February 2007
President’s Message

Welcome to another great year of gardening! The North Bay Horticultural Society has been fostering the love of gardening and helping to make this community beautiful for many years. Our goal this year is to continue that effort as we strive to develop this interest in our youth through educating them in the importance of civic beautification and the benefits to volunteering in such a worthwhile cause.
We will also be soliciting various local businesses for donations as we firmly believe that our efforts bring curb appeal to the businesses of North Bay and helps attract economic business, tourism and employees to this city.

Our next meeting : Tuesday, March 27
Christ Church Anglican, 890 Vimy Street

Potluck starts at 6 p.m.
Please bring your own plate, cutlery, and cup.

Master Gardener: Q & A

Speaker : Craig Bridges : local environmentalist
Climate change and your garden

Seed exchange

Please bring any seeds you can spare in envelopes or packages labeled with the name or description of the plant. To make sure it is fair for all our members who attend the meeting, the exchange will be held after the speaker. Those who are unable to bring seeds but wish to participate are asked to donate a loonie or toonie to the pot. Please leave your seeds at the membership table when you come in.
Our Master Gardener will be available to answer your questions about seeding.

“Show me your garden & I shall tell you what you are.”
Alfred Austin

Garden guide for Mid March to Mid April

Mid March to Mid April
Start planning your garden purchases, supplies, plants, baskets and containers.
Transplant seedlings after the first true leaves are formed. Use ½ strength solution for first fertilization.
Use dormant oil sprays to protect trees, shrubs and roses from insects and diseases. Apply prior to bud break on a windless frost-free day. Use enough that the liquid runs down the branches to seal off crevices.
Tour the garden when the snow has melted and make note of any damage to the lawn, or trees and shrubs.
Firm perennials back into place if they have heaved.
Prune back overgrown shade trees and hedges.
Prune summer-flowering shrubs.
Our event schedule for 2007

April 24 – Carol Friedrich – Daylilies 101

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

Saturday, May 26, 9 a.m. – 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

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

Sat. August 11 – Annual Flower and Vegetable show
Northgate Shopping Centre

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… Biff Gigg, first president of our society

Father was a good gardener. We had ten children in the family and needed a vegetable garden to keep us fed. We all had to do our share. We had a big garden, and it was always nice to go out and pick and eat all those delicious, fresh vegetables, still warm from the ground.
My first job started with pulling the weeds and raking the pathways and driveway each Saturday, so the garden would look good for the people walking past on Sunday after church.
When I had my own home, my wife and I grew mostly flowers and had a pretty good garden for 54 years. I always found that my time in the garden was a good time to meditate on things, just relaxing and thinking.
There actually was a horticultural society in North Bay in the 1920’s and 30’s, but it dissolved in 1938. In the early 60’s, I worked in the city’s welfare department and Sam Jacks (inventor of ringuette) was the city’s recreation director. One day, we got talking and decided the city needed some beautification so we set up our first meeting of the current society in May of 1962.
I really enjoyed gardening. There are no times limits, no deadlines. You can just sit back and watch things grow.

Interview with a gardener… Ruth Wright, treasurer

I have always had a small flower garden with some perennials and mostly annuals. In the summer of 2000, I decided to install a pond in our front yard. When the lawn was mowed, the grass always seemed to get into the pond. I then decided to take out the lawn and put in a flower garden. That is what really started my gardening experience.

We did everything wrong from the start, but with a lot of hard work and perseverance, I have accomplished a lovely garden complete with pond, walkways, arbors, gazebo, fountain and garden ornaments.
Since joining the horticultural society, I have learned a great deal on how, where and when to plant; how to separate plants; what plants to grow in sun or shade; and how to plant containers for both summer and winter. I have containers on the terrace and also on the pond ledge along with plants in the pond.

I totally enjoy working in the garden or just walking through it or sitting in the gazebo watching the bees and butterflies flitting from flower to flower; the chipmunks darting through the garden chasing each other or listening to the birds singing. There is no greater peace than the garden.

