February 2009 Green Thumb Newsletter

President’s Message

"If you have two coins," says a Chinese proverb, "buy bread with one and daffodils with the other, for bread feeds the body, but daffodils feed the soul."

Welcome to another exciting year at the North Bay Horticultural Society!
Each year, in keeping with our mission and working towards sustaining horticulture in our community, we continue to offer speakers as well as hands-on workshops, and what’s more, we are fortunate to have the support of our community of volunteers who donate their time each month to bring us a variety of interesting and educational gardening topics.
This year, as the world grapples with challenging recessionary times, we in the Society reflect on how we are doing in every area of our lives, stepping back so to speak. And these times are perfect to do exactly just that …..recess…..meaning …step back and Regroup, Rethink, Review, Renovate how and what we have been doing …and hopefully do it better!!
Please read your Green Thumb newsletter carefully this month to find out how we are renovating this year. I think you will find that we have a great year planned for all.

Let this be the year that you plan to recess, regroup and do some renovation in your garden!

Darlene Lecour

Next meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:00 p.m.
Speaker : Sue Greig will speak about Orchids and their care

Sue will be talking about and showing her beautiful and exotic orchids. Our members are invited to bring a tea loaf with them to February’s meeting. All loaves will be shared during our social time.
Thank you.

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.

All our members are invited to the
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
which will be hosted by the members of Christ Church
immediately preceding our meeting.
Cost is $5 per person
The supper begins at 4:30 and runs to 6:30pm

Next meeting:
Tuesday, March 24th
6 p.m. Potluck
7 pm General meeting and speaker Donna Bisaillon from
Mike and Donna ‘s Nature Balance farm.
How to grow your own great tasting vegetables, the natural way

Membership Renewal Form for 2009
All memberships expire each October.
Please fill out and bring to general meeting with your payment. Or mail to:
North Bay Horticultural Society, PO Box 1482, North Bay, ON P1B 8K6

Single Membership…………$10.00 (please circle desired membership)

Family Membership…………$15.00

Child’s membership ………..$ 5.00

Name………………………………..............................................................

Address………………………………..........................................................

Postal code ………………….. Phone number………………………………..

We really need your help. Please consider having us send your newsletter by email; have of your membership costs go directly to printing and mailing this newsletter!
If you would like your Green Thumb emailed, please include your email address
………………………………………………………………………
If you are not sure whether you have paid your 2009 membership, please call Pat Madill, our membership director, Pat at [email protected] or 472 9836.

If you have not renewed your membership for 2009, this will be your last Green Thumb.

Garden guide for February

Beat the February blues by propagate indoor plants (geraniums, etc,) by stem cuttings.
Place mail order for seeds and summer bulbs.
Start impatiens and dusty miller from seed.
Repot house plants if necessary. Begin fertilizing at half strength.
Sort through last year’s seed packets. Check for viability by putting a few seeds in a moist paper towel in a plastic bag and place in a warm spot (above fridge) for about a week.
Prepare seeds for annual seed exchange.
Inspect houseplants for spider mites and aphids. Spray with insecticidal soap.
Check dates of the annual garden show and plan a trip to one – they are great inspiration.

Recommended Seed Catalogs

Gardenimport (for anyone who loves to add unusual plants to their garden)
Box 760, 135 West Beaver Creek Rd.
Richmond Hill, Ontario,
L4B 1C6
Tel: 905-731-1950 Toll Free:1-800-339-8314
www.gardenimport.com

Veseys (for seeds, roses and bulbs)
PO Box 9000,
Charlottetown, PE,
C1A 8K6
1-800-363-7333
www.veseys.com

Richters (best source for a huge variety of herbs and herb information)
357 Highway 47,
Goodwood, ON
L0C 1A0
1.905.640.6677
www.richters.com

Pickering Nurseries (great for roses as well as seeds)
http://www.pickeringnurseries.com

Cooks Garden (large and unusual varieties of vegetables)
http://www.cooksgarden.com/

Thompson Morgan Seeds (top quality seeds)
www.tmseeds.com

ParkSeeds (Good for houseplants seeds)
www.parkseed.com

Stokes
www.stokesseeds.com

Dominion Seed House
www.dominion-seed-house.com

Website of the month

Here is a Gardening Blog for you this month. Mark has really interesting ideas which like this one featuring small edible gardens!

http://marklawrence.blogspot.com/2008/01/potted-edible-garden.html

If you are itching for spring, you may want to enjoy this show in Toronto at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd. this spring. The Ontario Horticultural Society is one of the sponsors of this show.

http://www.home-show.net/successfulgardening/index.html

Treasurer's Report - 3 Months Ending January 31, 2009

Investment Savings 3,724.04

Bank Statement as of Oct 31/08 2,522.07
Add Deposits 95.00
Subtract Expenditures -1,154.65
1,462.42
Less previous outstanding -288.78
Add outstanding 180.57

Total Current Account as of Jan 31/09 1,354.21

Expenditures

Horticultural Meetings Rod Johnston & Exec 125.00
OHA & Products Membership & Ins 682.45
Green Thumb 200.54
Social & Gifts Louise-Subscription 37.95
Cards for NBS Mailing 13.29
Bank Charges Bank Confirmation 25.00
Nov, Dec & Jan S/C 14.85
Travel President's Mtg 55.57

Total Expenditures $1,154.65

Receipts

Membership 85.00
Notecards 10.00

Total Receipts $95.00

Remembering Harold (past president of NBHS)…

Betty, our secretary, received this letter which we thought we should pass on to our membership.

