President: Jane Law • Newsletter: Irene Hofmann • ihofmann812@gmail.com

From the President’s Pen Where has the year gone? Itseemed like the other day thatwe were taking a break for thesummerandwewerehavingoursummer social.Todaywecometogether to share a meal and fi n-ishupourbusinessatour2016AnnualGeneralMeeting. Although, I will be steppingdown as your President, I amreally keen on taking on the re-sponsibilities of Past President.Before I leave though, I wouldlike to thank my Executive fortheir devotion and supportthroughout this year. This So-ciety works because there are alotofdedicatedvolunteerswhogiveoftheir timeandtalentstotake on a variety of tasks. Weworked as a team to completesucheventsasSeedySunday,theJunior Gardener program, work-ing in our community gardens,publishing our newslett ers, pro-

ducing our yearbook, maintain-ing and updating our website,sett ing up our fl ower shows, and decoratingourChristmastreeattheCrystalPalace.WehostedtheFlower and Edible show in Au-gust 2016 and we had it recog-nized as a sanctioned event forthe 200th Anniversary of Perthas a Military Sett lement. I would alsoliketothankeachandeveryone of you for your friendshipand understanding as I under-tooktheresponsibilitiesofyourPresident. I am honoured towork on your behalf through-out the past two years. I havelearnedalotandIfeelricherfortheexperience. Lastly,Iwouldliketowishallofyou,healthandhappinessforthe coming year. My warmest re-gardstoyouandyourfamilies.

Jane Law

The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before. - Vita Sackville-West, 1892 - 1962

Houseplant AdviceBy Larry Hodgson

In winter, don’t let your house-plantstouchthewindow.Byallmeans, place your houseplantsnear a sunny window in the win-ter:justdon’tletthemtouchthe

glass. When days become shorterin the fall and winter and theweatherturnsgrayerandgrayer,it makes sense to move your in-door plants as close as possibletoyourhome’swindowssothatthey can get the best light pos-

life,keepthemawayfromheat,wind,andsun. The most common evergreens include bal-sam fir (the most common), spruce (needles don’t last as long as fir and are pricky), white pine, and hemlock (needles will drop in dry air). Otherlesscommonlyusedevergreensarewhitecedar or arborvitae (foliage fades to yellow in a few weeks), red cedar and other wild junipers (sharp needles, so use sparingly to add variety, color, texture, and form), and broad-leaved ever-greens like rhododendrons. One caution aboutusing yew (or taxus) is that all plant parts are poisonous, especially the attractive seeds. Look for a few branches of yellow-leaved evergreens forsomecolor,suchascertainvariegatedyews,gold-thread false cypress, old-gold juniper, or oneofthegoldarborvitae. Otherplantpartsyoucanuseforinterest,andtogivearrangementsaNewEngland“country”appearance include cones, grasses, pods, andberries. The latter can be found in many colors. Forredororange, trywinterberry, sumac,cra-bapples, hawthorn, and mountain ash. For atouch of blue, use nannyberry, arrowwood, orjunipers, and for yellow, crabapples. Floristshopsmaycarrymoreexoticplantpartssuchaslotus pods (which can be sprayed colors), holly (both for berries and leaves), mistletoe, and vari-ous greens (such as boxwood or western cedar). Some people like to add artificial decorations likebells,balls,andfakeberriestotheirnaturalarrangements.Redribbonsalsoarepopular,al-thoughhundredsofotherstylesandcolorcom-binationsof ribbonsareavailable. Ifusingout-doors, make sure you select a ribbon rated forthatuse.Keepthewidthinproportiontothesizeofthearrangement. In addition to plants and other decorativematerials, you will need something for a basefor most decorations if starting from scratch.Wreaths require a wire, foam, or straw wreathformoracoathangerbentintoacircle.Ropeorthick, coarse twinemakesagoodbase forgar-lands or roping. Florist foam, which comes in“bricks” that can be cut to fit any container, may be purchased at florist or craft shops. Otheressentials includeapairofclippersor utility scissors, florist picks (to hold greens to straw bases), and florist wire. The latter is a thin green wire, available in several widths, that isusedtoholdeverythingtogether,suchasconestowreaths,greenstoframesorrope,anddecora-tionstowalls. Therangeofdecorationsyoucanmakereach-

sible.However,theyshouldn’tbesoclosetheyactually touch the glass. Even with insulatedglass,enoughcoldseepsthroughonatrulycoldwinternighttodamageorevenkillanyleavesorotherplantpartsthatactuallytouchthewin-dow. Youdon’thavetomovethemfarback,though.Air is a fairly poor transmitter of cold, so just a 1-inch (2.5 cm) space between the glass and the plantswillkeepthemfromharm.

