1. home and garden

Volume 145
PLANT SMILES~~GROW LAUGHTER~~HARVEST LOVE
STEP UP AND
SUPPORT YOUR CLUB
It's that time of year to step up and support your club.
Please help by working at the plant sale, donating
plants, bringing food for Patron’s Night, selling presale
tickets, set up and clean up, parking and buying plants
from us. This is our main fund raiser. A good sale will
keep Our Club going for another year. If you can't help
in any way with this important project perhaps you
should ask yourself why you joined.
Respectfully,
Rick
I’M IN NEED
OF FOOD
May, 2014
WILD FLOWERS AND
HOW TO GROW THEM
Connie Michaels
********May 19********,
6:30 Dinner, 7:30 Program
Kent United Methodist Church
1435 East Main St., Kent
Connie is the Naturalist for Ohio Department of
Natural Resources at Quail Hollow State Park. We
are hoping that a club member will donate a start of
the milkweed plant, so that we attract Monarch
Butterflies. They feed on the nectar from the
milkweed flowers.
See You on the 19th [third Monday of May].
Reservation policy requires a response no later than
Friday before each monthly meeting. If you do not
reserve with your caller, this month call Harold Myers
330-673-1686.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Anyone that would like to donate some kind of finger
food, (sandwiches, cookies, cheese and crackers, etc.)
for Patrons Night, Thursday – May 22nd please call
Elisa Loveland 330-322-8988 or email me at
britishbabe88@yahoo.com. A few members have
already signed up... But we really need more....Thanks
!!!
Executive Board Meeting
Buy, Barter, Sell
Community Service Project
The Lady Bug Journal
Spring, Culture and Art
Easter Baskets
Wellness and Concerns
Community Garden Corner
Membership Minutes
This and That
New Member
Plant Sale Preparation
Executive Board
Committee Chairs
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EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
May 5, 2014
The monthly Board Meeting of the Kent Garden Club
was held at On Tap restaurant. Leslie Geer submitted a
review of the current financial report. The club had a
balance of $14,377.06 as of April 30, 2014 in the
general fund.
Lee H. reported for the Attendance committee. She
was pleased that all the new members for this year
attended the last dinner meeting. One new member,
Carmello Leonino, has joined since the April meeting.
There is still a problem with club members making
reservations for the dinner meeting and not paying
when they cannot attend the meeting. This concern
will be discussed at a future board meeting.
Dick Abbott, program chairperson, reported the May 19
dinner meeting will have Connie Michaels, naturalist at
Quail Hollow and Wingfoot Lake presenting a talk on
wildflowers.
The Scholarship Committee indicated that there is one
application for the scholarship from Roosevelt High
School this year. This will be presented at the
Scholarship Awards evening at Roosevelt.
There are still garden plots available to rent at the Ode
to Joy center. The gardens have been disked and
squared off. Rototilling will take place in the middle of
May and then the garden lay-outs will be established.
A notice will be printed in the Record Courier to let
townspeople know these plots can be rented for their
summer gardening activities.
Rick S. reported that the plant sale preparation is going
very well. A number of club members have helped
with planting asparagus, blackberries, strawberries, and
repotting tomatoes.
Club members who have
perennials which need to be potted are asked to bring
them to the Ode to Joy Saturday and a volunteer will
help get them ready for the sale.
It was generally
agreed that the sign-up charts devised by Karen S. are
helpful and identify workers for the various jobs needed
to be filled for the Mother’s Day basket sale and the
plant sale. Elisa L. indicated that the Garden Club of
Kent has a Facebook page and she urged people to
‘share’ the information regarding these sales with
friends.
Rick D. reported there is a functional phone at the Ode
to Joy now . The number is (330)677-3913. Paint and
brushes have been purchased to freshen up areas at the
Ode to Joy. A sharing table will be set up this summer
so gardeners at that site can share their extra produce
with other gardeners.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Feldmann, Secretary
BUY, BARTER, SELL
Do you have an item you would like to sell or just give
away? Do you need help with gardening or something
else? Do you want to do work for someone? This is the
spot for you. We will publish those requests so all
members will know of your request. The only
requirement is that you write your “ad” in 15 words or
less. Name, email and phone number not counted.
“Ads” to be placed in the next issue must be received
by the 3rd of each month. Send them to
backyardpest@gmail.com or mail to Gail Closs, 1353
Lake Martin Dr., Kent, OH 44240.
Holly Shaffer is selling her Kent home and beautiful
gardens this May. If interested call 330-671-7323.
16-year-old available to do yardwork under direction.
