hay bale gardening ~ minnesota
DESCRIPTION
Hay Bale Gardening ~ Minnesota Garden ClubsTRANSCRIPT
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Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, Inc Sue Neuhart, President 6309 Colony Way #1B, Edina, MN 55435-2239 952.924.0669 Email: [email protected]
National Garden Clubs, Inc. Renee Blaschke, President 307 Garwood, Smithville, TX 78957-1504 512.360.2738 Email: [email protected] National Garden Clubs Central Region Joan Hood, Director Email: [email protected]
WEBMASTER:
Deena Helminiak Email: [email protected]
CHANGE OF NAME, ADDRESS/EMAIL:
Email: [email protected] OR Kathy Stattine, 7016 Kerry Rd, Edina MN 55439 952.941.9815
NEWSLETTER Editor: Kathleen “Kat” Hanson 612.866.9289 Design Information: Dorothy Brindle 952.926.6865 Horticulture Section: Marsha Ocel 763.785.9507
SEND NEWSLETTER MATERIAL TO: Email: [email protected] OR Kathleen Hanson, 6710 Stevens Av S, Richfield, MN 55423 612.866.9289 DEADLINES: January/February December1 March/April February1 May/June March 32 July/August June 1 September/October August 1 November/December October 1
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The distribution for the Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota newsletter is approximately 1,000
per issue. There are six issues per year. We encourage our members to support and use the ser-vices of our advertisers. You may email your advertisement to [email protected] or send your 'print ready' copy with your check.
Make checks payable to: Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota.
Mail checks to: Kathleen Hanson, 6710 Stevens Av S, Richfield, MN 55423.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
July 2-4 � North Star Lily Society Annual Lily Show, Bachman’s, Lyndale Av, Minneapolis
July 4 Independence Day!
July 8 � Tri-City Flower Show Symposium, Wood Lake Nature Center, Richfield.
July 9-10 � Diggers Garden Club Flower Show, “America the Beautiful“. City Hall, Robbinsdale.
July 10 � Sumner Library, Perennial Flower Gardening. July 17-18 � Tri-City Flower Show, Southtown Mall, Bloomington.
JULY 18 !CHECKS DUE FOR SUMMER QUARTERLY MEETING!
July 28 � FGCM Quarterly Meeting, Central Park, Roseville, MN. August 21-22 � Iris Society of Minnesota & Daffodil Society of Minnesota
Annual Sale, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN
August 30-31 � Minnesota State Fair Flower Show
September 1-2 � FGCM State Fair Flower Show, State Fairgrounds, St Paul
September 25 � Minnesota Peony Society Peony Root Auction, Bachman’s, Lyndale Av, Minneapolis
September 28 FGCM Executive Board Meeting
October 4-6 � Central Region 78th Annual Meeting, Elkhart Lake, WI
October 11 � North Star Lily Society Fall Lily Bulb Sale, Bachman’s, Lyndale Av, Minneapolis
OCTOBER FGCM Fall Meeting. Hosts: Digger’s Garden Club, Robbinsdale
� Read more about this event in this newsletter.
MEMBER OF NATIONAL GARDEN CLUBS, INCORPORATED
Vol. 53, No. 4 July/August, 2010
Garden Dirt
Volunteers are needed to work at the Renaissance FestiVolunteers are needed to work at the Renaissance FestiVolunteers are needed to work at the Renaissance FestiVolunteers are needed to work at the Renaissance FestivaL!vaL!vaL!vaL! Anyone can volunteer – your mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, minister, priest, rabbi, UPS driver and YOU.
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!
Work clothes provided – plenty of breaks – lots of laughs!
Contact Kathy Gamble Compo: [email protected]
home phone 763-535-1817 or cell phone 612-308-8211.
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“Garden for Good”
With an early Spring and warm June, we have had unusual conditions for our gardens and plants. Like being in the Zone 5-6 where I grew up. Summer conditions bring lush blooms and bugs!
I attended 11different garden club meetings in March-April and learned about the variety of projects each club participates in and met members face-to-face who bring great passion to club projects. I have always believed that it is each club that gives FGCM its identity as a State organization.
I attended the NGC Convention in May. My first trip to Atlanta, Geor-gia and I saw that red clay soil first-hand. They also had an early Spring and azaleas were done but the magnolia trees were in full bloom. We have great opportunity to link with many of the NGC pro-jects through club efforts and apply for awards that recognize their contributions to individual communities.