It is with great regret that I inform you that my Dad [Harold Renault] passed away on May 21, 2008. He had a great long life being in his 94th year. He has been living with Jean for the last 4 years, coming to his apartment home base in my home 2-3 times a week for a variety of reasons, including his e-mail, and reloading his pill supply. Unfortunately his computer quit working sometime before Christmas, and I am unable to obtain his e-mail addresses to pass on the news. I am passing on this news as the opportunity arises through Christmas cards etc.
Dad went the way he wanted to go: up in the morning, good breakfast with Jean at her apartment, then to the bathroom. There he just collapsed. Jean called 911 and tried to revive him, but about 10 minutes passed before paramedics could revive him, his heart had stopped, and by that time there was no hope. He remained in a coma for another day then passed away.
We had a nice service for him, and Nona and I took his cremated remains to be with my Mom, Margaret in a campground where they spent much of their later years camping in the summer.
Another page has now turned.
I apologize for the delay in letting you know of his death.

Regards
Doug Renault

OHA District 18 Judging Course
Madeline Hobson will be holding a one-day refresher Judging Course in June (no definite date yet) 2009. It will be at the Dunchurch Community Centre where we took the course before.
She would like suggestions from those who took the course, as to what you would like to do, on this one-day course. For those who did not take the judging course, you are welcome to sit in on the days events.

Please send me your suggestions. I will forward it to her.

Send as soon as possible, so she can get her instructor(s) lined up.
Thanks
Isla Reed ([email protected]) 752-2565

Master Gardener’s Hotline 495-0920
[email protected]
Have a gardening question? Leave a message on their answering machine
or on their email and
a local Master Gardener volunteer will call back with an answer!
A free service.

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]
Our meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month, at 7 p.m.
excluding December, January, July and August.

General Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008
Held at Christ Church, 890 Vimy St.

President Darlene Lecour thanked everyone for the yummy potluck with such a great variety. She also thanked Jane and Judy Watling and their helpers for organizing all the food and to Leoni Paquette and her set-up helpers for a great café-style arrangement of tables. She called the meeting to order at 7:20. Darlene welcomed all 57 members in attendance to our fall potluck and second silent auction.
Business
- Darlene made a motion to accept the minutes of the Sept 23, 2008 general meeting as presented in he Green Thumb, 2nd by Debbie Caldwell. Cd.
- If your address has changed or you know of anyone who has had an address change, please call Geri Openshaw at 476-1894 with your new address so she can make sure you don’t miss any monthly Green Thumb newsletters.
- Darlene made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, as presented in the Green Thumb, 2nd by Peggy Dillon. Cd.
- The Nature Walk that took place on Saturday, Oct 4 was a great success and was attended by 11 of our members. Lucy Emmott gave an educational tour of the woods discussing edible mushrooms and berries.
- On Monday, Oct 20, 15 members attended a cooking session with Chef Daniel in the Canadore College cooking lab. He cooked up squash gnocchi and chocolate covered carrot cake balls as we watched and we were able to get our hands in on some of the preparations as well. Very entertaining, from 6:00-8:30.
- We now have some cards for sale on the membership table. They are special cards with the North Bay Horticultural Society Logo on them with a selection of: “Thinking of You”, “Get Well”, and “Thank You”. They sell at 6 for $10.00 and make a nice touch for a fellow horticultural member.
- It will be our turn to host the OHA Annual Fall Meeting next year. It will be on Saturday, October 3, 2009, details yet to be determined, possibly near the waterfront.
- Darlene mentioned that the November meeting will be our elections meeting. If anyone is interested in sitting on our executive, please see Maureen or call her at 472-6086. It really is a great group to work with and a great way to contribute to the society.
- The annual reports will be in the November Green Thumb
- Thank you to Mark Giddens for doing such a great job on our website. For a look, simply Google – North Bay Horticultural Society.
- As a thank you to our past secretary, Louise Cicci, we will be sending her a subscription to Canadian Gardening
- There was no Master Gardener question/answer segment at tonight’s meeting due to our silent auction.
Program - Dr. Rod Johnston will update us on the Waterfront at our November 25 meeting.
Adjournment
Darlene made a motion to adjourn at 8:15, 2nd by June Charette - Cd.
The next general meeting will be on Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008.
Guest Speaker – Mark from Boutique D’Amour. Mark made a wonderful outside winter arrangement. First he started with a small barrel approximately 15” in diameter and 12” high. Inside the barrel he placed a bucket with an oasis, soil can also be used. Tip: incense cedar smalls really nice. Using garden shears, cut a variety of some greenery such as white pine, Ontario cedar, (BC cedar is not good because it will turn black), balsam type fir, and silver fir. Sink the branches into the oasis or soil, all around the outside of the barrel. Water well if using the oasis, as the water will freeze and hold the branches in place. Save the centre spot for tall dog wood branches with berries, or ilex or winter berry found in marshy, swampy areas. Using a spray called “Crowning Glory”, spray pine cones that have been twisted together with wire in clusters of four. Use one cluster of four on each of the four sides of the arrangement. Use glitter, gold or copper spray paint or add an artificial bird or fruit for a nice touch, as long as the colour does not run when wet.
Mark donated this lovely arrangement to lucky sign-in #7 – Dorothy Antram. - Congratulations!!