$6/hour for most jobs. References. Adam Park 330474-9697
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
Gail, Dick, Karen, Sue and Ron at the Center Photo: Closs
Our day at the Phyllis Zumkehr County Clothing Center
will be Friday, May 9. Come and join the fun. The
hours are from 10 to 2 or whatever part you can
volunteer. We do take a lunch break with food ordered
and brought in or you can pack a lunch. The Center will
be closed on our day in June but mark your calendar for
July 11. It is important that you let me know when you
can work so that we have enough. Gail Closs 330-6262062.
THE LADY BUG JOURNAL
Photos: Zuchniak
May is a lovely Spring month and a busy and valuable
time for the Garden Club of Kent. We just had our next
to last meeting at the Methodist Church till Fall. The
major fundraisers the club hosts are the Mother`s Day
Hanging Basket Sale, May 9th and 10th from 10:00
am to 6:00 pm and the Big Plant Sale which
begins May 22nd (Patron’s Night) from 5:00 pm to 8:30
pm and the regular Plant Sale May 23rd , 24th from 9:00
am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 9:00 am to Noon. Our
Patron’s tickets are on sale now for $10.00 each which
will entitle you to entry to Patron’s Night for first
choice of all the plants plus music and refreshments of
finger sandwiches, cookies, bars, cheese trays,
lemonade and Rick`s famous Margaritas (alcohol free ).
The Sale will feature all locally grown plants that will
grow in your garden, including perennials from club
members special collections, vegetable plants, hanging
baskets, annuals, and lots of John McAlarney`s gourmet
collection of hot and very hot peppers. This is one Big 4
Day Plant Sale you will not want to miss.
Each Saturday is a work day until the Sale begins.
Many
members
showed up Sat.
May 3rd to work.
Elisa
Loveland
supplied
the
refreshments
for
lunch and Rick did
breakfast for the
early birds.
Karen Smith has
done a great job with the advertisement in both the
Record Courier and colorful handout sheets. Our signs
went up in front of the Ode to Joy Center for the
Mother`s Day Basket Sale and the Big Plant Sale. You
may buy plants with cash, checks, tickets, or charge.
We will need lots of help and food for the workers.
Elisa preparing lunch
Our April 28th meeting program of Roosevelt High
School`s Urban Forestry class was outstanding.
Instructors John Lang and Tom Franck along with 4
students gave us an idea of the school forestry activities
and subjects they cover. Students Kylie Wheatly,
Matthew Peterson, Pete Brantham and Jack Buckey
each gave a very informative speech on what this class
meant to them. The folks learned about what Urban
Forestry is and how important team work is when you
are high up in a tree. The students learn to identify all
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trees and plants along with certain diseases that attack
trees. Our attendance for this program was up (70) and
this was one of our best programs yet. Thank you Dick
Abbott for securing Urban Forestry for us.
See you at the Mother`s Day Sale,
Bonnie Bailey Zuchniak
Roosevelt High School Urban Forestry Program
Students and Teachers
SPRING: CULTURE AND ART
Robert Truman
Springtime and celebrations of spring vary according to
different cultures and customs. In Ireland the Feast Day
of Saint Brigit/Brigid on February 1 is thought of as the
beginning of spring. It was formerly the Imbolc quarterday of the pagan Irish year, celebrating the onset of
spring lambing and lactation in cattle. Mărțișor is an old
Romanian and Moldovan celebration at the beginning
of spring on March 1. Red and white wrapped gifts are
exchanged as a symbol of life, fertility and continuity.
In China, the Chinese New Year is also known as the
Spring Festival, which lasts for fifteen days. It is a time
of renewal. On the eve of the New Year Chinese
families gather together for a reunion dinner.
Traditionally houses are thoroughly cleansed (a spring
cleaning), in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to
make way for good incoming luck. Spring in Japan runs
from February 5 to May 6 due in part to traditional
customs.
Navruz, Farsi for new day, originated in Ancient Persia
and has strong associations with Zoroastrianism. For at
least 2,500 years and reckoned to be twice that, Navruz
has been celebrated as the spring new year, when light
overcomes darkness "as the sun enters the sign of Aries
on the astrological calendar". Occurring with the spring
equinox around March 20 it signifies the renewal of life
and the fertility of humankind. Spring cleaning, or
Khouneh Tekouni, literally means "shaking the house".
It symbolizes a new start. New clothes are purchased.
Hyancinths and tulips are popular decorations for
family reunions. It is widely celebrated by the Kurds in
eastern Turkey, and by citizens of Iran, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and by the Uyghurs of western
China.
