Galt Horticultural Society Circa 1891 April Newsletter 2016 Previous General Meeting Monday, March 28, 2016 Our meeting was held at Chartwell Queen s Square Retirement Residence. Social time began around 7PM with refreshments. MEETING HIGHLIGHTS Many of your executive gave updates this evening. Doreen McMillan invited all members to bring their own mug for your tea or coffee at our meetings. Our GHS pays for the Styrofoam cups. This way we save money and our environment. Liz Stacey spoke on the importance of volunteering. She handed out sign up sheets to help with the upcoming Ferguson Cottage gardens spring prep. (more details on that to follow) Liz will be following up with additional sign up sheets for several dates to continue the gardening changes required. Memberships were updated by Nancy Smith. We continue to see many New faces each meeting (61 New Members this year to date). All the Benefits of a membership with our GHS were highlighted. There are several workshops we can participate in, numerous and very informative guest speakers to listen to and learn from, as well as our Summer Open Garden Tours. Also don t forget about all the Discounts we can take advantage of with many of our Local Businesses to save you money! $$$ Inquire before you pay! Your 2016 Program includes a Free Guest Pass. Please bring a friend. Jeanette Berenz explained a few changes Lori made to our Newsletter format. The full page layout you now see makes it easier to read on your computer screens, instead of scrolling up and down with a split page. The upcoming Ontario Horticultural Association Convention in July needs your help! The Silent Auction needs a variety of prizes for the members to bid on. Please approach any local businesses you know to donate an item for bid. We also encourage any personal donations. Do you have any crafts you can contribute? If so thanks, see below. Our guest speaker was Derek Lippert from Quiet Nature. He gave us some valuable information on rain water. Points for consideration: Specifically, it is to be used on the property it falls on instead of running off and taking all kinds of unwanted materials into our water systems.
New building developments are doing things to slow down the run off of water to the rivers. By slowing water, the impurities are filtered out before the water gets to the rivers and lakes. Rain gardens allow water from down spouts to run into a garden specifically designed to collect this excess water. This allows water to soak in slowly instead of going to water systems. This method does not tax our sewer systems. It produces interesting plantings and improves water quality. You can create rain gardens in a depressed location and direct your water run off to this area. Use plants that enjoy this type of environment. You can also create planter box rain gardens. Some plants for rain gardens include: liatris, swamp milkweed, joe pye weed, native grasses, blue berbain (blue flower), cardinal flower, blue lobelia, native asters, dwarf blazing star, and little blue stem. Google rain garden plant list and see RAIN Kitchener program for more info. Jeanette, Josephine and Fred Fraser greeted everyone at the door. Tea and sweets were served by Doreen and Audrey Anderton. There was a lot of great information and ideas presented tonight. Hypertufa Trough Workshop, Monday, April 18 Liz, Nancy, Neil, Jeanette, Renate and Lori were on hand with 32 participants from as far as Brantford, Kitchener and Ayr. They all had some fun playing with cement and made some lovely Hypertufa bowls. What a wonderful turn out we had on an absolutely beautiful evening at Ferguson Cottage on Grand Avenue. Check out some of the familiar and new faces we had at the workshop. Some serious preparation and sweat on this warm evening from Neil, Liz, and Jeanette got the mix ready for many gloved ready participants (if you ask, someone might reveal the secret recipe). Many wheel barrel s full were required.
We can t wait to see the finished results and are asking all the participants to send us pictures of their individually crafted Hypertufa bowls etc., with plants of course!
Important Reminders and Things Spring has finally sprung! While we are all anxious to get outside and get gardening, don t forget to stretch before and after. This will help alleviate excessive stiffness and sore muscles. There is some great information from the Canadian Chiropractic Association on pacing yourself as you venture back out to the great outdoors. www.chiropractic.ca/blog/seven-back-saving-tips-for-gardeners *See the last 2 pages of our Newsletter for some great suggestions and illustrations to help you limber up and protect yourself from injury.* DISTRICT 19 QUILT RAFFLE There will be tickets available at our upcoming general meeting for the chance to win this Beautiful Hand Made Quilt! $3.00 each or 2/$5.00 Don t miss out. For a better look at this lovely quilt visit the District 19 website at www.district19oha.org/ Up-Coming Events- Don t miss these opportunities to contribute not only to your own gardens, but also your community. Also, see below for additional ways to Save you Money!
