From the Coordinator

Volunteer Opportunities

From the MG President

Swarthmore Garden Club Herb Sale

The Year of the Bee

Hints From Delilah

Truths About Organic Gardening

Earth Notes

Congratulations to the Home Gardeners’ School team for planning and executing a successful event on April 4th. One hundred and fifty participants enjoyed the lectures, plant and garden sale, and the hospitality of the Master Gardeners. MaryAnne Crawford and Diana Breen co-chaired the event, with Alyce Zellers, Barbara Knight and Eleanor Tickner providing amazing Marketplace shopping opportunities.

Hand-crafted birdhouses by Eleanor’s husband were the hit of the day. Shoppers who blinked missed the opportunity to purchase these unique garden accessories. Ken Paulsell led the PR drive, Nancy Novak coordinated the donations and silent auction, and Delilah Foldes chaired the decorating team. Thanks to all of you who gave time before, during and after the event to make this a fun day.

The Speakers’ Bureau is more busy than usual this spring. Check our web site to see their schedule for the current month. If you anticipate needing the multi-media projector and/or laptop computer, please reserve the equipment in the office.

Volunteer hours should be reported quarterly. Try to keep your time updated regularly. It will be easier to enter, and you are less likely to forget some of your many activities. All members, including the class of 2007, are expected to have 8 hours of updated training each year. Home Gardeners’ School and Fall Fest lectures, as well as speakers at monthly meetings all qualify for updated training. More opportunities are becoming available online. Many of you attend Longwood Gardens and area arboreta classes. These are also accepted as update training.

The Teaching Gardens are almost ready for the new season, thanks to the efforts of the volunteers. We will be helping to complete the job prior to our April meeting. The Intergenerational Garden clean up is scheduled for April 11th, and the first Plant and Seed Pick-Up for April 18th. Thanks to the dedication of this committee who have been planting, transplanting and preparing for the pick-ups since mid-February.

Volunteer Opportunities

1. Chuck McLaughlin and Kathy Hornberger have been working with the Bernardine Center in Chester. They are installing a new community garden. If you are interested in working with them, please let one of us know. We have been invited to answer gardening questions at Farmer John’s Market on Rte. 322 again this year. If you are interested and available either Fridays or Saturdays during the next two months, please contact Chuck or myself.

2. Our Lady of Charity School in Brookhaven is starting a project with 6th grade students.  Master Gardeners have been asked to advise and share horticultural information with the students.  Please contact Linda if you are interested in being involved.

3. Brandywine Battlefield Park on US Rte. 1 in Delaware County has asked us to help save the historic site.

Volunteers are need to advise and design an attractive landscaping, using 18th century types of plants,  at the entrance to the park.  The park is hardly noticeable from the road, and the site is in desperate need of new members to keep the park open.  An interesting entrance is bound to encourage more visitors.

For all who are interested in the history of where you live, The Battle of Brandywine was the largest and bloodiest battle of the Revolutionary War.  The Board, through private donations, intends to keep the battlefield site open after the state withdraws funding in the near future.  

Master Gardener contact is Nancy Simons , or preferably, contact Linda Kaat, Board President, Brandywine Battlefield at 610 696 -7011; 610- 909 -3324 or at Linda.Kaat@att.net.

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I first became interested in the Tillandsia branch of the Bromeliad family while on vacation in the upper Amazon along the Ucayali and Maranon rivers. High in the trees we saw huge rafts of plants with bright red swords of color and then one day on a walk we came upon one that had fallen. Our guide estimated that the raft of hundreds of plants weighed a ton or more. On close examination the predominate plant was Tillandsia and most were t.multicaulis with smooth edged 12 -16 inch long leaves swirled in a rosette. I recognized them as being the most common “Bromeliad” sold in our local garden centers.

They are easy to keep. They like bright light and love the humidity of our summers so I always get them out on the porch as soon as the temperatures warm. I sprinkle their leaves regularly trying to mimic their natural habitat. About once a month I mist them with a low nitrogen fertilizer. The blooms which jut out from the center of the rosette as a sturdy bracket form rapidly and last all summer. Sometimes the plant that blooms dies but by that time it has set one or two offshoots. In winter keep them in bright light, don’t fertilize, water thoroughly when dry and mist every few days. The jungle is drier in winter. It is still humid but does not rain as much.

Billbergia is another branch of the Bromeliad family and I have had luck with b.nutans or “Queens Tears”. This plant likes humus rich soil and is more like true bromeliads in that it has funnel shaped rosettes of leaves it likes to be kept water filled. The best thing about “Queen’s Tears” is the panicles of pink and blue flowers. Shame they do not last as long as the Tillandsia blooms.