Native Americans also venerated the onset of spring. In
the Chippewa 'Spring Beauty' legend, Old Peboan the
'Spirit of Winter', boasted to a young visitor,"I blow my
breathe and the streams stand still as hard as steel and
when I wave my gray locks birds fly away to the Southland". Young Seegrun the 'Spirit of Spring' replied,
"When I shake my ringlets warm showers of rain fall
upon the Earth and flowers lift their heads from the
ground and the grass grows thick and green. My voice
recalls the robins and the bluebirds from the south. My
breath unbinds the streams and Nature rejoices".
Spring is indeed the time of rebirth, renewal and
continuity of the life cycle. Few persons have described
spring more succinctly and eloquently than Sitting Bull,
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a spiritual leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota in the late
1800s. He said at a pow-wow in 1877: "Behold, my
brothers, the spring has come; the earth has received the
embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of
that love! Every seed has awakened and so has all
animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we
too have our being . . . .
Gardeners, in welcoming spring and as temporary
custodians of their plots and property, have an
obligation to preserve and enhance the beauty of the
much abused, wondrous, mere speck in the cosmos,
called Earth.
Over the centuries and in some cases millennia, art has
been an expression of man's emotions and appears to be
the oldest method that intelligent beings have used to
record their perceptions. The cave art at Cauvert in
southern France, described as a masterpiece of Homo
sapien art, was discovered in 1994 and is said to be
32,000 years old. In 1940
Pablo
Picasso
after
seeing the Lascaux cave
art, which is 13,000
years younger, said in
awed admiration, using a
form of litotes, "We have
discovered nothing."
Artists express their
individual
feelings
through their creative
Chauvet Cave Photo: HTO
activities. As Picasso
once wrote, "What I have to do is utilize as best I can
the ideas which objects suggest to me, connect, fuse,
and color in my way the shadows they cast within me,
illumine them from the inside. And since of necessity
my vision is quite different from that of the next man,
my painting will interpret things in an entirely different
manner even though it makes use of the same
elements".
In turn viewers, make judgements of the beauty and
emotional power of the works of artists for themselves.
Guo Xi, (c 1020-1090), a Chinese painter of scrolls
well expressed an artist's interpretations when he wrote
regarding his 'Early Spring' 1072; "The clouds and the
vapours of real landscapes are not the same at the four
seasons. In spring they are light and diffused, in
summer rich and dense, in autumn scattered and thin, in
winter dark and solitary. When such effects can be seen
in pictures, the clouds and vapours have an air of life"
Spring is a particular topic that has inspired great and
lesser known artists over the centuries to paint spring
subjects and of Flora, a Roman goddess of spring and
fertility. A few are shown below. The colors used are
pastel. Although the artists' light features are bright they
are diffused thus softening the paintings. Objects are
delicate, wisplike giving the impression of newness and
a dainty fragility with a promise of renewed growth and
vigor Some of the more well known works are
'Primavera/Allegory of Spring' c 1482 by Sandro
Botticelli, 'Allegory of Spring' c 1620s by Jan Brueghel
II, 'The Spring at Vetheuil' 1872, 'Springtime' 1880 and
'An Orchard in Spring' 1886 by Claude Monet,
'Riverbank in Springtime' 1887 and 'Park at Asnieres in
Spring' 1887 by Vincent Van Gogh', 'Path Through the
Thickets, Spring' 1897 by Guiseppe Casciaro, 'Spring
Garden Kennebunkport' 1900 by Abbott Fuller Graves,
'Spring in St. Tropez' 1921 by Charles Camoin, 'Spring
Bluebonnets' c 1928, 'Texas Spring' c 1940 and Spring
Eternal' c 1966 by Robert Wood and 'Spring' 1956 by
Pablo Picasso. Both Titian and Rembrandt painted a
'Flora'; one voluptuous, the other ethereal.
EASTER BASKETS
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Before
After
'Allegory of Spring' c 1620s,
Jan Brueghel
'Park at Asnieres in Spring'
1887, Vincent Van Gogh
'Springtime' 1880,
Claude Monet
'Spring Garden Kennebunkport
1890s, Abbott Fuller Graves
Lee Hall graciously brings wheat seeds from Star of the
West each year for members of our club. These are the
pictures of my baskets this year. Our grandchildren and
the neighbor all joyously received one. I also made a
centerpiece for the table at our Easter brunch at our
house. This has become an Easter tradition; so much so
that one of our daughters brought a bag of excelsior to
our house just to tease me. No mess, very organic, and
befitting a gardener of The Garden Club of
Kent. Thank you Leaf! Happy Eastertide.