1. Ferguson Cottage Gardens Spring Preparation We need your help! Well spring has finally arrived and as we all know, it s a very busy time in the garden. It s no different in our gardens at Ferguson Cottage, they need some cleaning too! We are looking for volunteers from our membership to come out and help. Generally what needs to be done is trimming back the perennials, edging beds, pulling weeds. All the things you would do in your own garden. These are the dates and times that we are asking you to come out. I have also listed the volunteers that have already signed up for these dates: Saturday April 23 1:00 4:00 Maryike Derria Reneta Wells Janet Perkins Sunday April 24 1:00 4:00 Carrie Bruno Jennifer Desormeau Neil & Nancy Smith Monday April 25 9:00 12:00 Peter Beggs Barry & Virginia Taylor Petronella Read Anne Cherwonogrodzky Tuesday May 10 th 9:00 12:00 Nancy Ray Avril Hunter Lynne Goulet-Smith Tuesday May 24th 9:00 12:00 Stuart Cameron Lin Thompson-Knoll Joyce Jansen Tuesday June 14 th 9:00-12:00 Lin Thompson-Knoll Thanks to all of you that have offered to come out and help with the gardens! PLEASE NOTE- ON YOUR 1 PAGE PROGRAM the April 30 clean up date has been cancelled! We are hoping that a lot more of you will be able to come out on at least one of the days even if it is only for an hour or two. If you would like to help, just come out on one of the dates at the times listed above. I have only listed the dates up until June 14 th but we will continue to need help throughout the summer so if you can come out on a Tuesday morning anytime in the summer, please do! You can contact Liz Stacey at lmsliz@rogers.com for more information. Thanks in advance for your help keeping the Ferguson Cottage gardens beautiful!
2. Galt Horticultural Society Meeting Monday, April 25, 2016 Plan to attend our next meeting at Chartwell Queen s Square Retirement Residence. Social time begins around 7PM with refreshments. Jeanette Berenz will be giving us an update on Ferguson Cottage and gardens. Neil Smith will be giving a short update on the redevelopment of our website. We d like to welcome Floral expert Colleen Allen who will be sharing her knowledge on Flower Arranging and Flower Entries. Colleen is the Lead for the Floral Display Competition for our 110th Ontario Horticultural Association Convention held from July 29 31, 2016 for our District 19 at the Crowne Plaza. She will be sharing her expertise about flower arranging and helping us to understand floral displays at various competitions such as at this convention. Colleen s presentation will be an informal presentation of examples and discussion points on a "Line Design". This type of design is in this summer's OHA floral competition - under Design Division, Class 2, which is entitled "Waterloo Region Pioneers Memorial Tower". We are hoping that we might get a few local members from our District to participate in this category. As of now there is only one registrant so we have room for four more. Come and learn from our local expert! Audrey Anderton and Doreen will be on hand to serve the sweets and refreshments. Remember your mug! Jeanette Berenz will be your greeter this evening. 3. rare Charitable Research Reserve Conservation Research Education Upcoming activities around this 900+ acre land on Blair Road along the river banks include: May 1 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Sandhill Cranes presentation Meet at rare ECO Centre, 768 Blair Road Join Janet and Ken Dance for a presentation as they illustrate their 2015 study of Sandhill Cranes in three local counties.
