July 2009 Green Thumb Newsletter

July Newsletter

Sunday, July 12, 10 am - 3
Members Only Garden Tour
More details at the end of this newsletter

Tuesday, July 28, noon
Ella’s Waterfront Picnic
under the Rotary Kiosk
Everyone welcome.
Pack a lunch with your fellow gardeners
and join Ella for a piece of
her famous picnic cake!

Tues. Sept. 22nd
Flower arranging simplified with Melissa Sones of Blossom Florist
(see her bouquets at the Farmers Market each week)

Mid July to Mid September
Fertilize late summer and fall flowers (annuals)- do not fertilize perennials after July as this encourages too tender growth to withstand our Zone 4 winters.
Plant fall-flowering perennials in any bare spots in the garden, e.g. chrysanthemums, fall asters, autumn crocus.
Keep track of perennials as they fade away. Mark locations with names on stakes or draw a garden plan on graph paper. Saves guessing next spring whether a green shoot is a plant or a weed.
Make notes about perennials and annuals for next year’s garden.
Check rock gardens and thin if needed. Overcrowded conditions are not conducive to healthy, vigorous plant growth.
Harvest herbs for drying.
Continue weed watch.
Continue canning, freezing, pickling, etc.
Divide and transplant spring-blooming perennials, including herbs, peonies, irises.
Allow strawberry runners to grow where you want them but remove from other spots before they become invasive.
Cut raspberry canes that bore fruit this year to within a few inches from the ground. Cut this year’s canes chest high - they will bear fruit next year.
Bring in houseplants before temperature falls below 20 degrees C. Check for insects - spray with insecticidal soap before bringing indoors.
Take cuttings of geraniums, begonias (wax), and impatiens for indoor plants before frost. Dip in rooting hormone to help them root faster. Check for insects as above.

Local gardening happenings
in our District (18)
which stretches south to Gravenhurst.

Huntsville Garden Tour Saturday, July 18th. Tickets available at Treasures & Trophies on Main St.
Summer Flower Show, “The Festival of Flowers” on Tues July 28 at the Huntsville Mall – 11am to 3pm
Contact : Jane 705 789 0622 [email protected]

Gravenhurst Hort has their annual Flower & Veggie Show, Wednesday, August 12th from 2 - 4 pm at the Seniors Centre on First Street North in Gravenhurst.
Communities in Bloom runs a Garden Tour on Saturday, July 25th from 10 am til 4 pm.
If anyone is interested please join us.

The Callander Hort Flower and Vegetable Show will be held Saturday, August 22nd. Open to the public from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Come see the exhibits and enjoy the Tea Garden.

Parry Sound & District Horticultural Society is having a Garden Tour on Sunday, July 5th from 1 to 5 p.m. The gardens are in the Town of Parry Sound and tickets and maps are available for $5.00 at Market Square (beside the Library) from 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m.

The Baysville Flower Show will be held Tuesday August 11th from 2-4 pm. at the community centre in Baysville.
We have a tea tables with sandwiches and desserts too!

Sprucedale and District garden tour is July 19 , 9 am to 4 pm. Our website has all info on it. Flower shows in our Society are very minimal, small arrangements are shown. All info on our website.

Website of the Month
Recommended by Ted Reed at last month’s meeting!
Use this website to help identify perennials!

http://www.main.nc.us/naturenotebook/plantcolorindex.html

And Ted has sent us this note about Epsom salts :

There appears to be not a lot of explicit research having been done, using Epsom Salt. It does work well when used with evergreens, Roses, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Potatoes, Tomatoes in my experience. I have noticed that if applied to dull looking evergreens, that it greatly improves their appearance. It is usually marketed as a growth stimulant, which it does do. Often it is cheaper to acquire at drugstores, than garden centres, and is a much better quality than that found at garden centres.

6TH ANNUAL ORGANIC GARDENING CONTEST

ARE YOU
AN ORGANIC
GARDENER?
Share your techniques
Show us what you can do
ENTER
YOU COULD WIN!
$300 cash
GRAND PRIZE
or one of the following:
$100 cash
Enviro Masters Lawn Care
$50 gift certificate
Burrows Garden Centre

Nominate Your Own Garden
Nominate Your Neighbour's

Contest closes:
JULY 31, 2009
To nominate a garden

Call Peggy at 840-8466
Or send it by email to
[email protected]
Sponsored by Nipissing Environmental Watch

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‘Members Only’
Garden
Tour
Sunday
July 12, 2009
10:00 – 3:00
Rain Or Shine

Become a Member and Join the Tour
Youth - 5.00
Single - 10.00
Family - 15.00

1. 243 Michener Drive Hans Schouwstra
Visit this garden where lilies and sedum dominate. Han’s newest project is creating a wetland garden at back. Hans has also made a small vegetable garden for his wife.

2. 233 Michener Drive Lynn Blunt
This is a great transitional organic garden, which blooms from spring to fall. Its ecological balance attracts bees and birds, especially humming birds to this park like setting.

3. 10 Lookout Heights Place (just off Airport Road, next to Hamelin’s Turf Equipment) June Charette
In 4 years, June’s yard is bursting with hardy perennials. June, an organic gardener, is very proud of her raised garden beds made of free stacked stone walls built by her husband John. Don’t miss the rock gardens filled with succulents as well as her vegetable garden.

4. 348 Angus Ave Dorothy Antram This passionate organic gardener has a colour-filled sculptured garden in front of her home. The back gardens are filled with vegetables and flowers, as well as alpine trough gardens.

5. 975 Jane Street Jim and Donna Sinclair An Award winning English country organic garden with many climatic zones, filled with annuals and perennials in a permanent burst of colour. They are experimenting with a potagerie garden (Vegetables and flowers together). Convenient parking is located on Bloem Street or Cormack Street.

6. 458 First Ave. East (between Fisher and Regina) Geri Openshaw Geri’s organic back garden is an eclectic mix of perennials, annuals, vegetables and herbs. Her favourite hosta, Regal Splendour, dominates the yard. Don’t miss the little scree garden on the right as you walk down the gravel driveway. Parking only on opposite side of the street.

How to find the Gardens:

Watch for the big yellow flowers and balloons at each driveway. Please visit the gardens in any order.
While visiting our gardens remember: - Gardens are for viewing only - Please leave your pets at home - No eating, drinking or smoking while viewing gardens - Please use the paths and/or suggested walkways
Please appreciate the generosity of your host gardeners and treat their gardens with respect.
For information regarding Membership status, call: Pat Madill at 472-9836. Memberships are most welcomed.
Please Bring Your Own Water

NBHS Garden Tour 2009

Mailing address
North Bay Horticultural Society
PO Box 1482
North Bay ON
P1B 8K6
[email protected]
General Meetings
4th Tuesday of the month 7:00 PM (except July, Aug, Dec & Jan)
Christ Church, 890 Vimy Street
Our website: http:/www.gardenontario.org/site.php/northbay
Master Gardeners’ Hotline
495-0920
Leave a message on the answering machine and a Master Gardener will return your call and answer your questions

Please fill out this ballot and place it in one of the ballot containers at the entrance of each garden, for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate generously donated by: Burrows Country Store & Garden Centre
Name: ____________________
Phone: ____________________