. Volunteers needed for 6 more program nights. Sign up sheet circulated.
Min 4-5 people needed each program. Gloria will remind volunteers that sign up the week before.
· Volunteers needed in helping weed gardens over the summer, please sign up
· Volunteers needed to help at the Lions Home Garden and Craft show to do demos,set up, tear down, etc. April 20-21 at the arena in Dunnville. Please sign up on the volunteer sheet
tonight.
· Treasurer’s report posted back wall and October’s minutes are on the back of the agenda tonight, as last program in Nov was AGM.
· Sad to announce the passing of Karen Waltham, a life member of DHS joined 1975. Served a Pres 2007,2008, 2009. Unfortunately no details are available.
· Break for refreshments at 7:08-7:25
Speakers: (all three speakers are volunteering their time tonight, a big thank you to each)
1. Lindsay Stevens the Community Outreach Coordinator from the Haldimand Public Library.
· Her job is to speak to local organizations as well as plan activities and programs within the county at various libraries.
· Gave us a quick verbal tour of the newly renovated Dunnville library
· Spoke about the books and resources about home and gardening in the library. Any book in any library in Ontario is available through an interlibrary loan system.
· Spoke about the digital resources such as digital magazines, ebooks, ( a quick start guide will help anyone who does not know how to access this materials),
· Space within the library is available for the community to use if they require a space to gather.
2. Gloria Hunter, Dunnville Horticulture Board member. A lover of Kombucha
· Scobia bacteria in a sweet tea, transforms the tea into a low calorie fizzy beverage loaded with many health benefits similar to apple cider vinegar.
· A Scobie forms a jelly/rubbery layer on the top of the tea, which protects the bacteria in the tea within from outside elements.
· Kombucha has been around for thousands of years. There is no concern about health concerns or illness due to consuming it.
· See the website called ‘Kitch’n’ for more information.
3. Lester Fretz, a home gardener and DHS member, speaking on recycling in the garden.
· Pails: use them for balcony gardening (potatoes), cut them into rings for use at the base of roses to protect from winter freezing.
· Plastic pop bottles, cut tops off and use as instant funnels
· Egg shells: reduce blossom end rot on tomatoes when crushed and sprinkles at the base of each plant.
· Tin cans: cut bottoms out of several tin cans, glue one on top of another other and use them to grow slips that need long stems.
· Clear juice containers: cut bottoms off and use them as mini green houses over your April planted young plants.
· Free Slats from lumber yards: use them as into stakes in your garden.
· Plastic covers from bank books make perfect plastic sleeves for seed labels in your garden.
· Plastic take out containers with solid bottoms and clear tops make perfect mini green houses.
· Brown bags with clear windows cut in smaller sections, staples on the bottom, make great storage for bulbs.
· Large paper bags make for great storage for cana bulbs or other bulbs that require dark space.
· Clear dry cleaner bags, great for protecting outdoor plants from wind.
· Over sized t-shirts make great filters for water.
4. Question and answer session followed with questions directed to the three guest speakers.
Closing Remarks:
· Please visit our newly renovated library and enjoy all it has to offer.
· During our yearly plant sale, if anyone would like to start some vegetables to donate them to our sale that would be appreciated.
· 50 people signed in tonight, everyone is welcome to 2 bunches of beautiful tulips brought in by Kim Christoff donated from Niagara Tulips.
· Thank you to our board of directors for all the behind the scene work they do
· Next month guest speaker, Kim Dickie is doing a talk on flower arranging.
· Meeting adjourned at 8:24pm
· Members were welcomed to help themselves to freebies from Lester’s recycling talk as well as Gloria’s Kombucha samples, and ask Lindsay more questions about the Local Libraries.
· Ways and Means draws took place.