May 7 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. May 7 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. May 27 6:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. June 1 5:00 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. June 8 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. June 12 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Bird banding demonstration Meet at rare ECO Centre, 768 Blair Road Banding birds has provided valuable information to researchers about bird ecology, migration routes and population dynamics. A group of volunteers led by Bird Bander Kevin Grundy have been banding birds during the spring and fall migrations at rare since 2008. Join us for a close-up look at what is involved! Reptiles, amphibians & the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Meet at rare ECO Centre, 768 Blair Road Do you hear frogs calling but you re just not sure what they are? Come learn about the reptile and amphibian species you might encounter at rare with Jennifer McCarter from the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and how you can support research and conservation through the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. This one hour long presentation will be followed be an hour-long hike. Boots & Bolo Barn Dance Meet at rare ECO Centre, 768 Blair Road Kick up your heels for rare! With delicious food from top local chefs, line dancing and a live, experiential auction, this night will raise money for rare's Every Child Outdoors program. Cost: $200 per person or $1,400 for table of eight. Spring kick-off gardens party Meet at Springbank Community Gardens, 681 Blair Road Welcome another season at Springbank Community Gardens! Come explore & see how fun and easy it is getting your hands dirty! Free admission & refreshments! Owl prowl Meet at rare ECO Centre, 768 Blair Road Join Jason Bracey as he shares his knowledge of the species of owls found in Ontario and at rare. Jason will lead a prowl to see and hear these beautiful night birds. Registration for this event fills up quickly - sign up today! Wildflower hike Meet at rare ECO Centre, 768 Blair Road It is a magical time at rare. Join Carleigh Pope, rare's Jr. Conservation Ecologist, for an interactive hike through the Cliffs & Alvars. Look for awakening plants and wildflowers, signs of animals and spot birds arriving back or just passing through. Please note that all events are $8 or $3 with an Events Discount Card, unless otherwise indicated. Pre-registration is required for most events. Many fill up quickly. For more details, please check the following websitehttp://www.raresites.org/ or call 519-650-9336. 4. GHS Plant Sale at Ferguson Cottage Thursday May 5 4pm-6pm Garden accessories Yard Sale Drop Off Friday May 6 5pm-6:30pm Plant drop off
Saturday May 7 9am-11:30am Plant sale and Exchange (buy some new plants for your gardens Or exchange a plant for one you dropped off) We are having a Yard Sale with our Plant sale. Do you have any garden tools, metal or ceramic pots, ornaments, watering cans, plant stands (old small wooden chairs work), trellises, bird baths/houses you re not using? Please bring them to Ferguson Cottage on Thursday. We will add them to our plant sale! Any seedlings are also welcome. We know everyone will be out there surveying, tidying and dividing plants in their own gardens. Divide your favourite perennials and bring them to the cottage on Friday, May 6. Saturday, May 7 buy some new plants for your gardens to take home. 5. May 7 & 8, 2016 - Meadow Acres Event, RR2 Petersburg (Wilmot) All members will receive a 10% discount on regularly priced items - you must show your membership card. This includes bulk bag, nursery, greenhouse and garden decor. Mother s Day Weekend (May 7 & 8)- 25 % OFF All Hanging Baskets and Women s Fashion. 6. Sunday, May 28, 2016 - Colour Paradise Event 1209 Bleams Road, Mannheim All members will receive a 20% discount on regularly priced items - you must show your membership card. There is a Special presentation at 10:00am in the Garden Shed within the Greenhouse. More information to follow when available. 7. GHS Bus Trip Through the Garden Gate - coming soon! Galt Horticultural Society Bus Tour 2016 TBG - Through the Garden Gate: The Kingsway
Photo by Paul Zammit Join us on Saturday June 11, 2016 for: The Toronto Botanical Garden s 29 th annual Through the Garden Gate tour This is a self-guided tour of over 20 residential gardens in The Kingsway, one of Toronto s most affluent neighborhoods, that allows you to discover the gardens at your own pace following a map and garden guide containing descriptions of the featured gardens. A complimentary shuttle bus service is available to hop on and hop off along the route. Knowledgeable Master Gardeners will be at each garden to answer any questions about the plant materials and design features. Lunch Enjoy a delicious Picnic Lunch provided by a gourmet catering service. After lunch enjoy the afternoon visiting more gardens on the tour. Shopping Complete the day with a stop at Humber Nurseries - a Gardening leader in annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs and aquatic plants with varieties not commonly available at other nurseries. They offer over 225 different varieties of ornamental grasses, more than 3,200 different perennials, over 300 herbs and over 150 aquatic plants plenty of variety to choose from! Tickets are $95.00 -- To purchase tickets: Make cheques payable to G. H. S. Mail to: 1777 Seaton Road, Cambridge, ON N1R 5S2 Please include an email address on the back of your cheque to receive a confirmation number for your ticket. Or online at www.eventbrite.ca For more details, please email nancy@nsmith.ca or call Nancy Smith 519-623-7085. Get your tickets at the next meeting so not to be disappointed as the purchase date is closing soon! 8. Ontario Horticultural Association 2016 Convention July 29-31 This year s theme is Experience the Grand. Enjoy numerous speakers, workshops, bus tours and more. Please note Location and Date change! Our new location is at the newly refreshed Crowne Plaza located at 105 King Street East in Kitchener. (As you know the Waterloo Inn, our previous location, was sold recently.) Due to this location change the date is now Friday, July 29, Saturday July 30, and Sunday, July 31.
