the diggers - dorchester garden club · the december 11, 2014 dorchester garden club holiday...

THE DIGGERS Dorchester Garden Club January, 2015

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Mark Your Calendars

JANUARY, 2015

13 FGCMD State Board Meeting (snow date 2/10) 19 Martin Luther King Day

FEBRUARY, 2015 13 DGC “Turning Over a New Leaf – Leaf

Manipulation” Eastern Shore Hospital Center 11:30 am presented by Susie Middleton. Pre-registration required

16 President’s Day

MARCH, 2015 4 District I Annual Meeting Talbot Country Club 8 Daylight Savings Time Begins 13 “Passing of the Trowel” DGC Annual Meeting

and Installation of 2015-17 Officers, 11:30 am Cambridge Yacht Club

20 First Day of Spring

APRIL, 2015 3-4 “50 Years of Daffodils. Reflecting Our Past” 50th Daffodil Show Somerset County GC St. Andrews Parish Hall, Princess Anne, MD Friday 1pm-5pm, Saturday 10am-3pm 4 First Day of Passover 5 Easter Sunday 9-12 2015 National Daffodil Convention, American Daffodil Society, Williamsburg, VA Fort Macgruder Hotel and Conference Center 10 DGC April Meeting 19 Chicone Village Day, Handsell, Indiantown Road Vienna, VA 22 Earth Day Information for programs sponsored by other Clubs is at http://www.fgcofmd.org/Calendar_of_Events.html

“My Winter Garden”

Beverly Hooks

Landscape Artist, Washington State

http://www.fgcofmd.org/Calendar_of_Events.html


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DGC Celebrates the Holidays – Holiday Wreath Workshop Hats off to Ellen Rindfuss and her team for making it such a fun and enjoyable event to get everyone in the Holiday Spirit! Beautiful wreaths and fellowship – and a great luncheon!!!! What’s not to love????


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“A Glistening Reminder of Nature’s Beauty” DGC 2014 Holiday Luncheon The December 11, 2014 Dorchester Garden Club Holiday Luncheon at the East New Market Fire hall was a great success on every level. There were 173 tickets sold – and 113 of the luncheon attendees were non-club member guests! The room looked lovely as it was transformed into “A Glistening Reminder of Nature’s Beauty” by the stunning centerpieces and room décor of Jeanne Bernard and her team. This year’s vendors provided a very nice assortment of garden-themed holiday gifts and jewelry -- and The Diggers Boutique pulled together by Fran Collins and her team was another show-stopper! Melissa Wise Slacum and Laura Todd delivered a beautiful and moving holiday music performance that had many of us moved to tears. And rounding out the event was a fabulous floral design demonstration by David Powers of Potomac Wholesale in Silver Spring, MD. David wowed the audience with his talent and his engaging and entertaining presentation style. The Holiday Luncheon has become a major fund-raising event for the club and this year’s luncheon raised over $2,000. Congratulations and thanks to Holiday Luncheon Chair Miriam Zijp-Koedijk and her team for a wonderful program!

Set up day and finishing touches by Miriam and her team of elves pulling it all togther!


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“Glistening reminders of Nature’s Beauty” abounded in the décor and beautiful table arrangements designed by our so talented Jeanne Bernard and her team


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Fantastic Diggers Boutique by Fran Collins and her team!

All is calm, all is bright as members and guests arrive for the festivities!


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Vendors provide a wide array of holiday gifts!


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Moving performance by Melissa Wise Slacum and Laura Todd Jackie Handley, President FGCMD, get everyone in the Holiday Spirit presents National Garden Club and Horticultural Society Awards to DGC

Fun Time Catching Up With Glam-Gal Friends!


