Welcome Spring! It seems we’ve been waiting a long time for your arrival.
While we’re all savoring the daffodils, blooming fruit trees, and the chance to dig in the soil once again, let’s take a few minutes to review the activities of April. Our club was quite busy, despite the tiresome, March-like weather.
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Linda’s afternoon of Bunco, a Promise Tree event, gave new definition to the phrase “a barrell of laughs.” The three tables of participants (who may have gotten a little rowdy) thoroughly enjoyed Linda’s gracious hospitality and several raucous games of bunco. Here’s the evidence:
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Our April “Member Meeting” was an enormous hit — instructional, entertaining, and very much fun! Attendees, including several guests, learned so much from (and about) our six member presenters.
The meeting began and ended with Lynda’s lovely vocal renditions in honor of spring…
LuAnn explained the care and feeding of compost worms…
Becky showcased some of her favorite historic gardening books…
Carole demonstrated how to make a hydrangea wreath…
Pat explained how to get our tools ready for the spring planting season…
Carol’s presentation featured Dill, including delicious samples made from her recipes…
And the meeting ended with the raffling off of the products of each demonstration. Meredith was the pleased winner of Carol’s dilly carrots…
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Patti Elwell sent us this photo of her April gardening frustration. She said, “Here is a photo of my April garden: growing lush in the basement! These should already be growing outside! Such is the life of a gardener, you can’t change mother nature!”
Fortunately for Patti, and the rest of us, mother nature has chosen to smile upon us in May. Patti’s veggies are surely thriving in her back yard by now.
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Our May 17 General Meeting will have a special appeal for the rose lovers among us – our speaker will be Jamie Colen, who helps Fuller Gardens maintain their gorgeous rose displays. Jame will be speaking about “Dispelling the Myths about Growing Roses and Other Garden Plants.” Our members will also be voting on two important club items: the slate of nominees for next year’s board and the 2018-2019 budget. (Click here to see the slate of nominees.)
Don’t miss this important meeting!
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Linda noted an article in the April 12 edition of Seacoast Online by Pam Stuppy on the value of fresh, homegrown vegetables to our health and including helpful gardening suggestions for even the patio gardener. If you missed this article, click here to read it in full.
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Minutes from the April General Meeting and the May Board Meeting are available on the Minutes page, under “Members Only.” Here’s a quick link to see the Minutes Page.
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If you’ve wondered how all those nasty stinkbugs found their way into your home this winter, here’s an extremely interesting (and disgusting) article from the New Yorker about these ugly invaders from Asia. You’ll be amazed at how truly invasive and potentially destructive they really are.
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With strawberry season nearly upon us, here’s a tip to keep your berries fresh for a longer period of time. To extend their fridge life, use 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts water; soak the whole strawberries for 5 minutes; then drain until completely dry. Store in an uncovered bowl in the vegetable drawer of your fridge. The vinegar kills mold spores that cause rotting and doesn’t affect the taste. This tip is from TheFrugalGirls.com.
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And lastly, a reminder that our blowout Annual Spring Luncheon and Plant Auction will be on Wednesday, June 20, from 11 to 3, at the Portsmouth Country Club. Don’t miss this celebration of our members and of another wonderful year of garden clubbing. Invite a friend or two – They’ll love our auction, raffles, a great meal, and most of all – our friendly, welcoming members! Contact Betsy A. to sign up for or to get more information about the luncheon. And click here for info on potting up and maintaining your auction plants.