Perth Festival of Lights This much loved event is held on the first Friday in December each year. The publicis invited on 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec 2 as theCrystal Palace is opened for visitors to see the 35 uniquelydecoratedChristmastrees,sponsoredby our local businesses (PDHS also decorates a tree). There will be great food to warm your tummy, a roaring bonfire, music and spectacular fireworks sponsored by the Town of Perth.

Make Your Own Holiday Decorations

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension ProfessorUniversity of Vermont

Natural holiday decorations such as roping,swags,wreaths,andtablearrangementsarenothard to make. You will catch on to the simpleprinciplesquickly,andinashorttimeyourre-sultsmaysurpriseeveryone,includingyourself.Youcanbeproudofthedecorationsyoumade,givingyourhomeatrulyfestivespiritandeveninvolvingvariousfamilyorfriendstoo. Mostofthematerialsyouneedareinexpen-sive,orfreefortheaskinginmanylocales.Butremember to get permission before cutting branchesorfruitsonsomeoneelse’sland!Yourlocal florist also should have natural materi-als,bothlocalandfromwarmerclimates.Treefarmsareagoodsourceofgreenery,orevenun-decoratedproductsyoucanthendecorateyour-self.Checklocalnewspapersforsuchfarms,orcheckonline. For plant materials, evergreen twigs andboughs are the most important. You may besurprisedathowmuchmaterialgoesintoevensmalldecorations.Ifyouhaveacool,moistspotfreeofdraftsforstorage,youcanstartgatheringgreens as early as late November. For longest

es far beyond what you may think ispossible.Arrangements for sale in florist shops may give you ideas, as can browsing through holidaymagazinesandonlinesites.So,don’thesitatetotryoutnewideas.Justkeepinmindthatwhat-everyoumakeshouldbeinproportionto,andharmonizewith,thesurroundings. To make wreaths or ropings, you will needindividualbranchletsorbundlesof them.Sim-ply cut small branch pieces four to six inchesin lengthfrommainbranches,andwireorpinthemdirectlytotheframes.Oryoucanwiresev-eraltogetherintoabundle,thenwirethebundletothebase. Overlaponebranchletorbundleoverthecutends of the last to hide them and the wire orropebase.Proceeddowntheropeoraroundtheframe in this manner. Finally, once the greensaresecured,addabowandafewornamentsofinterest, such as cones, berries, or artificial deco-rations. Tomakeatablearrangement,startwithawetblock of florist foam, either free standing or cut to fit a basket or other decorative container. Use a saucerunderthewetfoam,unlessthecontaineriswatertight.Placesprigsofgreeninthefoam,followed by natural ornaments such as berriesand artificial ornaments. Berries can be wired to a florist pick, then stuck in the foam. Follow the samedesignprinciplesasyouwouldifarrang-ing flowers. Adoorswagissimple.Takeseveralbranchesofadesiredlength,usually2feetorso,andtietogethertohangupsidedown.Thentieashort-erbranchortwoontop,upright. Wherethesealltietogether,placeabow,groupofcones,orotherornamentation. If you want to use candles, use decorativelanterns tokeepcandlesaway fromthegreens(which, when dry, can be quite flammable), then decorate around these with greenery andcolor.Getamoldformakingaluminaryofice,andplacegreensandberriesinthewaterbeforefreezing. These,withacandleinside,makeaneleganttabledecorationforaspecialdinner. If you have a stairway and banister, hang agroupingortwoofgreensandberriesfromtheupright supports. Create a winter or holidayscene in a terrarium, glass bowl, or empty fish tank.Makeafairygardenwithaholidaytheme.Fillawoodenbowlorbasketwithanassortmentof cones and nuts, perhaps with some brightballsforcolor. Ifyouhavelargecontainersthatremainout-

sideoverwinter,suchaswhiskybarrelhalvesorevenaraisedbednearawalkorporch,decoratethesetoo.Ifyoucandosopriortothesoilfreez-ing solid, insert branches of greenery, red-twig dogwood branches, or glittery decorations avail-ablefromcraftandhomesupplystores. If thesoil in these has frozen, you make need to getoutapowerdrilltomaketheholes,asI’vehadtodosomeyears! Many other decorations are possible usingwireorStyrofoambasesintheshapesofcandycanes, cones, or balls, among others. You’ll find theseonlineoratlocalcraftstores.Simplyfollowtheaboveproceduresandyourowncreativity!

