Editor: Geri Openshaw

“To foster the love of Gardening and the Beautification of our city.”

April 2007
President’s Message

It was great to see so many members and new members out for our last meeting. The food was excellent and the topic of climate change has affected many of us to get involved in protecting what we have.
With spring just around the corner….at least we hope it’s just around the corner, many plans are underway and many hands are needed as we begin this busy time of year. Both our civic beautification and plant sale chairpersons will need help to prepare for both the plant sale and the planting at Canadore College.
We will also be looking for people to represent and promote the NBHS at Northgate Shopping Centre in the next couple of months as we work towards advertising our society’s events and workshops to the general public.
Please support our exciting youth program by encouraging the young people in your families to get involved in the NBHS.
Think spring!!

Dates to remember!!

Tues. Apr. 24 - General Meeting
Speaker: Carole Friedrich of
Daylilies in the Garden, Field, Ont.

Tues. May 22 – General Meeting Extreme Garden Makeover

Saturday, May 26th Plant Sale
Christ Church

Our next meeting : Tuesday, April 24
7:00 p.m.
Christ Church Anglican, 890 Vimy Street

Master Gardener: Q & A

Daylilies 101
Carole Friedrich, owner of Daylilies in the Garden
in Field, Ontario will tell us how to care for our daylilies
and what new varieties are available.

Carole will have some of her daylilies available for sale
after her talk.

GET READY FOR THE PLANT SALE
Saturday May 26
9 A.M. at Christ Church

Our annual plant sale is our BIGGEST fundraiser of the year and helps support all our programming and beautification. Now is the time to help us get ready.
What can you do in April? Pot up your the perennials which need dividing or thinning, so they are well established by sale time. We ask that you include the name of the plant and the colour of the bloom on each plant (we find old Venetian blind slats work well for this).
At the April meeting I will be circulating a sign-up sheet for members – we need volunteers to help dig and pot plants at Northern Perennials (date to be announced), and also helping the evening before the plant sale May 25 and the day of the sale May 26.
If you cannot attend the next meeting or if you have any other questions, feel free to contact me at 472-9836 or at [email protected] .
Thanks!
Pat

Our event schedule for 2007

May 22 – Curb Appeal : Extreme Garden Makeover with Home Depot

Saturday, May 26, 9 a.m. – Spring Plant Sale- Christ Church

Sat. June 2 - OHA District 18 Spring meeting - Argyle Legion

June 26 – Strawberry Social & Reality Judging Flower Competition

Tues. June 12th 7 p.m. Living Wreath Workshop with Linda Ellery

Sun. July 8th, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Members only Garden Tour

Sat. July 28th - FUN in the SUN : Annual Flower and Vegetable Show
Northgate Shopping Centre

Wed. Aug. 8th Garden Photography Workshop with Mike De Moree

September 25 – Plant and rake without Ache
with David Henschel, Symetrics

October 23 – Wildcrafting : Harvesting Nature’s Bounty
with Lucy Emmott and Jeremy St. Onge

November 27 – Annual general meeting
Christmas Workshop with
Bouquet d’Amour staff

Interview with a gardener… Sue Greig

I didn’t have a choice about gardening when I was small. I was brought up by my grandparents (in England) in an old house in the country with many Victorian gardens. There weren’t any other children around to play with. I was sent out in the our garden and was expected to learn about each tree, shrub and plant. I got a deep appreciation at an early age of how a garden should look and feel, including ponds, fruit trees and wildflowers. If we had visitors, I would give the tour of the garden. I was all of seven years old.
I did not have a garden of my own until I moved to North Bay.
Now about my first Horticultural Society experience…One morning, I read about a North Bay Horticultural Society Flower Show in the newspaper, which was then held at St. Andrew’s United Church. I took a bucket, went out to the garden, filled it with flowers, grabbed a bunch of jam jars, and then wandered into the church. Someone then took me in hand and showed me how to display my flowers!
I thoroughly enjoy my garden. Gardening is the type of hobby which you can enjoy when you travel, and where you are always learning new things. There are always new books to read, new trends to follow. For example, there was no organic gardening years ago. No year is ever the same; what might work well one year won’t work the next.
This is my favourite time of year - the snowdrops bloom and the garden slowly emerges from the ground.