Rickity Dorr
WELLNESS AND CONCERNS
#4 'Springtime' 1880, Claude Monet
'Flora' 1515, Titian
'Flora' 1634. Rembrandt
Please keep your fellow Garden Club members in your
thoughts and prayers as you send them get well wishes.
We would like to send get well wishes to Jane Myers,
Margaret Daugherty, Morgan Closs, Ginny Buckley,
Jan Snowberger and Betty Lappin.
When you are aware of a member concern, please
contact Sue Siefer, Zeflea@aol.com, 330-678-0196.
COMMUNITY GARDEN CORNER
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WOULD YOU DESTROY THIS HORNWORM?
Hello, Community Garden Friends!
As promised, this month I want to share information
about “companion planting.” Most everyone has heard
of planting marigolds along side of tomatoes, but you
may not be aware of the science or the folklore of how
this famous pairing came along.
I believe that nearly every gardener wants to use the
best practices for a healthy garden. When we look at a
landscape that is in balance, we see diverse variety, a
lot of color, and randomness. We hear pollinators
humming and birds singing. We may notice some, but
not much, damage. So, we want to recreate this success
of Mother Nature in our vegetable gardens. Mixing up
our garden plants more closely resembles a natural
ecosystem, and also solves some of the most
challenging gardening dilemmas, namely, weeds, insect
damage, and retaining moisture. Ed Smith, in his The
Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, notes: “Once a pest is
living on or in a vegetable plant, there may be many
more or less acceptable ways to prevent or minimize
harm to the plant, but things are a whole lot simpler if
you can keep the pest from getting to the plant in the
first place.” Sounds good, right? Companion planting
is one fun way to separate pest from plant. Most
sources refer to lore and anecdotal evidence, although
more and more scientific substantiation is becoming
available to support the value of companion planting.
Just look on the internet for many, many lists and
articles. Paradoxically, the best way to prevent pests
from becoming a serious problem is to create a garden
teaming with all sorts of bugs!
Here are some ideas:
~ Trellis your cucumbers surrounded at the base by
petunias. Suspend one or two pots of petunias right on
the trellis! Pretty and functional!
~ Plant the highly aromatic French marigold (Tagetes)
between rows of cabbages.
The white cabbage
butterfly is attracted to its host
plant by smell and can be confused by this pairing.
Aromatic herbs serve the same purpose.
~ Hover-flies (predators of aphids) can be attracted into
the garden by planting flat, open flowers such as
marigold and calendula, poppies, nasturtiums, and
dwarf morning glories. Before laying her eggs, the
female hover-fly needs protein, which she gets from the
pollen. She then lays eggs on colonies of aphids so
that the larvae have a readily available source of food
when they hatch. Hover-fly larvae devour aphids by
the thousands!
VegEdge Vegetable IPM Resource: U of Minnesota
~ Lady beetles, lace-wings, and several species of
wasps are predatory insects that either feed directly on,
or lay eggs inside, aphids and caterpillars. For example,
“Tomato hornworm larvae are parasitized by a number
of insects. One of the most common is a small braconid
wasp, Cotesia congregatus. Larvae that hatch from
wasp eggs laid on the hornworm feed on the inside of
the hornworm until the wasp is ready to pupate. The
cocoons appear as white projections protruding from
the hornworms body (see photo above). If such
projections are observed, the hornworms should be left
in the garden to conserve the beneficial parasitoids. The
wasps will kill the hornworms when they emerge from
the cocoons and will seek out other hornworms to
parasitize.” (VegEdge, University of Minnesota).
Sweet alyssum’s fragrant tiny flowers are a magnet for
parasitic wasps. Choose any plant with tiny, nectarrich flowers, such as sweet alyssum, zinnias, and carrot,
daisy, and mint family members.
~Did you know that 95% of caterpillars are eaten by
birds? Why not welcome birds into your plot by
offering a bird bath or bird house in the midst of your
growing plants? More beauty!
Many more companion planting suggestions can be
found online, in organic gardening books, and from
your local garden center experts. Try out the ideas and
see how it goes.
Next month, I will have more to say about natural
control of pests, including “tricks of timing” and
making your garden a haven for predators. I will also
have a chart of succession planting for you as well as
several inexpensive tomato trellising ideas. As always,
please send your feedback and ideas. What do you
think about having some informal evening programs on
topics suitable for Community Gardening?
Come to the Our Plant Sale, May 22-25.