Carol Dozois was awarded a certificate of appreciation for the Garden Entry Contest of NGC., Richfield Garden Club, Sunflower Chapter, Minnesota. There were only 6 states recognized, so I was so proud to represent us.
We also received a Scholarship Award to Sarah Katherine Weeks. There were only 20 States who received NGC Scholarships.
We also received a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of our projects and programs that promote the goals of National Garden Clubs, Inc.
A good example of a garden clubs community influence is the Bi-Centennial Park Memorial Day Program in Burnsville. Sweet Sioux Garden Club is responsible for creating the annual plantings, hosta garden, Blue Star Marker and ceremony to recognize and remember our veterans. Many Sweet Sioux members contributed to the day, but Carol Oeltjenbruns seems to be the leader of the pack. I learned about this project when I attended their club meeting in March. As the mayor of Burnsville spoke, Civil Air Patrol members presented colors, and the morning proceeded with comments from a Blue Star mother; over 80 attendees, WWII veterans and a young soldier in camouflage gear with his family was an excellent example of how a garden club can bring an NGC project to life.
Please connect with the NGC website and consider how you could be part of a larger picture.
Sue Neuhart
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Keep the Plants. We'll take the pots.Keep the Plants. We'll take the pots.Keep the Plants. We'll take the pots.Keep the Plants. We'll take the pots. Don’t forget to rDon’t forget to rDon’t forget to rDon’t forget to recycle your PLASTIC GARDEN POTS, ecycle your PLASTIC GARDEN POTS, ecycle your PLASTIC GARDEN POTS, ecycle your PLASTIC GARDEN POTS,
POLYSTYRENE TRAYS &HANGING BASKETS this year. Go to link POLYSTYRENE TRAYS &HANGING BASKETS this year. Go to link POLYSTYRENE TRAYS &HANGING BASKETS this year. Go to link POLYSTYRENE TRAYS &HANGING BASKETS this year. Go to link below for more informbelow for more informbelow for more informbelow for more informaaaation.tion.tion.tion.
http://www.gardenminnesota.com/help-for-homeowners/plastics-recycling/
Carol Dozois, Richfield Garden Clubs Council, accepts a National Award from Sue Neuhart, FGCM President.
Interesting things you can do with gourds was one of the creative topics covered at the FGCM Sym-posium held in June.
African Violets and Terrariums were the topics at the FGCM Annual Meeting held in April.
Arlene Savory (left), and her long-time friend, Elayne Gilhousen (right), at Savory’s Annual Open House.
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(Continued from page 8.)
ers, you are guaranteed to be successful with your first straw
bale garden experience.
How can I learn more? Joel started teaching "Straw Bale Gar-
dening" as a community education class in the spring of 2008,
and has become a popular instructor for many School Districts
around Minnesota and Wisconsin, teaching this new style of
gardening in a classroom setting.
(Continued from page 11.) precise sounding definitions, the term “biodegrad-able” has been applied to a wide range of products—even those that might take centuries to decompose, or those that break down into harmful environmental toxins. According to the FTC, only products that contain materials that “break down and decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short amount of time when they are exposed to air, moisture and bacteria or other organisms” should be marketed as “biode-gradable.” But the FTC acknowledges that even products appropriately-labeled as biodegradable may not break down easily if they are buried under a landfill or are otherwise not exposed to sunlight, air and moisture,
the key agents of biodegradation.
Biodegradability is a desirable feature in products such as cleaning agents. Conventional cleaning agents will often release harmful phos-phates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as they break down, but biodegradable versions will not.
Compostable: 'Compostable' products are biodegradable, but with an added benefit: when they break down, they release valuable nutrients into the soil, aid-ing the growth of trees and plants. These products degrade within several months in an industrial composting facility and produce no toxic residues.
Compostability is a desirable feature in traditionally-disposable products such as plates, bowls, cups and cutlery. These products are commonly made out of Polylactic acid (PLA), sugarcane fiber (bagasse) or vegeta-ble starch.
So, in the war between compostable and biodegradable, it is better for the environment to use disposable products that are labeled 'com-postable' rather than just 'biodegradable'.
