Meeting Minutes, March 2014

The meeting was called to order by President Pamela Davies at 6:35 p.m.  It was discussed the corrections for the February Secretary minutes be approved.  Approved and second.

Treasure’s Report  - there was no activity in February, and there is 3 cents interest.  The balance is $1,660.12

Announcements- Becky Tessman is saving cardboard flats and paper bags for the plant sale.
- Kris shared a thank you card from Sue Augustson for flowers sent to her.

Committee Reports- Plant Sale – Kris has banner estimates for a 10’ x 2’ sign.  TRA @ $40.00; Northland Signs @ $45.00.  Sign color of a white background with colored letter was discussed.  Other sizes were also discussed.  Signs can be made in a week.  Kris was given permission to order two signs. 

  - Vegetables, annuals and herb plants can also be brought to sell at the Plant Sale.

- Sign Planting - Zinneas and other flowers will be ordered and marigolds will be planted by Linnea. Kris suggested doing the same plants as last year.  After the Plant Sale, the remaining plants will be planted by the Grantsburg sign.  Discussion was held about having more annual plants by this sign.  Next Fall some stakes with flags need to be put around the garden by the sign so the snowmobilers don’t drive on the garden area.

- Holiday In The Park – The display is still frozen into the ground.  It will be removed when the ground has softened.  Pam talked to Nikki P. about expanding this event, but Nikki can’t work on this.  If anyone is interested in helping expand this event, please let Pam know.

Special Committees
- Grantoberfest – there is no news to report at this time.

Old Business- Press releases – no one has volunteered to do this yet.

New Business- Mary talked about doing planting around public signs and maintaining the flowers throughout the season.  She suggests having a report done for Chris Bartlett with the Village.  They need help designing a new garden by the Library.

Plants and flowers need to be put in by the flag pole at Memory Lake and the Welcome to Grantsburg sign.  Kris asked if anyone is interested in implementing these design plans.  The Village will contribute some money for the gardens and the Garden Club may too.  Mary showed an example of the cost/worksheet for these to be done and to given to the Village.  The garden at Memory Lake and Welcome sign areas can be done this Spring (whenever it warms up enough) and the Library possibly in the Fall, depending on the construction in this area.  Anyone interested in helping with the designs can take the paperwork and update give updates to the Garden Club in April.

- There was no other business discussed.

*Next meeting is April 12 at 10 a.m. at Wood River Garden Center.  Sue and Nori will bring refreshments.
- The meeting was adjourned and seconded at 7:15 p.m. 

- Mary gave a very informational and picturesque presentation on Ferns.

- Along with refreshments, hats were available for the May Tea Party, to be decorated.  Please pay $10 to attend this.  The Garden Club will contribute $5 for each attendee.  Payment needs to be made by April 15.

Great meeting, even if it was a bit girly!

Okay, so hat decorating is a little girly for some of our members but it was quite fun. Mary G. presented on Fantastic, Fascinating and Fun Fern!! Now that's not too girly.

Teresa collected for the May 4th tea (2:00 PM, place to be announced). $10.00 to members, $15.00 for non-members includes membership!! Get your paid reservation in by April 15. The next three paid RSVPs will get a hat to decorate!!

We are encouraging male participation in the tea. Even if you don't drink tea, and won't wear a hat, the goodies should not be missed!

Kris preparing for the meeting

Mary presenting on Ferns and Fern Friends in the Garden

Refreshments

 Teresa presenting on hat decorating

 Great hats!

Hats for decorating were given out to those who wanted them. Claim your hat by RSVPing for the tea!

Meeting Reminder, Thursday March 13

March 13 2014 Thursday, 6:30 PM room 111, Grantsburg High School

Agenda: Planning for spring activities: Potting party and plant sale, sign cleanup, new plan and planting, other community public place gardens.

We have a double program for you in March!!

Mary G will be presenting on Ferns and Fern Allies in the Garden. Mary always does a great presentation!

And, we will be having a May Tea Party Preview and Hat Decorating Demo presented by Teresa Halls. The club will provide hats to take home and decorate to all attendees who are planning to attend the tea.

• Paid RSVPs for the May tea party will be collected. $15.00 ($10.00 to members as the club will cover $5.00) 
• Non-members can become members when they pay their $15.00!!
• Make checks payable to Teresa Halls or try to bring correct change. 

Refreshments will be provided by Pam and Georgianne

All meetings are open to the public!

Hope to see you there!

Thanks Mary C for this great picture!

How to Attract Honey Bees to your Garden

Georgianne provided this link to share with members on how to attract honey bees to your garden.

http://eepurl.com/PEsRz

Minneapolis Home and Garden Show and some websites to visit to help get through the next two months!!

We are stuck in an arctic vortex with no end in sight. Could be two more months before we emerge. Seed catalogs and gardening magazines are not enough to alleviate this year's cabin fever at least for me.