Both of these families of Bromeliads are easy to keep and will tolerate some neglect. I hope next time you see one you will give it a home. Enjoy!

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SWARTHMORE GARDEN CLUB HERB SALE

Saturday, May 2, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Swarthmore’s Borough Hall, rain or shine. Many varieties of culinary and ornamental herbs all certified organic; homegrown tomato plants, perennials, dried herb mixtures, homemade breads and desserts. Proceeds benefit SGC civic projects.

Thank you all,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you who sent cards and e-mails of comfort in the view of my father's death.
I truly found a lot of comfort in your kind words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Chantal

The Year of the Bee

A few more interesting facts about bees:
   
Question: How many eyes does a honeybee have?

 Answer:  Five: two compound eyes, whose thousands of hexagonal facets, or lenses, make them excellent for detecting motion, and three simple eyes, or ocelli, which are located above the compound eyes. Ocelli can detect changes in light intensity.
    
Question:  What do honeybees eat?

Answer:  A queen eats royal jelly ( a glandular secretion of a worker bee ).  Worker bees eat royal jelly until they are 3 days old.  After that, their diet changes to pollen, honey, nectar, and water.  Drones have a diet similar to that of worker bees, although in different proportions.

We have had many cloudy rain days recently but we are still four and one half inches behind in rainfall for the year, as of April 8, so continue to be mindful of what you use water for and how much you are using.

Your cool weather crops are probably already in the garden but, if not, with the cool weather we have had this spring you may have until May to plant them.

If you plant your potted Hyacinths into your flower beds, be careful because Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous.

To get rid of cabbage worms, put flour into an old nylon stocking and dust the cabbage plants with it.  The cabbage worms eat the flour, it swells in their innards and they die.  The same is helpful of Broccoli, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower.  After a few days, hose off the flour.  Another protection for those and other crops is to use an old sheer curtain or commercial " row cover" to cover your crops to keep the flea beetles from spreading disease and to keep the cabbage moths, rabbits, deer, etcetera away from them.  Be sure to anchor the covering well with stones, soil, or metal anchor pins.  The material can be used again next year if it is in tact.

Be sure to protect yourself from sunburn with wide brimmed hats, clothes that cover you, and sun block.  Use insect repellent.

For cleaning the house, getting rid of odors or removing stains baking soda is at your service.  It is inexpensive, odor free and harmless to the environment.  Clean hard surfaces with a cloth dipped in a quart of water to which four tablespoons of baking soda have been added. Rinse with clear water.  

A clean cloth or sponge dipped in dry baking soda can be used to rub coffee and tea stains from cups and to clean the kitchen sink.  Leave a paste of baking soda and water on a stain for an hour or so and it will pull the stain out of the counter top or other hard surface.

To keep odors at bay in the refrigerator, leave an open box of baking soda on a back shelf.

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In an article from Jeff Gillman, who teaches horticulture at the University of Minnesota and has investigated the science behind many popular organic techniques comes some interesting information.  In The Truth About Organic Gardening (Timber Press), he confirms many long-held beliefs about organic benefits, while puncturing more than a few common myths.

True or False?  Garlic not only repels vampires, it also repels whiteflies, aphids, and beetles.
 
ANSWER: True.  Sprays made from garlic extract and water repel a variety of insect pests, as long as the spray reaches every part of the plant you want to protect.

True or False?  Corn gluten meal suppresses weeds when applied to the soil.
 
ANSWER: True.  If given enough time to work (usually a couple of years) and reapplied each year, corn gluten meal is a safe and effective pre-emergent herbicide.

True or False?  Any mulch is good for soil and plants.
 
ANSWER: False.  Some mulch, such as wood chips, can rob the soil of nitrogen, and is not always effective at suppressing weeds. Used incorrectly, mulches can damage plant stems through heat build up , and can harbor insects and diseases.

True or False?  Manure is always a desirable soil amendment.
 
ANSWER:  False.  Composted manure is a wonderful addition to the soil. Fresh manure shouldn't be used because it can release ammonia, which can injure plants. Fresh animal manure can also contain weed seeds and human pathogens. E. coli can live in uncomposted manure for up to 21 months.

True or False?  Japanese beetle traps are an effective pest control.
 
ANSWER: False.  These traps generally attract more beetles than they trap.

Just a few facts about organic gardening I thought you might be interested in this month. More to follow in May. Enjoy getting outside to your gardens again and try to finish those difficult jobs before the weather starts to warm up

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A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME UNUSUAL PLANTS

The Providence Garden Club of Pennsylvania will hold its 61st Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 2, at The Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, 106 South Middletown Road (Route 352) Middletown Township from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you pre-order between April 1st and April 25th, you have an opportunity to come on Friday, May 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. where you can pick up your order and purchase additional plants for your garden. Order Forms will be available at the April meeting and in the Extension Office, will be e-mailed to you, or call Susie Leonard, Chair, at 610-566-9256.

