Inside This Issue. BOARD MEMBERS. Around the Trellis April 2009

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1 Newsletter for Nordonia Hills Garden Club gardener s gazette Around the Trellis April 2009 Old man winter isn t being very kind to us in that he doesn t want to give up his grip on us. Spring is trying to come but old man winter just doesn t play nice It was good to see everyone at last month s meeting. SPECIAL NOTE: Our April Club meeting date has been CHANGED to APRIL 22, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. We will have a guest, Kathleen Binekey, from Hale Farm who is going to spend a few minutes explaining the new programs for this year. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Jackie Seremak at Serja59@ netscape.com Shortly afterwards we will have a short club meeting after which we will then go outside to get started creating some beautiful planters and hanging baskets for our plant sale. If you have a small table that you could bring for us to work on that would be greatly appreciated. I will have plenty of plastic to cover the tables. You might also want to bring along a folding chair. Make sure to check the weather and dress in layers, bring your hand tools and garden gloves and come ready to have fun while creating with plants. Under the members only section of the web site, there will be a overhead view of our plant sale site showing the new layout for this year. I should have this up by the middle of the month. Blessings to y all, Janet Matherly BOARD MEMBERS President Janet Matherly, meadowyck@windstream.net Vice President Kerry Wichert, sogreenwithenvy@aol.com 2nd VP Peg Krutko, pkrutko@alltel.net Secretary Elaine Nidy, CTBEAR24@aol.com Treasurer Leanne Schroeter, Lar897@alltel.net COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Historian Peg Krutko, pkrutko@alltel.net Sunshine Linda Uridel, Refreshments Bernadette Evans, Co-Chairs rbtd55@roadrunner.com Linda Gesinsky, lgesinsky@roadrunner.com Ways & Means Lilian Coluccio, c: lilianc@alltel.net Public Relations Vacant Membership Jan Filmeck, jif45@windstream.net Photographer Suzanne Shields cshields@roadrunner.com Garden Tour Ava Hain, keiko100@netzero.net Special Events Angie Stimson, stimsoa@ccf.org Newsletter Editor Janet Matherly, meadowyck@windstream.net Inside This Issue Page 1 President s Message Page 2 Calendar of Events Page 2 Treasurer s Report Page 2 Garden Club of Ohio Page 3 Propagating by Air Layering Page 4 Plant Sale Changes Page 5 Planting Around Rocks Page 6 April Garden To Do List Page 6 Local Events in April Page 7 Membership Application

2 April Gardener s Calendar of Upcoming Events Board Meeting: Monday, April 13, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at SUMMIT POINT, use the Main entrance, room is to the right of the front doors. All Chairs are encouraged to attend. Club Meeting: Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at the SUMMIT POINT, 8633 Valley View Road, Macedonia, 2nd entrance, Assisted Living Dinning Room. Speaker: Kathleen Binekey, from Hale Farm. She will be sharing information on the new projects for We will then have a very short business meeting then we will go outside and get started planting the hanging baskets and planters for the plant sale. Once they are all done it will be the responsibility of each member to take them home and care for them until the plant sale and bring them back. Please make sure to cover them in case of frost or snow. Don t forget your gloves and to bring the planter(s) that you are donating for the Plant sale. Wayne will be bringing hanging baskets. PLANT SALE: Friday, May 8th and Saturday May 9th. 10:00 am to 4:00 p.m. each day. Location: Corner of Rt 82 and Rt 8. Formerly known as the Macedonia Visitors Center. Garden Club of Ohio Dues NHGC Membership dues were due in by April 1, Those who have paid will be include on the membership roster that goes with our application which will be submitted for membership approval at the April convention in Canton. All members are encouraged to attend. For more information can be found at: Welcome to Our Newest Members Mukesh & Beena Patel 81 Ledge Rd. #308 Northfield, OH mukpat_5@yahoo.com MARCH 28, 2009 CHARTER ONE BANK Treasurer s Report Date Type of Income Deposit Type of Expense Withdrawal $ 1, /18 Refreshment Supplies $ /7 Transfer to Open Key Bank Acct $ /9 Christmas Gift Baskets/Newspapers $ /13 Membership Dues $ /18 Speaker Fee, Rob Crowie $ Vases for Plant Sale $ /20 Membership Dues $ Ending Balance $ MARCH 28, 2009 KEY BANK Treasurer s Report Date Type of Income Deposit Type of Expense Withdrawal Balance 3/7 Opened New Bank Account $ Ending Balance $ Balance as of March 28, 2009 Leanne Schroeter, Treasurer