The Minneapolis Home and Garden Show provided me with a much needed diversion. Where water features were all the rage in the past, fire features are now the big deal along with outdoor "rooms" for lounging and (believe it or not) watching TV, and elaborate outdoor kitchens.

My favorite exhibitor was Joe Christensen Pottery. I can't believe I didn't get pictures. His stuff was amazing. Here is his website: http://www.joechristensenpottery.net/

(Send me your pictures and stories about how you are getting through these cruel last months of winter and I will post them to the blog)

Here are a few pictures I snapped while wandering around for 6 hours with my brother and sister-in-law enjoying the promise of spring!!

Wish you were here!

There weren't as many flowering plants as in past shows but there were some colorful displays that hit the spot!

Wonderful little container gardens

I love love love this table base!! We need to figure out how to make these and do a workshop!! 

More diversions!

Check out this cool website for info on what is blooming throughout the year along Wisconsin roadways.

http://www.botany.wisc.edu/herb/wisflora/blooming/

Here are some gardening tips courtesy of http://www.superseeds.com/

Thank you Georgianne for sending them in.
I have used 2, 4, 13, and 14 and plan to try 3, 5, 7, and 9.

#11 Watch out when harvesting watercress. Some campers up in the Boundary Waters ate what they thought was watercress and ended up poisoning themselves.

15 Gardening Tips

1. To prevent dirt from getting under your fingernails while digging in the dirt, draw your fingernails across a bar of soap to effectively seal the underside of your nails against grime. When you're finished gardening, use a nail brush to remove the soap and you'll be left with sparkling clean nails!

2. Turn a long handled tool into a measuring stick! Using a tape measure as a guide, mark your inch and foot marks on the handle with a permanent marker. When you need to space your plants a certain distance apart, you'll already have the tool you need in your hand.

3. A handy way to store your ball of garden twine is to thread the end through the bottom drainage hole of a red clay garden pot. Place the pot upside down somewhere nearby and you'll never go searching for the twine again!

4. Use leftover tea leaves and coffee grounds to feed your acid loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, gardenias and blueberries. Add a 1/4 inch layer to the base of the plant and they'll love it!

5. Want a quick, beneficial way to dry herbs? Simply lay a sheet of newspaper on the seat of your car on a hot day, arrange the herbs on it in a single layer and ensure that all the doors and windows are closed. The herbs will dry in a short amount of time due to daytime sunlight and your car will smell amazing to boot!

6. Cucumbers grow sweeter when planted near sunflowers. The two plants require similar soil conditions and the tall stalks of the sunflowers give the cucumber plants something sturdy to climb.

7. Chamomile tea is a great way to ward off bacterial and fungal infections that may grow on your plants. Be sure that the tea is completely cooled off before use.

8. Planting lavender and crocuses near to each other will help save your bulbs from being eaten by birds. The birds will go after the fragrant lavender blooms rather than your bulbs.

9. Use your leftover cooking water to water your plants! Vitamins and minerals left behind by boiling pasta, vegetables, eggs and potatoes make a great boost for your plants. Be sure the water is completely cooled off before use.

10. The 10 most money-saving plants you can grow are as follows: cilantro, arugula, green salad mix, chives, dill, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, turnips, large tomatoes and winter squash. These herbs and veggies are some of the most expensive to buy fresh, so why not grow your own?

11. Believe it or not, there are several types of weeds that you can eat! Watercress, bamboo, dandelion, purslane, Japanese knot-weed, Lamb's Quarters, kudzu and red clover. You've probably eaten a few of these already if you've ordered a salad in a fine restaurant. Be aware of where the weeds are growing, however, as some growing conditions may make the weeds inedible.

12. Some of the best veggies to grow in spring or fall are as follows: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, peas, radishes, swiss chard and spinach. All of these veggies are somewhat cold tolerant and can extend the life of your garden beyond summer.

13. Look into companion planting, which is planting together different pairs of plants to deter pests and bring up nutrients from the soil. Certain plants would not be able to reach these nutrients as completely without the help from another plant.

14. Herbs aren't just for cooking! You can tightly bundle certain herbs together to make "smudge sticks", which are bundles of dried herbs tied together with plain organic cotton string or embroidery floss. The smudge sticks are then burned to eradicate bad odors or even "cleanse" a room spiritually, according to North American Native purification rites.

15. There are many flowers that are edible! Squash blossoms, nasturtiums, daylilies, dianthus, pansies, violas, calendula, roses and more. It's always a shame when you pick them and don't use them fast enough... so store them! Use a jar with a glass lid and the blossoms can last up to a week or longer! (Weck jars are a good option) On some of these flowers, only the petals are edible, so be sure to do a bit more research before consuming.