VOLUNTEER HOURS REMINDER
The number of volunteer hours our organization submits each year is important for the grant we receive. I'm asking all members to please try and keep track of all volunteer hours - i.e. planting seeds for the plant sale - caring for them until time of plant sale -digging plants from their gardens - separating them - watering - for the plant sale - also arrangements or ANYTHING that takes time.
I know personally, at the beginning, I didn't feel it was important as I didn't mind volunteering my time and monies, BUT it was pointed out to me that hours means monies to our organization. We must prove to the provincial government that horticultural societies deserve the grant monies we receive for all our work for the beautification of our city!
So please keep track and give them to me at our monthly meeting.
Thanks!
Pat Madill

Tell your friends about us!
We have set ourselves a goal of increasing our membership numbers this year by 15%. We hope that you will enjoy our programs, workshops and special events!
Please tell your friends and neighbours about us!! Encourage them to give us a try! Buy a membership for a friend! Share our enthusiasm for gardening!

Perennials, Perennials, Perennials

Book review by Gregg Elliott
“When it comes to perennials, the best advice is to dig in and ‘just grow for it.’” — Alison Beck and Kathy Renwald
Alison Beck and Kathy Renwald. Perennials for Ontario. Edmonton: Lone Pine Publishing, 2001. 344 pages including ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; THE FLOWERS AT A GLANCE; INTRODUCTION: Regional Temperature Map; Perennial Gardens; Getting Started (Light, Soil, and Exposure); Preparing the Garden (Composting); Selecting Perennials; Planting Perennials (Potted Perennials, Bare-Root Perennials, Root Types, and Planters); Caring for Perennials (Weeding, Mulching, Watering, Fertilizing, and Grooming); Propagation (Seeds, Cuttings and Divisions); Pests & Diseases (Glossary of Pests and Diseases); About this Guide; THE PERENNIALS [Ajuga to Yarrow (Achillea)]; QUICK REFERENCE CHART; GLOSSARY; and INDEX.

It is amazing how so much can be fitted into such a compact book but then the subject is quite specific — herbaceous [non-woody] perennials in Ontario. I flipped open the book at random to cite an entry, every one of which is well illustrated [usually 3 photographs if the entry is confined to two facing pages]. The entry I read is the Blazing Star, otherwise known as the Spike Gayfeather or just Gayfeather. After giving the common names the entry also gives the botanical name (Liatris). From there it includes height, spread, flower colour, when it blooms and its hardiness. The entry continues with a description of the plant followed by planting instructions, growing conditions, tips for growing, recommended varieties, ending with problems and pests. The entry that follows is Bleeding Heart [Dicentra] but this is four pages long, so the length of the entries is variable, ranging between two and four pages.

This book can be used as either a reference book or as a guide to choosing perennials for your own garden. Either way it is useful and informative. Highly recommended if you are into perennials. Some people want only annuals and shrubs and so this book would be of no interest to them. The one thing I find not useful is the division of Ontario into only three temperature divisions: hardy, semi-hardy and tender. The plant hardiness zone map developed by Natural Resources Canada and Agriculture and Agri-food Canada distinguishes 11 hardiness zones for Ontario ranging from 0a in the far north to 6b in the banana belt of Ontario, the Niagara region and the Windsor area. North Bay is shown in this book as being on the edge between the central and the northern zones whereas the other shows North Bay as zone 4a, more precise to be sure.

This book is still in print, not surprising when its usefulness is considered. The material, by its very nature, does not date. The only thing I can think of might be the listings of the varieties. Newer ones, better ones [difficult to define I admit] do come along and need to be included. The book is 4 1/4 by 5 ½ (14cm X 21.5 cm), not exactly small but convenient to use none the less, although it won’t fit in a standard pocket. Small cavils. To repeat myself, a highly recommended book.

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 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 group 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!

GET READY FOR THE PLANT SALE - Saturday May 26th

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 March? Start setting aside clean pots to use as the perennials and seedlings start to emerge and need dividing or thinning. 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).
We will need volunteers to help us out in many ways for this sale. Pat Madill, this year’s plant sale coordinator can answer any of your questions.

The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.
When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here.
- Author Unknown

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Raspberry vinaigrette

2 Tbsp. raspberry or herbal vinegar
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. honey mustard
½ tsp. salt
1 small clove of finely minced garlic
½ cup olive oil

Blend the first five ingredients together in a blender then slowly pour in the oil.

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. (unless it is a potluck, which start at 6 p.m.)