Annual General Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008
Held at Christ Church, 890 Vimy St.

President Darlene Lecour called the meeting to order at 7:05. Darlene welcomed the 29 members in attendance to our annual general meeting and election of officers for 2009.

Business
- Darlene made a motion to accept the minutes of the November 2007 general meeting as read by Secretary Betty Foy and seconded by Leoni Paquette. Carried.
- Treasurer Ruth Wright made a motion to accept her treasurer’s report as read, seconded by Rupert Wiemer. Carried.

Committee Reports –
Membership – Maureen Ranger reported that we have 54 members so far for 2009.
Set Up – Leoni Paquette mentioned that some more people are needed for set up of the head table, snack table, membership table and banner, also tables for special occasions like the pot lucks and silent auctions.
- Darlene read a brief over view of the Highlights of 2008 and thanked everyone for all you have done to make this society as successful as it was in 2008.

Master Gardeners - Vickie Wiemer and Adrian van der Bijl – Make sure the ground has 1” of frost before hilling up roses using about 6” of mulch, earth, peat or sand. Do not use leaves or straw as mice will get in and eat the green bark off the roses. Remove the mulch when the ground thaws in the spring.
Thank You to all our Master Gardeners who are always available at our meetings. We appreciate your knowledge and expertise in a very big way.

Election of Officers was conducted by Vickie Wiemer, OHA 2nd Vice President, as follows:

Executive Position Name
President Darlene Lecour
Vice President Janet Vos
Secretary Betty Foy
Treasurer Maureen Ranger
Directors Audrey Morton
Geri Openshaw
Pat Madill
Ruby McLeod
Leoni Paquette
Judy Watling
Adelaide Saegar
Rosalyn Charland
Asst Directors Vicki Wiemer
Adrian van der Bijl
Rupert Wiemer
June Charette

- Since Darlene had to leave early, she wished everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.
- We would like to take this opportunity to let Darlene know that we are very grateful for having her for our President for a first-time ever record of four years in a row.
Adjournment
Sharon Johnson made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:40, 2nd by Leoni Paquette - Carried.
The next general meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2009.

Program – Maureen Ranger introduced the highly motivated Dr. Rod Johnston and invited him to update us on what’s been happening at the Waterfront. These are a few of the latest highlights:

- The Waterfront Park is based on Central Park in New York City.
- Millions of dollars are being invested in such things as the CP Rail Station, carousals - (2M), trains, the mini version of the Lucy Dolton train, the commercial Dalron building – (24M-30M), Algonquin Child Services – (11M) with 32 different services for autistic children and a residence for foster children, the Uniroc 1100 person Convention Centre/Hotel, the 4% grade underpass with murals and buskers on Memorial Drive – (6 1/2M) hopefully opening on July 1, 2009, also the underpass will be big enough to drive an ambulance through it with snowmobiles on one side and pedestrians on the other side.
- 12 Million has been spent so far, mostly on infrastructure.
- The Town Square by the CP Station will have 2 long tented areas with 46 booths for the farmers market with a fountain, town clock, with directional signs to the waterfront park, public washrooms etc.
- The 503 Train will be set up west of the CP Station with fencing around it.
- There will be gazebos for rent, fountains, gardens, a skating rink like the Ottawa Canal and a Heritage Gardeners Pavilion made with glass.
- There will be horse and flower themes, terraced gardens, fancy LED street lights like the lights already up and in use at Marina Point.
- The Common area will be for concerts, ball diamonds, sculptured gardens with moving statues, children’s garden maze, a huge 20’ high spiral mound with things to do along the way, children’s theatre, change rooms, labyrinth with a tower in the middle gated area and a children’s water park play area that changes it’s theme every 4 minutes: like a fish theme then something else and then something else.
- Four more trains will be needed. There will be a pet area. The parking lot will be able to hold 586 cars. - There will be models of old steam engines that used to move through North Bay.
- There won’t be any food in the park to inspire people to go downtown for food and drinks.
- Trails will eventually all be joined together for walking, bicycling and skate boarding as far away as up to Canadore College and a foot bridge across the Lavase River.