Kat Hanson Environment and Recycling Chair Clean rusty garden tools by rubbing them with a steel wool pad dipped in turpentine. Then polish them with wadded aluminum. Perhaps you can use the aluminum that you saved from baked potatoes! You can also cut the aluminum into strips and cover the edges of a pie so it doesn’t burn or use it to “stage” a horticultural display.
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CENTRAL REGION ‘S 78TH ANNUAL MEETING
MOTHER NATURE’S FOLLIESMOTHER NATURE’S FOLLIESMOTHER NATURE’S FOLLIESMOTHER NATURE’S FOLLIES
October 4-6, 2010
OSTHOFF RESORT, ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN 101 Osthoff Avenue, Elkhart Lake, WI, 800-876-3399,
www.osthoff.com
PRE-TOUR REGISTRATION (Optional) $ 15.00 $___________ Deadline to Register: September 15, 2010 Limited to first 54 reservations. Monday, Oct 4th, Tour The Wreath Factory, Abler Art Glass Gallery and Two Fish Gallery. Depart at 1:00 P.M. and Return 4:30 P.M.
FULL TIME REGISTRATION
Package Plan Includes: Registration, Meals, Programs (tour not included) Tuesday, Oct. 5: Meal Choice: Rib Eye______ Tilapia ______ September 15th on or Before...........................................$154.00 $ ___________ September 15th or After...................................................$164.00 $ ___________
PART TIME REGISTRATION
Monday, Oct. 4: Registration, Banquet Program ........…. $ 45.00 $ ___________ Tuesday, Oct. 5: Registration, Luncheon Design Program $ 35.00 $ ___________ Tuesday, Oct. 5: Registration, Dinner Banquet Program & Pool Party $ 49.00 $ ___________ Meal Choice: Rib Eye______ Tilapia ______ Wednesday, Oct. 6: Registration, Brunch and Program ...$ 35.00 $ ___________
Add $10 to All Part-time Registrations after September 15, 2010
$ 10.00 $ ___________
SEMINARS: Pre-Registration Required for Seminars Judy Newman: "Live Succulent Topiary" $ 15.00 $ ___________ 3:00 P.M. First Session ______ 4:15 P.M. Second Session ______ Lynn Laufenberg: "Fall Decorative Unit" $ 20.00 $ ___________ 3:00 P.M. First Session ______ 4:15 P.M. Second Session ______
We wish the best of luck to Hunter Armstrong who has entered her “Sunflower” sculpture in the Central Region Youth Sculp-ture contest. The intent of sculpture is to be made with recy-cled materials. Hunter’s mother is Deb Armstrong, a member
of the Kelodale Garden Club Edina, MN
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Submitted by Carol Oeltjenbruns, Blue Star Memorial Chairman
Blue Star Mothers
The Blue Star Mothers of America trace their roots back to 1942
when Captain George Maines received over 1000 response to an ad
placed in the Michigan Flint News Advertiser. He asked mothers of
service men to complete a coupon indicating their interest in a ser-
vice and support organization ‘perpetuating the memory of men and
women who have served our country as members of the Armed
Forces.’
The following month, the organization was reported in the Con-
gressional record. Blue Star Mothers Chapters then formed in
Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon,
California, Iowa and Washington. In June of 1960, the Blue Star
Mothers of America was chartered by Congress.
Mothers volunteered throughout the tough times of Worked War
II. They worked in hospitals, and train stations. They packed care
packages for soldiers and were a working part of homeland secu-
rity during times of war. The organization waned in size over the
years but has been held together by mothers showing pride in both
their children and country. The World Trade Center attacks on
9/11 prompted mothers to once again hang Blue Star flags in their
windows at home proclaiming pride in the fact that we have chil-
dren protecting our freedom.
Our organization not only provides support for active duty service
personnel but also promotes patriotism, assists Veterans organiza-
tions, and is available to assist in volunteer efforts to help our
country remain strong.
The South Metro Blue Star Mothers support the following non-
profit organizations:
• The Armed Forces Service Center at the Minneapolis St. Paul
International Airport, Open 24/7 and completely funded by dona-
tions and volunteers, the Armed Forces Service Center is an ‘all
free stop for active-duty military personnel, their dependents, re-
servists and national guardsmen.
• The Fisher House, providing ‘a home away from home’, enabling
military family members to be close to a loved one during hospi-
talization for an illness, disease or injury.
• Sew Much Comfort, providing adaptive clothing free of charge to
support the unique needs or our injured service members from all
branches of the military.