No Dumb Questions

A book review by Gregg Elliott

“Ed Lawrence is my favourite radio gardener. He has a way of making you feel confident that you can recover from your worst mistakes — if you just listen to his calm knowledgeable advice!”
— The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada

“Ed Lawrence is the Wayne Gretzky of gardening!” — Bob Zettel

GARDENING GRIEF AND GLORY: ED LAWRENCE Answers Your Gardening Questions by Ed Lawrence with Liane E. Benoit.

Most people know Ed Lawrence through his Monday afternoon phone-in radio program on CBC. He has been doing this for about 25 years and through word-of-mouth is widely regarded as the gardener of choice to consult. But this was not [retired now] his primary day job. For years he was gardener to various Governors General from Jules Leger in the 1970s to Adrienne Clarkson in the 2000s, as well as the six official residences including those of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Busy man. The format of this book (his first) follows the familiar question and answer of the radio show. He says that he could have made the book more “formal” and “disciplined” but opted for the “…random, un-programmed weekly shows….” The questions themselves are composites of numerous similar types. And he is quite modest about his goals, a book neither “exhaustive” nor “technical.”
To give an example from the book of a question and how Lawrence answers it, I flipped open the book at random and came upon “Fed Up Watering.” In response to a caller he discusses the frustrations that face the gardener over the summer. He begins by noting that there is a type of gardening to deal with this known as xeriscaping — having drought resistant plants as well as windbreaks and mulching. He also mentions specific outdoor plants and ground covers that could fit the bill. Outdoor plants include Monarda, Echinacea, and Sedum as well as the ground covers Ajuga and Thyme. He manages [the secret of his popularity, I think] to give an overview to the situation as well as any pertinent detail and then to suggest keys to success. He is as specific as he needs to be but sometimes the caller cannot supply anything more than the general problem without knowing what, say, a plant is called. Lawrence asks for a description and then makes an experienced guess as to what it might be and how to solve the question. He is, in short, unflappable, always with some sort of answer. He uses ‘ifs’ liberally and offers several possibilities for a solution if he cannot pin down specifics. This is a rare talent and he does all of this in his affable approachable manner without making the caller feel stupid. Ed Lawrence relies on his broad knowledge and extensive experience, which gives a personal touch to the book. If you know and like Ed Lawrence, you’ll like his book and I give it a high recommendation.
Book details :
Ed Lawrence with Liane E. Benoit. GARDENING GRIEF AND GLORY: ED LAWRENCE Answers Your Gardening Questions. 327 pages including ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; FOREWORD; JANUARY; FEBRUARY; MARCH; APRIL; MAY; JUNE; JULY; AUGUST; SEPTEMBER; OCTOBER; NOVEMBER; DECEMBER; and INDEX.

ED LAWRENCE FUNDRAISER

Ed Lawrence, retired chief horticultural specialist at Rideau Hall for 30 years and CBC popular radio phone-in host gardening expert has joined with the O.H.A to raise money in support of the O.H.A. societies’ programs and activities.
His newly released book Gardening Grief and Glory – Ed Lawrence answers your gardening questions will be sold through the society for the retail price of $26 (plus $1.50 GST) and the society will receive a donation of $4 for each book sold.
Each volume will be signed by Ed and will come with a handy bookmark inscribed with Ed’s famous soap solutions for eliminating garden pests.
The three Ontario societies which sell the most books per capita based on paid membership will have the opportunity to have Ed make a presentation to their Society ALL EXPENSES PAID.
To find out more about the book, peruse the table of contents or view some sample pages, go to www.gardeningwithed.com.
Need some birthday, hostess or Christmas gifts??? Help our society and order your copy through us! See Geri at the membership table next meeting or contact her at [email protected]. This fundraiser will run only until June 30th!

