Pine Ridge Garden Club News: Autumn Colours

by Helen Nicolaou

Monday, September 22th, marked the Autumn Equinox, welcoming the end of scorching summer days. The warm days this month now bring cool nights with rain, bringing back a fresh growth of green grass.

With the end of the growing season, it’s a good time to update the garden journal on the successes and not so successful growth of plants. As with previous seasons, the challenges we face as gardeners are always new.

Starting annual flower seeds in spring can be a way of growing plants not found in nurseries, a rewarding experience, but can also be frustrating if germination is delayed. I have grown dwarf varieties of french double marigolds, successfully. They bring colour to the flower garden, blooming all summer and well into fall, until a heavy frost. For a change to my garden, I decided to order marigold seeds, of a tall variety, which happen to grow to 16”, producing many large blooms on the top of the plant. Several large flowers were produced, beginning mid-August, on a single stem. Over all, the blooms were stunning, but once the rain saturated the blooms, the plant was up-rooted. Possibly the answer would be to plant the roots deeper. After some research, I will be applying a high phosphorous content organic fertilizer, like miracle-gro organic bone fertilizer 4-10-0, to grow stronger roots.

At the September meeting, Darryl Chen spoke on “Houseplant Care.” He pointed out several reasons for houseplant loss. The main reason was improper light conditions. South exposure window placement would be too hot, scorching some plants. While too low light exposure would deprive the plant of natural light for proper growth. Darryl recommended the use of a light meter, to assist in finding the best source of light for successful plant growth.

Many members participated in the “Fall Flower and Vegetable Show.” Although the summer drought presented many challenges, for a lot of the classes, other entries were very well represented, such as drought tolerant varieties. Congratulations: to Libbi Hood, with a first in the Tall Sedum variety; to Freda Vernon, for her first for her beautiful rose spray; to Hans Paats, for first in tomatoes, cherry type; to Gail Johns, for her first for beets in the any other class; to Delaine Dyer, for first for her Cooling Off Design; to Sue Norton, for Best in Show, Horticultural, for her lovely Hydrangea and finally; to Norma Haney, for Best in Show Design, for her Roadside Pickins Design. Thank-you, to all members for your participation and bringing in your lovely entries.

Join us for a fun night, as we welcome Mary-Jane Pilgrim, on Tuesday, October 7th, at 7:30 p.m., challenging members in their knowledge, with a “New Trivia Garden Challenge.” Photo entries, for the 2025 Photo Competition, are to be handed in this evening. Please see page 25 of the PRGC Yearbook for classes and mounting instructions.

There are some available openings for the members November Holiday Workshop. Please register at the membership table. You will learn the placement of fresh green boughs, to build and finish your planter display for the Holiday Season or to offer as a lovely gift for someone. An assortment of spruce, balsam fir, white pine and cedar, will be included: along with outdoor red berry sprays, pine cones, sumac and dogwood branches. Please bring in your 10” planter insert to the “October Meeting,” labelled with your initials. The cost is $30, paid at registration.

Guests are always welcome, enjoy refreshments. See Gloria for door prize tickets and Carolyn to become a member.

Pine Ridge Garden Club – where gardeners come to bloom.