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September 25, 2010
Minnesota Peony Society Peony Root Auction
Bachman's Heritage Room
6010 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis
12:00 How to Divide Peonies Demonstration
1:00pm: Peony Root Auction
TTTThe Public is Welcome!he Public is Welcome!he Public is Welcome!he Public is Welcome! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 11, 2010 North Star Lily Society Fall Lily Bulb Sale Bachman's Heritage Room 6010 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis 10:00am Open to the Public Noon How to Divide Lilies Seminar
If you're looking for lilies to add to your garden, be sure to check out our biggest society fundraiser. This sale showcases a great opportunity to acquire those hard-to-find martagon lilies. We have been fortunate to be able to present a nice selection of these shade tolerant beauties. Your hosta glade deserves a martagon! We'll also have a wide variety of Asiatic, trumpet, LA hybrid and Orienpet (OT) lilies in an assortment of beautiful, eye-catching col-ors. Add elegance to your garden, add lilies!!
The Public is Welcome! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same time and place as the daf-fodil sale. Several very new iris will be available as we will have some of the iris that were fea-tured at the national convention in Madison, Wisconsin in June.
Also, there will be a large number of excellent daf-fodils, all not available in the commercial trade, that have been grown in the Midwest so they are used to our climate (not shipped in from Holland).
Edie Godfrey, Treasurer, Daffodil Society of Minnesota President, Iris Society of Minnesota
Iris sale at Arboretum's Flower Fest
Sat, August 21, 10am-4pm
Sun, August 22 10am-4pm Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN
Daffodil sale at Arboretum's Flower Fest
Sat, August 21, 10am-4pm
Sun, August 22 10am-4pm Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN
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The North Star Lily Society-Annual Lily Show
July 2-4, 2010
Bachman's Heritage Room, 6010 Lyndale Av S, Minneapolis, MN
Set-up and Entries July 2 - 1:00 pm – Closing Horticulture Entries Accepted July 3 - 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Artistic Design entries open until 10:00 am Sunday, July 4 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
SHOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Please visit our website for more information; www.northstarlilysociety.com
Sumner Library at 611 Van White Memorial Blvd in Minneapolis con-tinues to host Master Gardener talks.
Saturday, July 10, 2 p.m.;Perennial Flower Gardening
Grow plants that beautify your landscape year after year. Learn about their care, ideal sites (shade, sun, and moisture), soil conditions, pest con-trol and varieties ideal for Minnesota.
Saturday, August 7, 2 p.m;Rain Gardening A rain garden is a bowl-shaped garden designed to absorb excess rainwater run-off from a house and its associated landscape. Learn why it’s beneficial for the environment, how to make one and what plants are suitable.
Sumner Library is located near Hwy 94 at the intersection of Van White Memorial Blvd and Olson Memorial Highway. For more information call (952) 847-2875.
The Diggers Garden Club of Robbinsdale presents
"America the Beautiful" Standard Flower Show
at Robbinsdale City Hall, 4100 Lake Drive, Robbinsdale, MN 55422
July 9, 2010 1:00 - 4:30 pm
July 10, 2010 9:00 - 11.30 am
The Minnesota Peony Society invites you to our annual Peony Auc-
tion. This fundraiser supports our society events such as our Spring
educational seminar and our annual peony flower show. Members dig,
divide and make available at auction a number of hard-to-find and very
collectible garden peonies. We also acquire a number of the beautiful
peony hybrids from some of the most noted hybridizers and growers
in the region. If you're making plans for next year's garden, be sure to
add a peony or two! Our auction will present some of the best!
EVENTSEVENTSEVENTSEVENTS
5
Good News! Our candidate for a National Scholarship has been chosen and will be awarded $3,500 toward her 2010-2011 univer-sity school year. She is Sarah Katherine Weeks a grad student at the Twin City University. Her major is Landscape Architecture and she is enrolled in the College of Design. She is from Minneapolis and her educational background is in Minnesota schools.
While attending Carleton College in Northfield, Sarah traveled to Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands. There she kept a sketchbook of the landscape, flowers and plants. She said "The scope and beauty of the landscapes and the unfamiliar and de-lightful plants astounded me and captured my imagination." In all her travels she has kept busy filling her sketchbook with the wild areas near Lake Superior, the Canadian landscapes and the magic of Mexico.
