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Greely Gardeners Group

Newsletter

September 2014 GREELY GARDENERS EVENTS

MONTHLY MEETING – Wednesday September 3 Topic: “You’re Not Done Yet (Fall Tasks to Improve Your Garden for 2015)” Guest speaker: Mary Shearman Reid, Green Thumb Garden Centre Greely Community Centre, 7:00 p.m. Master Gardener and Green Thumb Garden Centre owner, Mary Shearman Reid, will inspire us to enjoy our gardens during the cooler fall weather and complete important fall tasks that will ensure that our plants will emerge healthy and strong next spring. Mary has wonderful tips and tricks to minimize effort and maximize results. You will want to hear what plants can be moved in the fall, when to plant fall bulbs and how to keep squirrels from digging them up and what to use to deter rabbits from chewing your shrubs this winter. If you have garden questions, Mary has the answers. Gardening and planning this fall will really pay off in 2015.

MONTHLY MEETING – Wednesday October 1 Topic: “Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden” Guest speaker: Marilyn Light Greely Community Centre, 7:00 p.m.

Pollinators come in all kinds, shapes and sizes and can include flies, bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths. Pollinators provide a service in return for a reward of pollen and/or nectar. Some use flowers for shelter and others to seek mates. A gardener wanting to attract the greatest diversity of insect pollinators will plan a spring through fall buffet to include bulbs, shrubs, annuals and perennials, small fruits and vegetables. We will learn what flowers attract which insects and how we can develop the best possible environment for pollinators.

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS The Annual General Meeting of the GGG will be held during our October monthly meeting. All positions are up for election or re-election. Some of the current Executive Committee are willing to serve the GGG for another year, though in some cases in a different capacity. Nominations for any position are currently being taken. The composition of the current Executive Committee is listed at the end of this Newsletter. There is always room for new blood, and we are looking for people to get involved in the administration of the GGG with a longer-term view of having experience volunteers ready to step in when Executive Officers move on. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please contact

Lee Nickerson (613-594-2014) or Gary Hall (613-821-7445).

GGG 2015 MEMBERSHIP FEES

If you are intending to renew your annual membership at our next meeting, please consider printing a membership form from our website www.greelygardeners.ca and filling it in a ahead of time.

At only $10 for the year, we are still the best bargain in town! All members will receive a free copy of “Canadian Lawn and Garden Secrets” featuring Mark Cullen. These have been donated to the GGG by Leitrim Home Hardware on Bank Street.

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OTHER GARDENING EVENTS

Manotick Horticultural Society: Monday September 8, “Taking a Likin’ to Lichen”, Irwin Brodo, 7:30 p.m., Main Hall, RCMP Campground, Long Island Locks, Manotick. http://www.gardenontario.org/site.php/manotick Old Ottawa South Garden Club: Monday September 8, “Vertical Gardens (Vines)”, Mary Shearman Reid, Master Gardener, 7:00 p.m., Ottawa South Community Centre, 260 Sunnyside Ave. Ottawa (Guests $7) Friends of the Farm Lecture Series: Tuesday September 9, “Spring Bulbs – an Essential for every Garden”, Mary Ann Van Berlo, Master Gardener, 7:00 p.m., Building 72, Arboretum, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa Register at: 613-230-3276 or by e-mail info@friendsofthefarm.ca (Individual Lectures: FCEF members $12, non-members $15)

http://www.friendsofthefarm.ca/events.htm Ottawa Valley Rock Garden & Horticultural Society: Saturday September 13, “Making Daylily Babies in the Backyard”, Kelly Noel, Master Gardener, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill Avenue, Ottawa (Guests welcome – no charge) http://www.ovrghs.ca/meetings/meetings.html Russell and District Horticultural Society: Monday September 15, “Gifts from the Garden Auction and Tasting”, 7:00 p.m. Royal Canadian Legion/Lion's Hall at 24 Legion Lane in Russell. http://www.russellgardeners.ca/meetings.html Ottawa Horticultural Society: Tuesday 23 September, “Fabulous Fall Florals”, Catherine Disley Engler, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Tom Brown Arena, 141 Bayview Road.

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GGG SUMMER FIELD TRIP – SATURDAY JULY 19 GUIDED TOUR OF MAITLAND AND NORTH AUGUSTA GARDENS

(BROCKVILLE AREA)

On a sunny Saturday morning, a group of 26 Greely Gardeners Group members boarded the bus at the Greely Community Centre and set off promptly at 9:00 a.m. towards our first stop at the Maitland Garden of Hope. The garden is described as a habitat that will aid in the conservation and enjoyment of native butterflies, birds and honeybees. We were met at the Maitland Garden of Hope by our hosts Colleen O’Connell and David Cybulski. Colleen and David took turns to guide us around their wonderful garden which is also a registered Monarch Butterfly way station. The 1.5-acre garden features 20 theme gardens and over 5,000 perennials and was a magnificent pallet of colour. We asked many questions, took many photographs and though we did not spot a monarch butterfly we did see a swallowtail. For further information on the Maitland Garden of Hope see: http://maitlandgardenofhope.ca/ Our next stop was only a few minutes away at the Maplehurst Manor in Maitland. Here we had a delightful lunch in a lovely formal setting of the elegant Victorian mansion. It was hard to rush away but our next garden called and we boarded the bus again to head to Tara MacKenzie’s gardens in North Augusta. Tara’s home was a little more difficult to find but she came out to the road to meet us and directed the bus down her laneway to her home and gardens. Tara’s property comprises four acres of country gardens including perennial and woodland gardens, a wildflower meadow and a three-level pond. She gave us a guided tour of her property and answered many questions about plants and hardscaping. She also has worked with glass and a number of her stained glass windows adorned the buildings scattered around her property. We were also accompanied on our tour by Bear, one of Tara’s two dogs. Her gardens have been featured in the Canadian Gardening and Garden Making magazines. http://www.canadiangardening.com/gardens/featured-gardens/beauty-unearthed-in-an-eastern-ontario-garden/a/31085

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As we had a little extra time on the trip back to Greely we stopped at Rideau Woodland Ramble where we learned from Robb and Dave (the owners) that it was a "20% off most plants" day! Many of us bought plants and luckily there was enough space on the bus to accommodate our purchases. We were back at the Greely Community Centre around 5:00 p.m. and everyone agreed that we had enjoyed a very well planned day out. Our many thanks go to Elaine Routledge and Jane Reitze who planned the event and to Phyllis Nickerson who provided “goodie” bags to leave with our hosts as an additional token of our thanks.

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Greely Gardeners Group – 2014 Executive Committee

President: Lee Nickerson 613-574-0214 Vice-President: Geoff Voyce 613-692-5384 Treasurer: Jane Rietze 613-699-6330 Secretary: Denyse Becker 613-425-1157 Speaker Coordinator: Elaine Routledge 613-692-9988 Past-President: Gary Hall 613-821-7445 Member-at-Large: Sue Young 613-574-0098 Member-at-Large: Phyllis Nickerson 613-574-0214 Member-at-Large: Claire Maxwell 613-821-9982 E-Newsletter Editor: Heather Clemenson 613-821-7445 Website Updates: Gary Hall 613-821-7445 Website URL www.greelygardeners.ca

E-mail: greelygardenersgroup@gmail.com