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Impressive job, Deana! Manzanita Tree donated by David and purchased by Ali Buczek

David has some fun with member Deana Kozak and a design challenge

Guest speaker, David Powers, works his magic…


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Division I – Horticulture December, 2014


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Division I Horticulture Awards – December, 2014 Class 1 Conifers-one branch (minimum length 6”/maximum length 24”) 1b. Without Cones or Berries: 1st Beverly Shelly, 2nd Cookie Brohawn 2 Broadleaf Evergreen Tree or Shrub-one branch (minimum length 6”/maximum length 24”) 2a. Flowering: 2nd Kathy Miller 2b. Foliage: 1st Susan Middleton, 2nd Beverly Shelly, 3rd Cookie Brohawn 2c. Fruited: 1st Beverly Shelly, 2nd Cookie Brohawn Class 3 Deciduous Tree or Shrub-1 branch (minimum length 6”/maximum length 24”) 3a. Flowering: 1st Helen Saum Class 4 Ilex (Holly)-one branch (minimum length 6”/maximum 18”) 4a. Foliage: 1st Beverly Shelly 4b. Fruited: 1st Anne Allbeury-Hock, 2nd Cookie Brohawn, 3d Susan Middleton Class 5 Christmas Cactus (maximum pot diameter 8”) In Bloom Only 5. 1st Beverly Shelly Class 6 Open Class 6a. Annual: 1st Susan Middleton, 2nd Anne Allbeury-Hock, 3rd Kathy Miller, HM Beverly Shelly 6b. Perennial: 1st Cookie Brohawn 6c. Biennial: 1st Susan Middleton 6d. Bulb, corm, rhizome, tuber: 1st Susan Middleton 6e. Vines: 2nd Susan Middleton Class 7 Forced Bulbs 7b. Narcissus: Anne Allbeury-Hock


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Division II Design Awards – December, 2014 Class 1 “Set for a Snowy Day” A capsule Functional Table Design for the Winter Season- Set for one, staged

on a 2-ft area of a folding table. Decorative unit to be appropriate in size to the provided exhibit space.

Ching Stanton, 1st Place Wanda Ciekot, 2nd Place

Judy Slaughter, 3rd Place Susie Middleton, Honorable Mention


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New Year’s Resolutions for Gardeners… some different and amusing perspectives! First, from an article by Ohio Master Gardener, Faye Mahaffey… I’ve given up on those “I am going to eat better and get more fit” resolutions and have turned my attention to resolutions for the garden. Last year I found a great list of the top 10 gardening resolutions:

1) I will figure out the light exposure for my plants, 2) I will weed less, 3) I will grow more on my patio, 4) I will try new things, 5) I will protect myself from the sun while gardening, 6) I will grow the first tomato on the block, 7) I will improve my soil, 8) I will finally solve the deer problem in my garden, 9) I will conserve rainwater, and 10) I will eat healthier and choose local food whenever possible.

My additions to these top 10 resolutions include: 1) Read garden magazines when they arrive, 2) Divide and share daylilies,3) No new flower beds this year, 4)Continue to “grow” as a composter, 5) Continue to limit my use of pesticides in the garden, 6) Prioritize gardening goals for the 2015 growing season, 7) Plant at least one vegetable that I think I don’t like but have actually never tried!

Margaret Roach, a leading garden writer, lists a few resolutions on her website, awaytogarden.com, that encourage gardeners to take a hard look at their practices. My favorites include: Mow more creatively. Utilize native grasses and make semi-wild spots for insects and birds to enjoy; Pump up the volume of self-sowing cultivars that you love; Grow sunflowers; Be a more ruthless pruner; and Remember to walk back inside and look out the window before taking shovel to ground to implement any decisions

It’s time to pull out last year’s vegetable garden diagram and make notes about what worked and what didn’t. Before you place those seed orders, be sure to read the descriptions carefully and do your research.

Second, by Steve Smith, “The Whistling Gardener” I first penned this piece in 2001 and 14 years later it still feels relevant. It’s encouraging to know that the true attributes of a “real gardener” haven’t changed. Enjoy!