Treasurer’s report to Feb 28 /07

Investment savings $3500.00
Bank statement as of Jan. 31/07 $ 454.21
Outstanding cheques x 2 $ 724.88
Deposit $ 355.00
Expenditures $ 365.38
Total current account $ 804.21

Expenditures
Horticultural meetings $ 25.00
Green Thumb $ 129.36
Bank charges $ 5.00
OHA & products $ 28.00
Social and gifts $ 152.07
Miscellaneous(workshop) $ 15.95
Total expenditures $4678.81

Receipts
Membership $ 155.00
Workshop $ 200.00
Total receipts $ 355.00

General meeting minutes
North Bay Horticultural Society
General Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Held at Christ Church, 890 Vimy Street, North Bay, Ontario

President Darlene Lecour called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. 47 members were in attendance.
Business
Minutes of the November 28, 2006 General Meeting Minutes as presented in the Green Thumb were MOVED to be adopted by Daphne Andrews. SECONDED by Debbie Caldwell. CARRIED.
MOTION to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented in the Green Thumb by Betty Foy. SECONDED by Helen Bannerman.

2007 Program Line Up
• February 27 – Forced Bulbs Workshop with John Tripp
• March 27 – Seed Exchange & Speaker, Craig Bridges on Climate Changes
• April 24 – Daylilies with Carol Friedrich from Field (www.digdaylilies.ca)
• May 22 – Extreme Garden Makeover sponsored by Home Depot . We’ll have 2 winners drawn from our membership for the Home Depot Makeover.
• June 2 - Annual Meeting at the Argyle Legion
• June 12 – Executive Meeting & Living Wreath Workshop with Linda Ellery. Fee $35.
• June 26 – North Bay Horticultural Society Most Talented, Reality Gardening Judging Competition. Bring in your plants to be judged.
• July 8 – Members Only Garden Tour Sunday 10:00am – 2:00pm
• August 10-12 OHA Convention in Owen Sound
• August 8 – Garden Photography Workshop with Michael de Moree
• August 11 – Flower Show at Northgate Shopping Centre
• September 25 – Pot Luck & Planting without Aching with Symetrics
• October 23 – Wild Mushrooms or Orchids
• November 27 – Floral Arranging Workshop with Bouquet d’Amour

Rita Ranney, President of the Callander Horticultural Society passed away Sunday, February 11, 2007. We hope to plant a tree in memory of Rita at Memorial Park or her church in Callander.
Our primary goal this year will be to increase (active) membership by 15%. Target membership would be:
General members – 150
Youth members – 10
Business members – 15
Plans to increase our revenue through workshops, membership and plant sales. We have a business campaign underway with a letter to be distributed to businesses asking for donations.
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 to kick start our Youth Campaign. She’ll also be contacting schools to encourage membership and awareness of the Society among our local youth. In the fall, she’ll host Gardening & Crafts. Specific dates TBA. Chippewa Secondary School should be contacted as they have a Garden Room maintained by students.
Plant Sale
Hope to put together a Steering Committee for this year’s plant sale. Volunteers help dig plants and/or supply plants and prepare/set up for the sale.
Social Committee
June & Sandy Charette will supply baking for the next meeting.
“Inspired Article” Volunteer for March
Ruth Wright will contribute the article “What Inspired Me to Garden” for the March Green Thumb.
Stories of Horticultural Society (2 copies) are for sale. Can order further copies if required. Heritage Gardeners pictures are placed at the rear of room for viewing. Three door prizes were awarded.
Coming Events
Success with Gardening Show, International Centre March 15-18
Canada Blooms, March 7-11 Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Container Gardening by Paul Zammit in Huntsville, April 12
Plant Hardiness Zones by Dr. D. McKenny, Nipissing Naturalist at Cassellholme May 8th7:00pm

Adjournment
MOTION to adjourn by Debbie Caldwell. SECONDED by Audrey Morton. CARRIED. Forced Bulb Planting Workshop with John Tripp. Approximately 40 members participated in the workshop.

And for our members, we hope that we have inspired you and your friends to come to the monthly meetings and workshops that we have organized for a memorable 2007.
Be sure to get a listing of our workshops and events!!!!

Darlene Lecour

Next meeting:
Tuesday, Mar. 27th
POTLUCK starts 6 p.m.
Craig Bridges
Local environmentalist
will speak on
Climate change and
its effect on your garden
SEED EXCHANGE