Providence Garden Club is working closely with local growers to offer many hard-to-find species of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. A selection of choice plants for containers is included in the sale. Be sure to mark your calendar for this date and plan to come early, as many varieties sell out early in the day. We are being conservative as we order this year so you may want to get your plants reserved by pre-ordering.

Another feature of the sale is the opportunity to purchase a wonderful selection of time-tested perennials that come from the gardens of club members. If you are looking for reasonably priced plants that are sure to do well in your garden, then be sure to visit the “Hort Table,” where you’ll find these plants.

As you know, the excitement of this sale is not only the unusual plants the club is able to order because of its long-term connections with suppliers, but also the special items that come from the gardens of club members. Two weeks in April are spent potting up those special plants that have been heeling in their gardens or are in need of division so you can choose plants that you know will thrive in your garden. Friends who are older and depend on the club to help with the division of the plants in their gardens also contribute wonderful selections. Members will also share some of the secrets for growing these plants.

If you have some perennials in your own garden that are in need of dividing and that you’d be interested in donating to the Providence Garden Club Sale, please call Sallie Anderson (610-565-0472). Donations are tax-deductible.

All proceeds of this sale benefit local non-profit organizations, including The Helen Kate Furness Library, The Thomas Leiper House, The Scott Arboretum, Tyler Arboretum and others.

GARLIC MUSTARD—EVIL GARDEN THUG

Garlic mustard is a very nasty invasive plant that stinks like garlic when crushed. I call it nasty because this biennial invasive destroys our native plants and even trees. Many native wildflowers that bloom in the spring (like wild ginger, bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, hepatica, toothwort, and trillium) are in danger when garlic mustard moves into the neighborhood.

Once garlic mustard gets a roothold in your yard, you can kiss native plants goodbye. It kills natives by aggressively monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients and soil. It even secretes chemicals that kill soil organisms that other plants need to grow. To make matters worse, wildlife species that depend on native plants for pollen, nectar, fruits, seeds and roots are deprived of essential food sources when garlic mustard is on the rampage.

Garlic mustard first appears as an apparently harmless rosette of green heart-shaped leaves close to the ground.

Now is a really good time to get rid of it.

The rosettes remain green through the winter, making them easy to spot when you make weed rounds. (you do make weed rounds, don’t you?) Hand pull those little devils as soon as you see them. And get the entire root, because new plants can grow from root fragments.

If you don’t pull up the rosettes this winter, next spring you’ll find them growing two to three feet tall with clusters of small white flowers. In May, slender seed pods develop which become shiny black when mature. Don’t miss your second chance--get those pods before they mature and bag them so the seeds can’t escape and wreak more havoc. Here’s the really bad news—just one plant can produce thousands of seeds, which can remain viable for five years. What a nightmare.

By late June, when most of the garlic mustard plants have died, you’ll see their erect stalks containing dry, pale brown seedpods getting ready to blast your yard with new plants. Take this last opportunity to get rid of them by hand-pulling the plants. Don’t let them go to seed!

For larger infestations of garlic mustard, or when hand-pulling is not practical, cut flowering stems at ground level to prevent seed production.

If you cut the stems higher, they’ll just grow back and flower again. And since the plant is a biennial, it won’t come back next year (hopefully).

For very heavy infestations, some people use a systemic herbicide (that kills EVERYTHING it’s sprayed on, including natives). I’d rather pull the plants.

When eliminating garlic mustard from your property, make sure you have the right plant. Toothwort, sweet cicely and early saxifrage may be mistaken for garlic mustard. The garlic mustard flower has four petals in the shape of a cross and its coarsely toothed leaves smell like garlic when crushed. None of the look-alikes have that garlic smell.
Get to know garlic mustard—and then eliminate it from your property. And tell your neighbors about it so they can be on guard for this interloper.

Need more info? Go to http://vimeo.com/2855779 for an excellent video on garlic mustard.

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Garden Tour to Walt Cullterton’s Hosta Garden and Beyond

June 6, 2009 – Time to be determined

We will carpool to Pineville, PA, and tour the garden of Hosta specialist/rock gardener/nursery man, Walter Cullerton, who recently wowed participants at Second Saturday presentation on Hostas.

Bring your own lunch or dine at Pineville Tavern (check out their website). Other nearby attractions for consideration are Russell Gardens and Almshouse Arboretum.

Please contact Gerri Eunson to join the tour. Space is limited – drivers are needed

There will also be plants for sale—bring cash for purchases.

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