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“Next year I promise not to buy any more plants until I have planted all the ones that are currently stored in the garage because I didn’t get around to planting them this year” No real gardener would ever put these kinds of constraints on themselves. After all, compulsive plant buying is a sign of a healthy, well- adjusted gardener. Just think of those plants as a portable test garden. If the plant can’t survive at least two seasons of being moved in and out of the garage, then it probably isn’t worthy of being planted. I usually manage to kill at least 30% of them every year by forgetting to water or letting the slugs decimate them or shoving them so close together that they suffocate each other before they ever get a chance to be planted. By the time I do get around to finding a home for them, they are tough as nails. “My tool shed is going to be perfectly organized next year so I can always find what I need when I need it.” Oh right, a place for everything and everything in its place. Show me a gardener that is that organized and I’ll bet money they suffer from constipation. Dodging rakes and falling shovels helps us stay alert, it sharpens our reflexes and keeps our muscles toned. And as for tool maintenance, don’t get me started. Oiling tools and cleaning the lawn mower at the end of the season only delays the excitement of shopping for replacements. Real gardeners long for the opportunity to acquire new and exotic gardening tools. “Next year, I won’t plant things too close together. I might even read the plant tags before planting.” Now this is a novel concept, actually reading all those descriptive tags that nursery professionals provide for us. Real gardeners would never lower themselves to the level of reading tags. That’s for the amateur. We buy plants because they are “cool” and because we have to have them. We design by impulse, buying a plant and then finding a place for it. As for planting too close together? Impossible! We all know that there is strength in numbers. Crowded plants hold each other up and they choke out weeds. We don’t have to spend money or take the time to stake things up. Opulence, exuberance, and immoderation are the hallmark of a real gardener. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. “This year I’m going to stake my perennials before they bloom and pinch my mums so they aren’t 8 feet tall by September.” These are classic examples of timely chores that real gardeners can’t be bothered with. I have these wonderful “grow through rings” for my peonies somewhere in the gardening shed that are designed to be put over the peonies while they are still small (before they set their flower buds) Haven’t got them on once in five years. But that’s why they make “link stakes”, bamboo stakes and stretch ties. Regarding fall blooming perennials like asters and mums that need pinching in June to keep them compact and bushy, I do manage to accomplish that task, but only because I own a gas powered hedge trimmer with a 30” bar that allows me to “pinch” them in about 30 seconds. Real gardeners love power tools Happy New Year from the Whistling Gardener!


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Forcing Branches: Bring Spring Indoors Early for Winter Color and Fragrance …By Nancy Gingrich Shenk for finegardening.com After all the Christmas decorations are packed away the house looks drab. So instead of letting the winter blues kick in, we make our rooms warm and inviting with flowers. We force the usual amaryllis, paperwhites, and tulip bulbs, but we also force branches into bloom to add even more color and fragrance to our suddenly quiet home. It is very satisfying to sit in our breakfast room early in the morning and observe the daily progress of forsythia buds as they swell and burst open. We cannot think of a more economical way to raise our spirits.

Collect branches in January and February Many ornamental trees and shrubs set their flower buds during the previous growing season. These buds must experience a period of dormancy before they will open. After six weeks of cold temperatures, buds will usually come out of dormancy after two to three weeks of being exposed to warmth and moisture. Depending on your geographic location, usually by the time February arrives, most species suitable for forcing have experienced the required period of dormancy. Coincidentally, late winter is the best time to prune deciduous trees and large shrubs. We usually head out into the yard with pruners in hand starting in January. We get a jump-start on our pruning along with an early gift of spring color inside our house. We prune our trees and shrubs for shape and to remove crossing branches and old or diseased wood. From the wood we have cut off the plant we select branches for forcing that are less than 1/2 inch in diameter and cut them to the desired length.

Author, Nancy Shenk, collects Branches for forcing as she does her winter pruning.