When Sarah lived in Grand Marais she had the opportunity to study wild plants and their healing properties. She worked with others to produce a reference book on the balms and tinctures made from these wild plants. They experienced creating these medicines for the book.
On her return to the Minneapolis, Sarah's interest has turned to community gardens and growing food. A project she was design-ing would use an old power plant that could be for gardens and landscaped into a public park. She expressed herself in these words "I love the fact that growing food can empower people and have a direct impact on their quality of life. The landscapes involv-ing food can be beautiful, productive and environmentally benefi-cial."
Congratulations, Sarah we are very proud to have you as a re-cipient of not only our award but also Nationals. You are truly deserving of these awards. Sarah was unable to be at our an-nual meeting as she is studying in Italy for the semester. Her re-ply to the announcement of her award was "I was excited to hear the news and am honored to receive the award. It will be a great help in the coming year."
Submitted by Roberta Turgeon, Scholarship Chairman
THE SCHOLARSHIP CORNERTHE SCHOLARSHIP CORNERTHE SCHOLARSHIP CORNERTHE SCHOLARSHIP CORNER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2011
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Seven Sons Flower BuSeven Sons Flower BuSeven Sons Flower BuSeven Sons Flower Bush (Heptacodium micsh (Heptacodium micsh (Heptacodium micsh (Heptacodium micoooonioides)nioides)nioides)nioides)
The name is a trifle awkward and so is the adolescent form of this shrub but what a transformation as it grows into maturity. Seven-sons flower becomes a very large shrub that carries panicles of white flowers in late summer (the name comes from the clusters of florets that form the panicles), and extends the dis-
play with calyces that turn red after the florets drop off. Sometimes the red calyces are as showy as the preceding flowers. The lacy re-mains of the panicles tip the branches and are especially decorative when outlined in frost. The leaves are me-dium/large and would provide bold texture in the shrub border. In addition, the bark exfoli-ates and the warm ecru tone of the slender trunks looks marvelous in winter. Those of you familiar with crape myrtles will find seven-sons flower providing a similarly grace-ful form in the landscape.
Originally introduced from China early in the 20th century, seven-sons flower was lost to cultivation over the years. It was reintro-duced to the west in the 1980’s and has since won awards and ac-colades for its beauty and adaptability. I first saw mature specimens at the Chicago Botanic Garden and at Madison’s Olbrich Botanic Garden. In those locations, the plants had grown to 10-12 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide at the crowns. This shrub has also been in the collection of the University of Minnesota Arboretum since 1996; the U of M specimen is smaller than those in Chicago or Madison. Originally rated zone 5 for hardiness, Heptacodium is now rated zone 4 by some nurseries and horticultural experts.
As it was deemed to be tolerant of light shade, I sited my plant near an east facing wall. Although it grew to head high and bloomed in that location, the bush looked meager. I decided to transplant it to a full sun area and dug it up one spring, leaving so many large roots behind that I doubted the plant would survive the operation. To my surprise, within a matter of weeks, the woody
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Renaissance Festival 2010 If ever you’ve thought of volunteering at the booth, this is the year! It is the 40
th Anniversary of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival so there are sure
to be special events each weekend.
We need to be at the booth by 8:00am to set out the product and get dressed (and I have gotten some really cute new outfits for the booth, too). The first hour is the busiest and then we take turns shopping and seeing shows. We need to man the booth (well, mostly woman the booth) until the festival closes at 7:00pm and then we put everything away, change clothes and go home.
Your club can take a day and bring 6 or 7 people. Or maybe only 2 or 3 of you want to come from your club—that’s great! I’ll pair you up with another group of 2 or 3! You can sign up individually to work a day-many women bring their daughter or a neighbor (or even a husband!). Because some ladies have expressed a desire to work at the booth but fear they could not last all day, we are going to try allowing some volunteers to work shortened days. Some of the workers may make arrangements to work from 8:00am until 3-4pm. This must be arranged ahead of time because we still need some people to work until closing. (I have been left out there alone because a whole group planned to leave early and did not tell me until they came out there). Hopefully, shorter days for some people will allow us to include more members. I try to make sure everyone has a fun day with lots of opportunities to see shows and go shopping. And it is always fun helping little girls be-come little princesses!
Check out the table below: these are the dates that I still need workers. As always, if you can help in any way or are interested in having me attend one of your club meetings, please contact me at [email protected], my home phone 763-535-1817 or my cell phone at 612-308-8211.