Preparing Garden Tools for WinterBy Dale Odorizzi

Asthedaysofworkingoutsideinyourgardendrawtoaclose,itistimetoputawayyourgardentoolsproperlyforthewinter.Doingsocanaddyearstothelifeofyourgardenequipment.Yourtoolswillbeprotectedfromrustandwearandtheywillbereadytogothemomentspringfeverhitsnextyear. Scrapeanyexcessmudordirt fromthetool.You can use a stick to knock off large pieces and a wire brush for tougher spots. If soil isreallycakedon,youmayneedtoleavethetoolsoakinginabucketofwaterforafewminutesbeforemovingontothenextstep.Wipethetooloff with an old rag and let it dry thoroughly. Onceithasdried,removeanyrustbyrubbingitvigorouslywithasmallpieceofsteelwool.Besuretowearglovesforthisstep.Afterremovingallrust,sharpenthetool,ifithasasharpedge.Thisincludesshovels,edgersandpruners. Condition wooden handles by sanding anyrough or splintery portions with sandpaper.Youcanrub thewoodenhandleswithLinseedOil. Be careful with how you dispose of yourragsafterdoingthisasLinseedOilcanbeveryflammable. Spraymetalpartswithpenetratinglubricatingoiltoprotectthemfromrust.Anotherapproachto lubricating your tools is to fill a bucket or container with clean sand. Mix in a litre ofcooking oil. You can use used cooking oil.Plunge the metal part of your tools into thesand2or3times.Somepeopleleavetheirtoolsin thisbucketofsand. Ifyoureadaboutusingsand and oil, you may find that older sources tell

you to use motor oil. Motor oil is now treatedmuch more carefully and should not be usedfor this.Youcanalsouseyour sand/oilbucketthroughout the growing season to keep yourtoolswelllubricated.Theoillubricatesthetooland when you wash it off after using, all the dirt and muck simply slides off. Storeyourtoolsinadryspot.Avoidleavingtools on the floor of your garage or any other placeslikelytogetdampinwinter.

Heating Birdbaths And Other Winter Gardening Tips

Leonard Perry, UVM Horticulturistand Charlie Nardozzi, Garden Consultant

Providingbirdswithwaterbymeansofheatedbirdbaths,startingherbsindoors,andchoosingthe best poinsettias are some of the gardening activitiesforthismonth. Keep bird baths ice-free and filled with fresh water.Heatedbirdbaths,andheatingelementsmadetoinsertintobirdbathstokeepthemfromfreezing, are available at many garden supplystores and online. Make sure if using suchelectrical devices that they are plugged intoproperly grounded outlets using safe, outdoorextensioncords. To encouragebirds tovisityour garden thiswinter, set out feeders near evergreen trees orshrubssobirdshavecoverwhile they feed. Ifyou or your neighbors have bird-chasing cats, or if raiding squirrels are a problem, hang thefeeders higher off the ground and away from treesandstructures.Spendafewdollarsmoreon high quality bird seeds, such as black oilsunflower, to appeal to the most birds and give themthenutritiontheyneed.

Startseedsofbasil,chives,sage,orotherherbsforawinterwindowsillherbgarden.Ifyoudon’thave a sunny windowsill, consider setting up a light garden using fluorescent bulbs suspended afewinchesabovethetopsofplants. Asnightsgrowcolder,makesurehouseplantsare away from window glass to prevent chilldamage.Orcloseshadesandcurtainsatnighttohelpinsulatethemagainstthecold. When shopping for poinsettias, look for ones with healthy green leaves all the way to thebottom of the plants. For longest life, choose a plant with the flowers not yet open--these are the rather inconspicuous yellow lumps at thecenter of the brightly colored bracts (actually these colored parts are modified leaves). Visit a greenhousetobeawedbymassesinbloom,andto find some of the latest varieties such as with marbled or spotted bracts. Make sure to keep the plantcoveredandoutofcoldonthewayhome,and away from drafts once home, as poinsettias arequitesensitivetocold. Iffriendsorothersinyourfamilygarden,thinkabout shopping for holiday gifts at a gardensupply store or even hardware or home store.Newhandtools,goodpruners,gloves,weatherinstruments,andgardenmagazinesubscriptionsaresomeofthemanyitemsyoumightconsiderasgifts.Ifnotsurewhattogetorwhattheyhave,then gift certificates are always welcome. If money is tight, consider a gift certificate of your owntimethiscomingyeartohelpwithmowing,planting, weeding, building a raised bed, orotheractivity. Other activities for this month includingcutting your own Christmas tree at a local grower, if suchtreesarepartofyour tradition,andcheckinghouseplantsforpestsweekly.

(Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally known horticulturist, author, gardening consultant, and

garden coach; gardeningwithcharlie.com).