More information to follow. * Please continue to collect items for the Silent Auction.* Please contact Jeanette hun@megawire.ca or 519-624-8998 regarding your items. Thanks. Memberships 2016 Memberships are always available! Haven t been to a meeting yet this year? Come out and join us and pick up your 2016 Membership card. Your GHS Membership card can provide a discount at some garden businesses and Save you $$$. Don t miss out! Carry your 2016 membership card with you and please inquire before paying for your purchase. Along with your membership, you will receive our GHS Open Garden Booklet, featuring 33 fabulous private gardens over 10 weeks during June, July and August. You will also receive our 2016 Program Overview listing all of the activities available as a member of Galt Horticultural Society. Help! Volunteers Needed If you would like to lend a helping hand, we are looking for volunteers. Ferguson Cottage need extra hands for clean up and ongoing maintenance. We need greeters at monthly meetings, the June through August Open Garden tours, and help with the Silent Auction at our OHA Convention in July. See you at our meeting on Monday, April 25. Consider bringing a few extra loonies and toonies to take advantage of our 50/50 and Quilt Raffle tickets. Stretch the Right Muscles Before You Garden Not only does gardening produce beautiful blooms and food it s also good exercise. The problem: As with any exercise, gardening can cause aches, strains and even injuries. Increasing your range of motion by stretching to loosen up your joints and muscles before you pick up a trowel will go far in preventing those types of problems, according to Marla Altberg, Pilates mat instructor and certified personal trainer in New York City. You might think that twisting your torso a few times is all that it takes to loosen up, but you would be wrong, said Altberg. Gardening is a full-body exercise, and you may not realize just how many muscles you re working while you re digging in the yard, she added. So here is her simple 10-minute warm-up to help loosen all the right muscles GET THE BLOOD FLOWING Before you do anything, first talk to your doctor if you haven t been exercising or stretching in a while to make sure that these exercises and stretches are safe for you.
To increase your heart rate and circulation, start by doing two minutes of light aerobic activity, such as marching in place while briskly moving your arms. Once that s done, you are ready to do the following stretching exercises. Unless otherwise stated, begin all exercises in a basic posture stance standing erect, shoulders back, feet hipwidth apart pointing directly ahead, abdominal muscles pulled gently in and up. FOR THE BACK, BUTTOCKS, HIPS & LEGS Squats: Clasp your arms together in front of you (as if you re saying grace at the dinner table) and slowly lower your behind, keeping your abs tight, your back straight and your head in line with your back, as if you were about to sit in a chair, until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Do not let your behind go lower than your knees. (And it s fine to stop higher up if it s a real strain to go that far down.) Hold that position for a count of two and then slowly return to standing. This will exercise your lower back, buttocks, hips and quads (front thigh muscles). Do 10 times. Hamstring stretch: While standing, extend your right leg forward about two feet (a little more if you re tall and a little less if you re short). Rest your right heel on the ground and raise the ball and toes of your right foot. Keeping your back straight and your head in line with your back, place both hands on your right thigh, and lean forward while allowing your left leg to bend this will stretch the right hamstring muscle and calf muscle. Hold for a minimum of 20 seconds and then change sides. FOR THE NECK & SHOULDERS All three of these exercises should be done very slowly Shoulder shrugs: Raise shoulders toward your ears and then slowly bring them down. Do this three or four times. Shoulder circles: Make a circle with your shoulders by moving them forward, raising them up toward your ears, pushing them back, and then moving them down to the starting position. Do this three times in the forward direction and three times going backward.
Neck half-circle: Turn your head to look as far to the left as possible. Lower your chin toward the center of your chest then turn it gradually to look as far as you can to the right. Do this two times slowly in each direction. FOR THE FOREARM, HANDS & WRISTS Traffic cop: Reach arms straight out in front of you at shoulder-height with palms facing the ground. Using your left hand, gently pull the fingers of the right hand up and toward the body, opening the palm so that it s in a traffic cop position. Then pull the fingers of your right hand down and toward the body (so your palm is facing your body). Then do both stretches on your other hand. Finish by circling your wrists slowly in each direction to loosen them up further. You re ready now get out there and garden! Source: Marla Altberg, certified personal trainer and Pilates mat instructor, New York City. Daily Health News, Published July 9, 2012