Thanks—Kathy Gamble Compo Sunday Monday Tues Wed Thurs Friday Saturday
Aug 21-FILLED
Aug 22-FILLED Aug 28-need
6-7
Aug 29-need
6-7
Sept 4-need
6-7
Sept 5-FILLED Sept 6-
need 6-7
Sept 11-need
6-7
Sept 12- need
6-7
Sept 18-need
6-7
Sept 19-need
6-7
Sept 25-need
6-7
Sept 26-need
6-7
Oct 1-OK Oct 2-need
6-7
Oct 3-FILLED
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August 30 – 31 Minnesota State Fair Flower Show September 1-2 Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota Flower Show Mn Florist Association September 3-4 B nsai Society Show Orchid Society Show September 5-6 Dahlia Society Show
7
base produced numerous new shoots and the shrub has never looked back. After several years in this site, it is 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide, and blooms profusely every summer.
My specimen is multi-stemmed but some nurseries may offer the plant trained to a single stem. Winter temperatures down to minus 24 have not caused any dieback. For neatness I trim off the old flower heads in the spring. My plant has never displayed any au-tumn color although some sources mention that the leaves turn yel-low. Nevertheless, I consider this shrub tops in flowers, form, and performance in full sun and clay soil. Seven-sons flower does not require any pruning but removing the lowest branches would show off the attractive bark. The flowers are mildly fragrant, and are ex-tremely attractive to bees and other pollinators so this may be a consideration for some gardeners.
Submitted by Mary Yee, Kelodale Garden Club, Edina
Hay Bale Gardening Reprinted with permission from Joel Karsten, http://www.strawbalegardens.com/
Straw Bale Gardening is simply a different
type of container gardening. The main
difference is that the container is the straw
bale itself and is held together with two or
three strings. Once the straw inside the
bale begins to decay the straw becomes
"conditioned" compost that creates an
extraordinary plant rooting environment.
Getting the straw bales conditioned is an
essential part of the process, and should
be started by the first week in May for most parts of the country.
This gardening technique works anywhere in the country or the
world for that matter.
Joel Karsten is a certified Nursery and Landscape Professional
through the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association. He
also holds a BS from the University of Minnesota in Horticulture
Science; however, his real gardening knowledge has come
from 35 years of being in the garden. He started pulling
weeds at four years old in the garden with his Grandma Jose-
phine, who taught him everything a good vegetable gar-
dener needs to know in order to grow an extraordinary garden
8
every year. Joel's father, Glen Karsten, owner of Karsten's Nurs-
ery, has been growing and selling trees and shrubs for many
years at his tree farm near Worthington MN. Joel spent many
hours working in the nursery fields, planting and harvesting, until
he made his escape to the University of Minnesota, for a four
year "vacation" from the farm.
Why Straw Bale Gardening? Now living in Roseville, Minnesota,
Joel spends much of his time tending his half acre residential lot,
and growing mostly annuals, perennials, and ornamental
grasses. Growing a vegetable garden at "the farm" (3.5 hours
away) seemed impossibility because of the distance and obvi-
ous lack of attention that could be given to a garden with only
a weekend now and then to do the work involved. That impos-
sibility became a reality when Joel discovered Straw Bale Gar-
dening. Minimal maintenance that results in maximum produc-
tion was a concept that seemed like a perfect gardening solu-
tion.
Who should plant a Straw Bale Garden?
• Can't do heavy lifting? If you are less capable or less inter-
ested in doing the heavy work of traditional gardening, such
as tilling the soil, constant weeding, unending insect battles
and persistent disease spraying, Straw Bale Gardening virtu-
ally eliminates these challenges.
• Can't bend over? If you have a physical limitation or handi-
cap that restricts you from getting down on the ground, you
will appreciate the easier access to the higher surface of a
straw bale, which eliminates the bending to plant and har-
vest.
• Poor soil or limited space? If your have a low soil quality, or
if you have limited space that you can devote to a gar-
den, you will love Straw Bale Gardening with its low cost,
flexibility in garden placement, and great performance of
the straw once it's properly conditioned.
Interested in broadening your gardening horizons? If you are a
seasoned gardener looking for a fun new method, you will be
amazed at the results!
Using many of the tips and tricks Joel offers in his classes and the
written material he offers as a guide to new straw bale garden- Continued on page 18.