Garden guide for Mid April to Mid May

Mid April to Mid May
Give the lawn a good raking to remove thatch and snow-mould once it has dried out and firmed up.
Clean up perennial beds when snow goes, also remove all old stems that were left for winter interest. Shallow cultivation allows rain to penetrate soil.
Plant deciduous trees as soon as soil is thawed.
Gradually remove mulch from roses.
Generally prepare beds, turn soil, etc.
Cool weather vegetables can be planted as soon as soil is workable. Plant an extra row for the food bank!
Gladiolas may be planted in early May - then successive plantings for longer bloom period.
Sweet peas may be planted when soil is workable provided they have good drainage.
Most overcrowded perennials can be divided in early May except early bloomers. Pot up the extras for the plant sale!

Congratulations to Kathy Thomas and Bette Callaghan whose front yards will be featured in the May meeting’s Curb Appeal presentation!

Signs of spring
In the next month or so, please check out two of our Society gardens, which will come alive. The Lilacs in our bed down form the Rotary Kiosk at the waterfront is full of buds and the varieties planted there are unusual for this area.
Also keep an eye on our bed behind the public library which was planted with over 200 bulbs last fall!

Ruby McLeod, our Civic Beautification chair, will be asking for volunteers to help plant at our beds at Canadore College in May. Please let her know if you might be able to help.

Interview with a gardener… Deborah Lee

I started gardening in Sherwood Park, Alberta when I lived on 2 and a half
acres of hilly land, nestled on one side by scrub brush and on the other,
farm land where the distinctive odour of cows would drift from every day!!
Canadian thistle grew very well there, and would sometimes reach to my waist
if l couldn't kill it!!!

Good plans for a pretty garden that you admire in those glossy magazines can
get blown to pieces if you have to rely on the cycle of rainy days, like I
did. I was not allowed to use the water from the holding tank; this was
expensive and brought in by truck.(many times I would run out of water while
in the midst of doing laundry).

I did grow two very productive sets of bushes; raspberries and saskatoons. Oh,
how I miss my saskatoon pies!! However, now that I am back home in Ontario,
Nothing rivals the king of berries, the BLUEBERRY!!!

Carrots also grew well for me but I can distinctly remember a certain male
"Alpha" dog who stand over me while crouched ready to pull up my carrots and
would bare his teeth and otherwise guard those vegetables 'cause they were only for him!!!
Another dog loved to graze through the saskatoons, and I would get so upset
'cause his body certainly did not appreciate them as much as I did!!!!!!!

Here in North Bay, inspiration comes to me through trial and error. My
favourite TV channels, friends who give me "extra's", those glossy
magazines ,and the ideas I get just by seeing through newly attuned eyes
to what Mother Nature does so well out in my own back yard. I share this
yard with my Mother and we are custodians of a piece of gorgeous space which
stretches down to Camelot Lake, where like-minded custodians tend the space
that all can enjoy.

Having trouble with your spring bulbs? Don’t know when to plant your seeds?
For the answer to these and your other gardening questions, call the
North Bay Master Gardeners
a volunteer organization of trained horticulturalists here to help you with all the gardening answers.
Call them at 495-0920 or email them at [email protected].
There is no charge for this service!

An invitation to all of our members
The Nipissing Naturalists will have Dr Dan McKenny speak on Tuesday, May 8.
Dan is a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada in
Sault Ste Marie. Dan will speak about Plant Hardiness Zones. He will
describe how they are developed and their uses, which go beyond what to
plant. For example, they are giving us insights into climate change.

Some North Bay Horticultural Club members have provided excellent
information to Dan in the past. All of your members are welcome to attend
the meeting on May 8; the club meeting starts at 7 pm in the auditorium of
Cassellholme for the Aged on Olive St.

Need to contact us with comments, questions or suggestions?
North Bay Horticultural Society
P.O. Box 1482, North Bay, ON P1B 8K6
Website : Go to www.gardenontario.org and follow the links!
Email : [email protected]
Proud member of the Ontario Horticultural Association District 18
We meet the 4th Tuesday of the month at Christ Church Anglican, 890 Vimy Street
at 7 p.m.