We like to prune on a mild winter day when the temperature is above freezing. Branches and buds are softer and more pliable and will be better able to make the transition from cold outdoor temperatures to warm indoor temperatures. We inspect the branches carefully when making our selections, looking for those with lots of plump flower buds.


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Flower buds are round and fat, whereas leaf buds are smaller and pointed. If we are not sure what type of bud we are looking at, we do a little bud surgery. When cut open, a flower bud will reveal miniature flower parts on the inside.

Top Choices for Forcing Branches won’t flower until they’ve had a proper cold period, usually about six weeks. If you try to force a particular plant into bloom and it doesn’t work, it may be too early. Try it again in a couple of weeks. The plants listed below are grouped according to their earliest cutting time.

January Cornelian cherry ( Cornus mas ) Filberts – for catkins ( Corylus spp. and cvs.) Forsythias ( Forsythia spp. and cvs.) Fothergillas ( Fothergilla spp. and cvs.) Witch hazels ( Hamamelis spp. and cvs.)

Late January/early February Bradford pear ( Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’) Cherries ( Prunus spp. and cvs

Mid-to-late February Beeches – for catkins (Fagus spp. and cvs.) Birches – for catkins (Betula spp. and cvs.) Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) Lilacs (Syringa spp. and cvs.) Magnolias (Magnolia spp. and cvs.) PJM rhododendron (Rhododendron ‘PJM’) Quinces (Chaenomeles spp. and cvs.) Red maple (Acer rubrum) Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp. and cvs.) Willows – for catkins (Salix spp. and cvs.)

Recut branches and place them in a cool spot inside Our method for processing branches is pretty straightforward; we cut and gather the branches and bring them inside. We then add floral preservative, according to the instructions on the package, to a bucket of warm (100° to 110°F) water and set it aside. (You can make your own preservative with 1 tablespoon of Listerine or 1 tablespoon of lemon-lime soda per quart of water.) The preservative will promote hydration and retard bacterial growth, keeping the water clear for up to a week.


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Next, we fill a sink with very warm water. Holding the stems underwater, we recut them at a severe angle an inch or two above the original cut (see the tip below). For larger branches—around 1/2 inch diameter—we split the end of the stem in half for a distance of about an inch to allow more of the interior of the stem to be available to take up water. We immediately place the stems in the bucket of water. At this point we have a choice to make. We can simply store all of the stems in this bucket of water and set it aside in a cool place, like a protected porch or garage, where the temperature is 45° to 55°F, then arrange the branches for display when the first buds begin to show color. Or we could immediately create an arrangement, put the masterpiece in a place of prominence, and watch as the buds slowly swell and spring into bloom. In either case, to keep the branches healthy, we will change the water and add new preservative each week, or when we notice the water starting to discolor. Both before and during bloom, place the branches away from bright, direct sunlight and away from any direct heat source, which will dry out the buds and branches and reduce overall bloom color and quality. Ideally, try to duplicate the cool, moist environment of spring weather. If you use common sense when selecting a location, your blooms should look good for at least a week. Branches forced for their foliage will last even longer. Most plant material that forces well is readily available in your backyard. By cutting several branches each week as winter turns to spring, you can have a continuous show of color during January, February, and March. Sometimes there are even surprises, so it pays to experiment. Last fall, expecting nothing, we cut some forsythia branches for accents in a large arrangement for our Thanksgiving celebration. To our surprise and delight, the forsythia bloomed in time for the holiday.

Cutting Tip After bringing the branches inside, fill a sink with very warm water—as hot as you can stand it without scalding your hands. Very warm water is important because it contains the least amount of oxygen. If oxygen gets into the stems it can block water from being taken up, thus preventing hydration. Hold the stems underwater and recut them at a severe angle an inch or two above the original cut. The stems will quickly absorb the water.

the diggers - dorchester garden club · the december 11, 2014 dorchester garden club holiday...

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