3 Gardener s Propagating by Air Layering Figure 1. Method of wounding woody plants such as magnolia, gardenia, rose, fig and similar plants. With a sharp knife, make two parallel cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart around the stem and through the bark and cambium layer. Connect the two parallel cuts with one long cut (a) and remove the ring of bark (b), leaving the inner woody tissue exposed. Figure 2. Method of wounding plants having less woody stems in preparation for air layering. This method usually is used on foliage plants such as the rubber plant, (Ficus benjamini and Ficus elastica) and the dieffenbachia. (a) With a sharp knife, make a long upward cut from 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, almost to the center of the stem. (b) Insert a wood sliver, toothpick or twisted piece of sphagnum moss into the wound to hold it open and prevent cut tissue from reuniting. At this point, the wounded area may be dusted with one of the commercial rooting compounds to speed up the rooting process. Such compounds, however, do not insure root production on difficult-to-root varieties. Figure 3. Fig 3 Fig 1 Fig 2 Apply a handful of damp sphagnum moss so that it envelopes the wounded portion of the stem. Tying the moss in place with string helps keep it in position while completing the process. The sphagnum moss should be soaked several hours to insure that it is thoroughly moist. Squeeze out surplus water before using, since excessive moisture will result in decay and deterioration of the plant tissue. Sunshine Report Pat Spagnola, recovering from surgery. If you know of any other members who might be ill, facing surgery or who just need our thoughts and prayers, please notify: Linda Uridel at Figure 5. Draw the upper end of the film snugly around stem making sure that none of the moss is exposed. Fasten securely with electricians tape, taking care that the tape extends beyond the film and adheres to the stem. Repeat the procedure on the lower end, again making sure there is a snug fit. Moisture must not escape and excess moisture must not enter when watering or syringing the plants. Support the plant with stake or splint to prevent breakage at the wounded area. Fig 6 Fig 4 Figure 4. Using a sheet of polyethylene film approximately 6 X 12 or 8 X 12, depending upon the size of the plant stem, wrap the ball of sphagnum moss using the butchers fold (see insert) to secure a tight seal where the two ends of the sheet are joined. April Figure 6. After the new roots have penetrated the moss ball and are visible on all sides, the rooted branch may be removed from the parent plant. The rooting time will vary with plant variety as well as the season in which it is performed. (Continued on Page 5) Fig 5

4 4 Gardener s PLANT SALE CHANGES April 2009 We will be setting up the plant sale area on THURSDAY night instead of Friday morning. Plant check in time: Thursday, May 7th 6:30 until finished. We ask that members bring the plants that you are donating as well as the planters and hanging baskets that were created at the last club meeting on Thursday night. Each member working the sale will be issued a receipt book that all sales will need to be written down on, which the customer will take to the cashier when checking out. You do not need to total this, only write down how many plants per price example: 2 plants at 3.00 and 3 plants at The customer will then take this to the cashier who will then total the dollar amount of the receipt. In the next few days I will post a overhead view of our plant sale area which will show the set up for the plant sale. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the layout. Friday & Saturday Hours are: 10:00 am - 4:00 p.m. daily If there is any member who needs assistance with dividing out your plants that you would to donate please contact anyone on the board. We will have several members come out and under your direction separate the plants for you. Members who are working the plant sale, please try to be at the location by 8:30 a.m. to help out with last minute plants being dropped off. Make sure to dress accordingly for the weather that is expected for those days. Check the web site under the Plant Sale Tab to see the layout for our sale. This should be posted by the middle of April. So think positive and stay focused on our 2009 goal of $2,000 this year. Annual Club Plant Sale Mothers Day Weekend May 8-9, 2009 FRIDAY & SATURDAY TOURIST AND BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER At the Intersection of ROUTE 8 & ROUTE 82 MACEDONIA Club Shirts Just a reminder that we still have club shirts available in two styles: golf or T-shirt Show your support and purchase one today! $17.00 White 1 Small 2 Large 2 X-Large Green 1 Large Golf Shirt T-Shirt $19.00 White 1 Medium 2 Large 2 X-Large Green 2 Medium 2 Large 2 X-Large April Refreshments Phyllis Kluber & Jan Filmeck (Please try to have refreshments there by 6:30 p.m.) Those wanting to contribute with refreshments please contact either Refreshment Co-chairs: Bernadette Evans, or Linda Gesinsky

