Pine Ridge Garden Club news

by Helen Nicolaou

It's hard to tell, but spring officially arrived a month ago, back on March 20th.

Still, with every warm sunny day, during the past week, gardening fever has bitten many of us. However, be patient regarding cutting back fall growth on perennial grasses and plants with hollow stocks, as beneficial insects may still be hibernating.

Perennials, new and established, need a side dressing of good compost or a slow release fertilizer, just before or at the time of early spring growth. Compost, added yearly, is the best amendment for all soil types, especially for sand or clay soils. When using formulated fertilizers, caution needs to be taken not to over fertilize, as this can cause excessive growth in stems. These will flop mid-season and result in fewer blooms and unproductive fruiting in vegetables. A slow release fertilizer, such as 20-5-10, continues to be effective through the growing season for three to four months, and is much better for all round growth. The best way to apply these fertilizers is as a side dressing, to the root zone of the plant. Be careful to avoid any concentration of fertilizer granules on the crown, causing the crown to burn, killing the plant. The crown of a plant is the point where the roots and shoots (stems, branches, leaves) connect, typically at or just below the soil surface.

Good compost is the best addition to your flower and vegetable garden. By adding one inch of compost or leaf mold yearly, fertilizing may not be needed. Perennials are heavy feeders and benefit from compost, for example daylilies, peonies, mums, and tall phlox.

Members were thankful to have Jillian Bishop present, on Tuesday, April 1st, at our well attended second garden meeting. In contrast to conditions left by the ice storm, Jillian was in a great mood and spirit, even while at that point she had not had power for four days. Her presentation on the topic of 'Starting Seeds' was given in detail, and included an emphasis on the importance of growing and collecting heritage seeds.

On Tuesday, May 6th, at 7:30 p.m., Durham Master Gardeners, Gini Sage and Karen Durnin will speak on the Benefits of Companion Planting in our Flower and Vegetable Gardens.

Our first Flower Show of the season is featuring Spring Blooms and Designs. Members, remember to bring in your entries of flowers and designs, between 6 to 6:45 p.m. There will be entry forms and assistance available at the work table. Read the yearbook schedule pages 17-18 for information regarding the class entries and handy “Tips for Showing,” pages 12-13. Members, don’t be shy, all are encouraged to enter, so we can all learn and admire the entries. Let’s fill the show tables with those long awaited spring blooms. Your donations are greatly needed, so do your warm-up stretches and have a walk through your garden.

Perennials benefit from being divided, and our gardening friends are grateful for plants we grow successfully and are willing to share through our sale. Please remember to plant up your perennials early, before the warm weather, and groom the plant to look its best. Additionally, remember to tag the plant with the variety, name and colour. A list of popular perennials are posted across from the sign-in table.

Hosta, Phlox (tall and creeping), ferns, heuchera(coral bells), Siberian iris, astilbe and asters are some examples of daughter after perennials.

Also the board has a list of invasive species we need to avoid. Absolutely no invasive species, this includes lily of the valley, ajuga, periwinkle and no wild ditch daylilies. However, we do need seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, herbs, small shrubs and trees.

Our popular Annual Plant, Bake and Yard Sale Fundraiser is quickly coming up, on Saturday, May 17th, at 8 a.m. It will be held at the Nestleton Community Centre. There will be a great selection of plants, baked goodies and yard sale treasures.

To make working in the garden easier, we will have Vince, from “Vince’s Mobile Sharpening,” on site during this same Plant, Bake and Yard Sale. There is a limit of two hand garden tools per person for sharpening.

Come see what gardening with the Pine Ridge Garden Club is all about, we welcome guests. There are refreshments available, a garden swap table and door prizes. See Gloria for door prize tickets. To become a member, see Lois at the membership table. See you out there. Remember to be earth friendly and Lug-a-mug.

For information about becoming a member, see our website, at Pineridgegardenclub.com