"Still life with pea and plums" by Mateusz Tokarski National Museum in Warsaw Garden Club of New Haven President's Newsletter March 2017 While most people associate St. Patrick's Day with Ireland, peas come to my mind on March 17th. Peas are one of the first vegetables to be planted each growing season. Petit pois - the small peas prized by the French - have a rich history going back to the 1600's. Lore has it that in January, 1660 the head chef for the Countess of Soissen presented the King of France with a crate containing herbs, rosebuds, and fresh small peas. The peas were a great hit with the King, and petit pois with sugar or salt quickly became a dining fad of the French nobility. Petit pois are the youngest and most tender of the pea crop. Typically, there are 4-6 peas in a pod, and there may be only 1 or 2 that can be graded petite. The rule of thumb is to plant peas on, or near, St. Patrick's Day. The seeds like cold weather and do not care for nutritious soil. Indeed, on a seed packet there will be a warning regarding that fact. The seeds flower in 40 days and can be harvested in 55 days from planting. Our gardens this time of year are blank canvases but,
with attention to timing and a little effort, by the second week of May you-like the French Kings and nobility-may enjoy petit pois. Happy planting. Warm regards, Bonnie News of members: Terry Stockman has been appointed Chair of Hospitality at the GCA Headquarters. Congratulations Terry. Mikey Hirschoff has written to the Committee on Environment regarding the GCNH's support of H.B. No.6123, AN ACT CONCERNING TREE REMOVAL AT ACCESS HIGHWAYS. She will keep us informed of any activity in this area. Thank you Mikey An Interview with Gail Otis 1. Why did you decide to join the garden club?
I recently moved to the beach in East Haven, along with my Golden Retriever Lukas. My neighbor, Linda Badgley, suggested that I join the club to learn more about plants that grow on the shoreline. 2. Which particular areas of the club interest you the most? I am interested in horticulture and in learning more about environmentally conscious plants, especially those with low water requirements and those that grow in shade. I love both annuals and perennials and propagation interests me very much. Community outreach is also very important to me. Billie's flower arranging classes were a lot of fun and I have loved getting to know the wonderful members of the club. My job of replenishing the pamphlets for the club's walking tours of the New Haven Green has been interesting and I have a few ideas about how we can increase the visibility and usage of the walking tours! 3. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have been an equestrian all of my life and eventually rode out of King Oak Farm in South Hampton, competing in dressage and jumping throughout the northeast and in Florida. I also was the volunteer coordinator of a therapeutic equestrian center for the handicapped in Holyoake, Massachusetts. I have always been a champion of animal rights. In 1995 I graduated from Smith College where I was an Ada Comstock Scholar. This program enables women of nontraditional college age to complete a bachelor of arts degree. For my thesis, I photographed the rodeo for two years traveling throughout the U.S. and France. Did you know that there is a rodeo in Sarasota, Florida? I learned that rodeo riders are brave and strong individuals from all walks of life, and I also studied horticulture. After graduation I was a freelance photographer, spending time in Nicaragua helping to open a clinic for people who lost limbs. I also spent 5 weeks in Jordan because I wanted to experience a world that I knew nothing about, an Arab country. I worked with police officers in New Haven helping them improve their interpersonal interactions. And, I am an artist - welding life-sized horses, making jewelry and working in mixed media. And finally, I enjoy visiting senior citizen homes with Lukas who is a therapy dog. To see more interviews with our provisionals, go to the GCNH website here.
Upcoming Events 1. Judi Freudenburg has organized two lecture classes for The Edgerton Park Conservancy. These lectures will be given by Rachel Ziesk who is an Advanced Master Gardener and an active lecturer and educator. Sunday, April 2, 3-5 pm at the carriage house. "Soils and Garden Planning" Monday, April 24, 5:30-7:30 pm at the carriage house. "Combating Pests and Diseases in the Garden" 2. The Tree Wardens' Association of Connecticut will hold their 25th Anniversary Celebration and Workshops at the Omni Hotel on Friday, April 28, 2017. Falling on Arbor Day, this will be the premiere educational and entertainment event for those who manage, care for, and cherish trees. The world renowned expert of woody plants and author, Dr. Michael Dirr, will speak on the nobility of trees. Then attendees can choose one of three options: Christy Haas and Peter Tyrell (The Care of Trees) will conduct a tree identification walk on the Green; local author Eric Rutkow, will present on the American elm and American chestnut; and Tree Wardens' Association of Connecticut founder, Dr. Robert Ricard, and Glenn Dreyer, the Arboretum Director at Connecticut College, will speak on historical and notable trees. More details can be found online at cttreewardens.org. 3. SEED, The Untold Story (www.seedthemovie.com) This award winning documentary, will be presented by the Fairfield Garden Club, April 5, 2017 at 3 pm and 7 pm at the Fairfield Theater Company, 70 Sandford Street. You can reserve tickets at FairfieldTheater.org. Admission is free. "As many irreplaceable seeds near extinction, SEED reveals the harrowing and heartening story of passionate seed keepers as they strive to defend a 12,000year food legacy. The film aims to bring into clear focus the beauty, hope and magic that seeds represent for humanity."
At the NY Botanical Garden http://www.nybg.org/home/ The Orchid Show - February 18 thru April 9. The exhibit this year features orchid species from Thailand. Chihuly Exhibit - April 22 thru October 29. The artwork of world renowned sculptor Dale Chihuly will be featured in a major exhibition in New York for the first time in more than ten years.
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