5 Gardener s Propagating by Air Layering (Continued from Page 3) Fig 7 Figure 7. Remove the newly rooted plant from the parent plant with a sharp knife or pruning shears, making the cut just below the ball of moss and roots. Carefully remove the polyethylene film. Without disturbing the roots or removing the ball of moss, plant in a container using a good potting mixture or plant in a well-prepared soil bed. Figure 8. Placing a polyethylene tent over the newly potted plant for 4 to 8 days until the root system is well established is helpful as it will aid in preventing excessive loss of moisture. Keep the plant under a light shade and avoid direct sunlight until the new root system is well developed. Many plants are lost in the final stage of the process because the root system is not sufficiently developed to sustain the top portion of the new plant. By utilizing the plastic tent illustrated in figure 8 or by keeping the new plant in a humid environment, it is possible to develop a good root system on rather large cuttings. Once the plant is well established, it is best to harden off the foliage by gradually exposing it to normal atmosphere. This can be done by cutting a few holes every few days in the plastic tent to reduce the humidity until it is similar to the external atmosphere. Everett E. Janne Extension landscape horticulturist Reminder, you can also view our monthly meeting schedule on our web site under the meeting tab or yearly in the members section: Planting Around Rocks Gardening Tips from Horticulture Magazine by Jeff Cox If you have a group of rocks as a landscape feature in your yard, you can show it off with appropriate plantings. Here are some ideas for what to plant, plus tips for planting near the rocks: April Choose plantings that show off the group of rocks. Plant low-growing plants like alyssum, bleeding hearts (Dicentra), catmints (Nepeta), stonecrop (Sedum) and hens and chicks (Sempervivum), Corsican mint, lungworts (Pulmonaria) and other pretty little plants that will splash the group with bits of color but stay low enough that the rocks will remain visible. If you plant shrubs behind the group of rocks, use dark green evergreens like false cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Gracilis ) and interesting deciduous shrubs like Harry Lauder s walking stick (Corylus avellana Contorta ) with its twisty branches. Redtwig dogwood s (Cornus stolonifera) red branches will look good in winter when snow adorns the rocks, if you live in a snowy area. When siting rocks on a slope, make planting pockets. If you have a slope or berm, you can make very attractive arrangements of rocks that provide spaces for alpines or other small or cascading plants. Let s say you ve installed two large rocks about two feet apart at the base of a slope. If you then fill the space between them with a smaller rock that s slightly lower, you can fill the space behind the smaller rock with good garden soil and set in an alpine or other small plant. You can stagger rocks this way up the slope, making small, level planting areas behind them as you go. The effect, when planted with alpines, is beautiful. Avoid the thought of topping the slope or berm with a dominant rock. It s much better to choose a plant with a horizontal habit. For a large slope or berm, Viburnum plicatum tomentosum Mariesii comes to mind.

6 April Gardener s APRIL GARDEN TO-DO LIST 1. Apply a light application of Tree Tone to crape myrtles in early April and again in early June. Do not apply too much because this will cause heavy vegetative growth and fewer flowers. 2. Plant perennials so that they become established before the summer heat sets in. Plant summer flowering bulbs like caladiums, cannas, elephant ears, and gladiolus. 3. Cut out any leaf gall on Azaleas and Camellias and dispose of it. Leaf gall is easily recognizable by the extreme swelling of the leaf tissue. It appears succulent and sometimes looks to have a powdery substance on it. 4. After the petals fall off of your bulbs cut the flower stem back and allow the foliage to die back on its own. Do NOT cut it back! Feeding spring blooming bulbs with Bulb-tone will help in bloom production next spring. 5. Prepare new flower beds now. Summer flowering annuals and bulbs do much better in a bed that has been properly prepared. Till in some Black Velvet and some slow release fertilizer. 6. If the soil is too wet or soggy stay out of it! Do not work in excessively wet soils. Our clay soils are already fairly compacted. Working in them when they are wet just further compacts them, making it hard for plants to get the oxygen they need from the soil to grow. To tell if your soil is too wet to work in, dig down 4-5 and grab a handful of that soil. Squeeze the soil. If it holds its shape, it is still too wet to work. If it crumbles, then it is ready to be worked! 7. Harden off and move cool season crops to the garden 8. Plant asparagus roots and onion sets 9. Apply pre-emergent crabgrass killer after forsythia bloom 10. Remove mulch from on top of flowers 11. Re-mulch beds as necessary 12. Remove tent caterpillars and webs Public Affairs Chair Needed If anyone would be interested please contact Janet Matherly, and phone number are on the front page of the newsletter. Local Events for April April 19, 2009, Daffodil Sunday What: Marvel at the more than 100,000 daffodil blossoms in this historic cemetery Where: Lake View Cemetery, Euclid Ave. Time: 730am - 530pm Cost: Free April 20, 2009, Earthfest 2009 What: Celebrate Earth Day with exhibits and information on environmental awareness. Where: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Time: 10am - 5pm Cost: Adults $7, Children $4; parking is free; admission if you walk or ride the free clean-air bus from Public Square to the zoo Club Theme of the Year A Year to GROW! Not only in memberships and community projects but in club friendships as well.

7 NORDONIA HILLS GARDEN CLUB MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION New Member Renewing Member. Paid with Cash Paid by Check #. SINGLE MEMBERSHIP ($15.00). FAMILY MEMBERSHIP ($20.00). NAME(s): (Please Print) ADDRESS: (Street Name) (City) (Zip Code) PHONE #: ADDRESS: Who referred you to the club: Birthday: Month Are you a Master Gardener? yes no (This isn t required to join) Day What particular interests do you have in gardening? Make your checks payable to: NORDONIA HILLS GARDEN CLUB Please return or mail this form along with your payment to: Jan Filmeck, NHGC Membership Chairperson, 533 Bluejay Trail, Macedonia, OH Janet Matherly Nordonia Hills Garden Club Newsletter Editor 8091 Rushwood Lane Sagamore Hills, OH TO: Happy Easter