Treasurer’s report to Mar 31 /07

Investment savings $3500.00
Bank statement (Feb. 28/07) $ 804.21
Outstanding cheques last month $ -724.88
Outstanding cheques this month $ 72.75
Deposit $1150.00
Expenditures $ -264.29
Total current account $1037.79

Expenditures
Horticultural meetings $ 25.00
Green Thumb $ 111.38
Bank charges $ 5.16
Social and gifts $ 22.75
Miscellaneous(Master Gardeners) $ 100.00
Total expenditures $ 264.29

Receipts
Membership $ 150.00
OMAFRA grant $1000.00
Total receipts $1150.00

General Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Held at Christ Church, 890 Vimy Street, North Bay, Ontario

President Darlene Lecour called the meeting to order at 7:10pm. 50 members were in attendance. A potluck was held from 6:00 – 7:00 p,m.
Business
Minutes of the February 27, 2007 General Meeting Minutes as presented in the Green Thumb were MOVED to be adopted by Debbie Caldwell. CARRIED.
MOTION to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented in the Green Thumb by Geri Openshaw. One typo in the Green Thumb was noted, “expense” should read “$365.88” SECONDED by Betty Foy. CARRIED.

Announcements
Darlene welcomed new members and reminded them to pick up their copies of The Green Thumb. Workshop sign up is available in back of room. We hope to pre-register with payment to arrange for workshop supplies. Flyer available in the Living Wreath workshop on June 12 by Linda Ellery.
Reminder to membership to keep their dues up-to-date, and to provide executive with current addresses and email.
Goodbye and good luck to Laurie Blais. Laurie has been a long time executive member. We’ll certainly miss her participation in our Society. She’ll be moving to Ottawa.
Book Fundraiser an “Ed Lawrence Fundraiser” with his book “Gardening Grief & Glory”. The books are $26 each. Geri announced the pre-sale of the books with a sign up sheet in back. As an incentive, the author, Ed Lawrence will host an event at the location of the group who sells the most books – “An Event with Ed”. For more information on Ed Lawrence, his website is www.gardeningwithed.com and he is on CBC Radio at 1:00pm daily.
Committee Reports
Youth Report
Janet Vos reported that she’ll host Story Time & Gardening at the North Bay Library for kids aged 4 – 10 years old starting May 5th from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m at the Library. Fees have not been set to date. King George Elementary School is interested in partnering with our Youth Club to beautify their school grounds. In the fall, she’ll host Gardening & Crafts. Chippewa Secondary School should be contacted as they have a Garden Room maintained by students.
Plant Sale
Pat Madill reported that the Spring Plant Sale will be held May 26. Digging can be done at Marie Luise Frankel’s property. Dig times will be available at April’s meeting. Commanda Gardens has been contacted to purchase plants. Need to set up a pick up date. Members are requested to start potting their plants now so plants we’ll be a good size by sale time. Don’t forget to record your volunteer hours for the plant sale and pass to Pat Madill. We hope to sell 450 plants.
Social Committee
Pat Madill and Sharon Johnson will supply baking for the next meeting.
“Inspired Article” Volunteer for April
Darlene asked for a contributor for the article “What Inspired Me to Garden” for the April Green Thumb. Debbie Lee and Sue Greig will contribute.
Seed exchange was available. Three door prizes were awarded.
Coming Events
• Lorne Cutts told the membership not to miss “Container Gardening” by Paul Zammit in Huntsville, April 12. Paul is an excellent speaker. Cost is $10 in advance, $12 at the door at the First Baptist Church.
• April 24 – Carol Friedrich from Field speaking on Daylilies.
• May 22 – Draw for the Extreme Garden Makeover by Home Depot
• May 26 Plant Sale
• June 2, Annual Meeting, Argyle Legion
• June 12th, Living Wreath Workshop with Linda Ellery
• OHA Convention in Owen Sound, August 10-12, 2007
Adjournment
MOTION to adjourn business at 7:35p.m. by Linda Graham.

Topic: Climate Change with speaker Craig Bridges.