13
TRITRITRITRI----CITY FLOWER SHOW CITY FLOWER SHOW CITY FLOWER SHOW CITY FLOWER SHOW –––– JULY 17 & 18 JULY 17 & 18 JULY 17 & 18 JULY 17 & 18
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A GARDEN CLUB MEMBER
TO ENTER THE TRI-CITY FLOWER SHOW.
Escape from the “Dog Days of Summer” and participate in the Tri-City
Flower Show. There are plenty of categories for you to enter and you
don’t need a garden or yard!
Try your hand in the “Terrarium” category. Yes, terrariums are all the
rage! Do you have “house plants”? There are categories for that, whether it
is a potted plant, hanging basket or a container garden. Or, are you more
the “crafty” type? In the category for “Artistic Crafts” the classes are for
corsages, decorative baskets, and yard art.
If you would like to learn more about flower shows you can attend the
“Tri-City Flower Show Symposium” which is held at the Wood Lake
Nature Center, Richfield MN, on July 8th at 6:30 pm. The symposium
covers all of the above topics, in addition to “Rules”, “Registration” and
“Helpful Hints”. ENTRY TAGS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THIS
MEETING.
If you or someone you know is interested in entering the Tri-City Flower
Show but would like more information, contact Phyllis Larsen, Tri-City
Flower Show Chair, [email protected] or 952.888.3723.
See you at the show!
Kat Hanson
STATE FAIR SHOWS AND DISPLAYS Every fall the Minnesota State Fair has an excellent place to see
what grows well in our area and in our homes. Come to the fair as a visitor or as a participant, especially in our Federated Show. The fair may seem overwhelming, but I will be glad to walk you through how to enter. The State Fair Show entries need to be pre registered by mid August, the rest have entry dates closer to the shows or the day of the show. If you pre register for the Monday show, you get a free on site parking sticker for the lot behind the Haunted House - just about half a block from the Agriculture/Horticulture Building where these shows are staged.
Most of the shows are open to the public, so if anyone wants to en-ter, please give me a call for how to get involved. Phyllis Andrews, 651-455-5077. Hope to see many of the Federated members entering both the Wednesday Federated Show and the Monday State Fair Show.
August 26 -27 African Violet Society MN State Horticultural Society Plant Shows August 28 – 28 MN Gladiolus Society Show
12
Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, Inc.
Gather at 4:30 pm for Registration and Socializing Cold beverages available 5:00 pm Business Meeting
5:45 pm Program: “Caring for Perennials” by
Ramsey County Master Gardener
After the picnic, a trip to Roseville’s Muriel Sahlin Arboretum
2525 North Dale Street
A peaceful oasis in the heart of the city.
The Arboretum Grounds include: 8 acres of landscaped theme gardens and manicured grounds. Stone walkways and paved plazas. Tree and shrub collections. Pergola entry and water feature.
Please complete the form below and mail it along with your check to Barbara Halverson, 11017 Ewing Ave. So., Bloomington, MN 55431-3846
tel. 952-884-4922
Please make your check out to FGCM for the amount of $12 and send by July 18th, 2010
Name(s]
Phone Number
Club
6:30 pm Picnic Supper Sloppy Joes Potato Salad Relishes
Green Salad Dessert
$12$12$12$12 $12$12$12$12
Picnic in the Park July 28, 2010 Central Park 2540 Lexington Av N Roseville, MN
A lovely scenic lakeside site in Roseville’s Central Park, Jaycee’s Shel-ter. It has all the amenities for a relaxed gathering in a beautiful park
setting, surrounded by trails and play fields.
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#1 #2
#3
Now we will show an Exhibition Table, Type I
including a decorative unit and staged using frame or
frames as in #1.
"Tables Again”
By Dorothy Brindle
The “Handbook for Flower Shows” discusses functional modes of dining as Informal, Semi-formal and Formal. Informal is a casual setting with any number of place settings and the decorative unit (flower arrange-ment) place where best suited for the effect. Semi-formal has an even number of place-settings, the decorative unit placed in the center of the table and using pastel colors except for festive occasions. Formal tables are not included in our flower shows.
In the last issue we had examples of three modes of tables: TV Tray, Buffet and Exhibition Table, Type II with a background, all in the Flower Show Schedule this year.
And, if I haven’t confused you enough this time, there’s more fun to come!