Happy gardening, Claudia Miller
MEMBERSHIP
MINUTES
Lee Hall
No drones at the Ode to Joy
workday, Saturday May 3. Over 23
worker bees did a multitude of activities. All very
important for the successful plant sale we are going to
have Thursday, May 22 Patron’s night, Friday May 23,
Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25.
Come join us on Saturdays from 9:00 am till whenever
you have to leave. We have all kinds of jobs –
transplanting, up-potting,
staking, tying, sit down
jobs of printing labels, or
putting ties on stakes, (an
“invention” of Barb
Feldman for efficiency)
carrying
flats
from
greenhouse to hoop
house, watering, tidying
Barb Tying Photo: Zuchniak
up areas, separating
perennials, planting/potting perennials and other
complete with understandable instructions.
All
important tasks. WE HAVE FUN AND GET TO
KNOW OUR FELLOW GARDEN CLUB MEMBERS
There is a never ending supply/array of brought in
snacks, not to mention a planned lunch at noon.
The constant coming together each week of the plant
sale is magical.
IT DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN.
EVERYONE HAS A HAND IN IT, AND YOU CAN
WATCH THEIR THUMBS TURN GREEN!.
Four great things happened at our April 28 Dinner
meeting. 1) Attendance was way up. 2) All new 2014
members were present. 3) We gained a new member,
Carmela Leonino, who signed up to work at the plant
sale. 4) We were impressed by the passion of our adult
and student speakers for the care of nature and its gifts
to us they want to ensure we have for future
generations.
awaiting the first to be picked/pulled or cut. Have fun.
7 Chat with your gardening neighbors. Enjoy.
See you at our May 19th Dinner meeting for last minute
plant sale details. Our speaker is from Quail Hollow.
A timely wildflower talk will be given by Connie
Michaels. She will increase your “identifiability” of
what you see on spring walks.
Also see you at Patron’s Night and Plant Sale
Love,
Leaf
THIS & THAT
Garden Club Members will enjoy an English Gardens
Program on P.B.S. 9:00 P.M. on May 22 and again on
May 29. It’s about 2 lady gardeners, Rosemary and
Thyme, who solve crimes among the blooms. The
program comes highly recommended by Charlie and
Marilyn Beckwith.
Composting
Photo: Record Courier
The 7 pallet 3 bin composting system shown in the
Record Courier Gardener’s page looks like a real
simple, effective, inexpensive, not too much space
taking garden project that will last for many years if
you use strong and durable hardwood pallets. You can
watch the composting episode athttp/www.growingagreenerworld.com/episode 225
Roses go Ape
Those we mentioned at the meeting need your
continuing prayers.
Put your banana peels and egg shells in a blender with
some water. Blend and pour the liquid around the base
of your rose plants – they’ll love it and respond with
great growth.
The Hanging Basket Sale for Mother’s Day starts our
sale season. Come work, buy, or bring a buying friend.
A rewarding day.
NEW MEMBER
By my next article your garden will be planted,
seedlings will be recognizable. Your Garden Club
purchases will be growing and you will be anxiously
Leonino, Cardela. 290 Spaulding Rd #104, Kent, OH
44240. 330-730-1064. carmleonin@gmail.com
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PLANT SALE PREPARATION
Soil Preparation Photo: Zuchniak
Fortifying the Body Photo: Closs
Planning? Photo: Closs
Ready and Waiting Photo: Zuchniak
EXECUTIVE BOARD
2014 Club Officers
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Rick Strebler
Chico Enin
Barbara Feldmann
Leslie Ann Geer
2014 Appointed Positions
Facilitator
Membership
Newsletter Editor
Program/Speakers
Ron Snowberger
Lee Hall
Gail Closs
Dick Abbott
Directors
Elisa Loveland
Barbara Harkness
Andy Greene
Helena Parry
Judy Woudenberg
2013-2014
2013-2014
2014-2015
2014-2015
2014-2015
Gail Closs
1353 Lake Martin Dr.
Kent. OH 44240
Backyardpest@gmail.com
www.Gardenclubofkent.org
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Community Awards
Community Gardens
Finance
Horticulture Show
Multi-Media/ Public Relations
Photography Exhibits
Newsletter
Plant Sale
Buildings, Grounds &
Property Management
Telephone/Attendance
Youth Activities/ Project Green
Bonnie Zuchniak
Sue Abbott
Leslie Ann Geer
John Gwin
Karen Smith
Chico Enin
Gail Closs
Rick Strebler
Bonnie Zuchniak
Richard Door
John Siefer
John McAlarney
Harold Myers
Other Committees (non-board)
Club Member Awards
President
Constitution
Ron Snowberger