H B D B L K A F
Also a functional table for one (other than TV Tray) is a Func-tional Capsule Table setting for one using a decorative
unit. This design may be suit-able for the size of the exhibit or for an imagined full-size
dining table as in #2.
An informal functional ta-ble for sit-down dining is
shown in #3.
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Bamboo won’t grow here!? Right?
There are so many plants that people think will surely not grow here in Minnesota, unless it’s just for the summer or if you’re fortunate enough to have a place to overwinter tropicals. There are some cacti for zones 4+ and a few banana species for zones 5+ that can be grown in-ground. And
how about a bamboo thicket to hide some unsightly areas!
Bamboo can create a wonderful atmosphere, add some elegance with their form and create that tropical look. Bamboo has 2400 species worldwide, but a surprising number of evergreen bamboos are true tem-perate species and will tolerate zone 5 and even zone 4 conditions! One species, Canebrake Bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea), is native to the United States.
One of the main problems with growing bamboo was finding sources of plants. Now there are many sources, especially if you go online, just check your favorite nurseries. However many of them are rare and can be expensive, so the best way I’ve found is to barter with gardening friends that are already growing bamboo!
Characteristics. Once a year, usually in the spring, new growth arises as bamboo shoots (or culms) emerge from buds present on underground stems called rhizomes. The key to growing under temperate conditions is understanding how and when different species of bamboo send up their new growth and what is needed to maximize growth but keep the plant within the boundaries set for it. Edith, a friend in my garden club and now deceased, had beautiful bamboo plants, but then they just started to take over. Her plants were runners, as many of the large hardy temperate bamboo are. If that is the type you get and want to keep the plant con-tained, find the largest tub or barrel you can to grow it in sunk down in the soil with the bottom out. My favorite is the 30 to 35 gallon pond tubs you get at the hardware/retail stores. However, there are Clump Bamboos you can get and these grow like the perennial bunch grasses most of us are familiar with.
Culture. The best time to transplant bamboo from the field is in spring just before the new culms begin to appear. A layer of organic mulch is a must in the first year to conserve moisture, especially in sunny sites. Af-ter that, they will develop their own mulch layers through natural leaf drop.
Your Hort CornerYour Hort CornerYour Hort CornerYour Hort Corner By Marsha Ocel, Anoka County Master Gardener
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Clumpers-
Hardy Dragon Bamboo Fargesia dracocephala, hardy to -20 degrees Umbrella Bamboo Fargesia murielae, hardy to -20 degrees (hardiest clumper)
Runners-
Canebrake Bamboo Arundinaria gigantea, hardy to -20 degrees David Bisset Bamboo Phyllostachys bissettii, hardy to -25 (good performer) Phyllostachys nuda, hardy to -25 degrees, tolerates bitter winter winds Phyllostachys rubromarginata, hardy to -25 degrees, red margins on new shoots Sasa senanensis, truly leaf hardy to -25 degrees & warmer parts of zone 3
Mary Eleanor Duvall, of Brook Park, MN passed away 5/21/2010 at the age of 85. She was an avid photographer who traveled the world visiting at least 19 coun-ties. Her intense interest in gardening kept her active in 16 organizations, most recently the Mora Town and Country Garden Club and 6th District MN Horticul-tural Society. She was also a member of the North Star Lily Society and the MN Peony Society. Mary was an International Gardener who cultivated friendships all over the world.
Submitted by Edie Godfrey Treasurer, Daffodil Society of Minnesota President, Iris Society of Minnesota
Recyclable vs. Biodegradable vs. Compostable
Recyclable? Biodegradable? Compostable? It 's great that we have so many options besides throwing stuff in the trash, but sometimes it gets confusing about what goes where!
Recyclable:
'Recyclable’ products can be collected and reprocessed to produce new items. Common recyclable materials are: paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, and electronic waste. Recycling keeps these materials from filling our landfills.
Many paper and plastic products are marked with the universal recycling symbol. Many complex electrical products (mobile phones, computers, printers, etc.) contain parts and materials which can be recycled by disassembling the products. Other products such as batteries, paints and fertilizers are specially processed to reduce the environmental impact of their disposal.
Biodegradable:
'Biodegradable' means that a product will break down into carbon dioxide, water and organic material within a reasonable amount of time in the natural environment. The term 'biodegradable' however has no legal enforcement or definition therefore the term has been used loosely by some manufacturers. But despite such Continued on page 18.