Members Share Gardening Hints

     The home of Gail Touchton was the setting for the meeting of the Monroeville Garden Club on Thursday, November 8, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.  Dorothy Crawford served as co-hostess.
     After the business session, a program on "Gardening Hints" was given by various club members.

     Gail Touchton shared her extensive file of gardening articles that she had collected through the years.

     Bev Colquett talked about keeping a garden journal and gave a handout to use as a guide for starting a journal.  Bev passed around her garden journal which she started about ten years ago.

     Evelyn Bond cautioned members about buying plants without first considering whether they are suited to our area (8a) and also recommended that you know where you will be placing them in your yard so that sun requirements will be met.

     Pat Hornady brought a set of gardening books that she no longer needed and offered these to anyone interested.  She also shared some Meyer lemons grown by her brother who lives in Birmingham.

     Dora Pelham shared a hint that she learned from garden club charter member, Mamie Lou York, who had learned it from her mother.  She said the most important thing is your soil and you should always be doing something to improve it.  She added coffee grounds, leaves, pine straw, and vegetable scraps to her soil.   Dora said that in her own garden she also adds egg shells to this mix.  Mrs. York's mother was so protective  of her soil that was was careful to shake loose any soil around the roots of plants she shared with others.  When she pulled weeds, she would let them dry several days and then shake the soil from the roots before disposing of the weeds.

     Margaret Groves offered several hints for repelling gnats and mosquitoes that plague gardeners.  She has found that a spray of original formula Listerine works for her.  Margaret also suggested attaching a dryer sheet to your clothing as a bug repellent.

     Nancy Ziebach recommended that members look at "Pinterest", an internet sharing service as a source for helpful garden information.  One "pin" that she found there suggested using vinegar as a weed killer.  Dana Shinholster said that she uses a homemade weed killer using vinegar, salt and dishsoap.

     Dorothy Crawford shared that she has found that using pecan hulls as mulch is helpful in keeping the family dog from digging in flower beds.

     Everyone who participated in the program was eligible for a door prize drawing.  Winners were Gail Touchton, Pat Hornady, and Dana Shinholster.

     Following the program, members enjoyed refreshments and a social time.  Fourteen members attended along with guests, Brenda Gardener, Casey White, and Martha Kress.

Door prizes were wrapped in brown kraft paper and decorated with items from the

yard:  oak leaves and acorns, hydrangea blooms and a rose made from oak

leaf hydrangea leaves.  To find out how to make one of these roses, check out this website

Roses from autumn leaves

                   

Dora Pelham shares gardening hints.

Gail Touchton and Sara Bradley visit during social time.

Another Great Tool - The Popup Yard Bag

     Recently I purchased a popup yard bag from McNider's Ace Hardware in Monroeville and so far have been pleased with this purchase.  I have seen similar bags around for a while and though interested, found them too heavy before you even put anything in them.  These bags were much more heavy duty and more expensive.  This bag is only $4.99 and works great for collecting leaves from the yard to move to the mulch pile, etc.  I would not recommend it for sticks or other heavy materials.  It comes packed flat and when you release the velcro straps, it springs open.  It collapses to 3" when you are ready to store it.
     Read about it here:

Pop Up Yard Bag

Great Tool For Planting Bulbs and Bedding Plants

     Recently I ordered a heavy duty bulb and bedding plant auger by Better Garden Tools from Amazon.  The auger attaches to most any drill.  It was $21.95 plus shipping.  You can read about it here:

Heavy Duty Bulb and Bedding Plant Auger

     I highly recommend this tool.  If you have a prepared bed, it works like a dream.  If you have a bed with rocks or roots, it still works but is more difficult and you will probably need to have your husband dig the holes.

   The auger will work with a cordless drill but works better with an electric one and it is more powerful.

"The Dirt on Soil"

     The Monroeville Garden Club met at the home of Dotsy Compton on October 11, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.  Carolyn McMillian and Sara Bradley were co-hostesses.  Fifteen members attended and there were three guests.

     During the business session, it was decided to have a garage sale as a fund raiser.  The sale will be on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 7:00 a.m. in the parking lot of St. John's Episcopal Church in Monroeville.  Any money raised will be used to fund the expenses for the large flower pots and hanging baskets around the square and The Katherine Lee Rose Garden.

     Ellen Huckabay, Regional Extension Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in Mobile was the guest speaker and presented an informative program entitled "The Dirt On Soil".  She stressed the importance of having a soil test done as the first step in starting a garden and she gave each member a soil sample kit.  Information from a soil test points out what needs to be done to make the soil ideal for the kind of plants to be grown.

     Following the program, guests were served caramel cake, miniature pecan pies, cheese straws, and coffee.

Dotsy Compton, Carolyn McMillian, and Sara Bradley

Ellen Huckabay talks with guest, Judy Burns.

A Review of Programs For the New Year

     The Monroeville Garden Club met on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Ree Smith in Monroeville, Al.  Audrey Griffin and Margaret Groves were co-hostesses for the meeting.
Seventeen members were in attendance.
 
      New yearbooks were passed out with a review of programs for the coming year.  The cover of the new yearbook features a copy of an original oil painting of the newly designed Katherine Lee Rose Garden.
   
     Members also participated in a "Seed Exchange".  In particular demand were the red poppy seeds from the Shumack Garden in Lenox.
   
     During the social time, members enjoyed pound cake and homemade lemon ice cream and coffee.

   

Seeds that were shared with members.

Yearbook cover featuring the Katherine Lee Rose Garden

Margaret Groves, Ree Smith and Audrey Griffin

   

   

Time to Collect Those Larkspur Seeds!

     For those of you who planted the larkspur seeds that you were given at the October meeting, now is the time to check to see if the seed pods are ready to collect.  For a good illustration of this process, check out this blog:  shovelreadygarden.blogspot.com    

Tour of Shorter Garden in Camden, Al.

     On May 10th, 2012, club members traveled to Camden, Al. to tour the beautiful and extensive garden of Mrs. Gayle Shorter.
     The garden has been planted so as to have something blooming at all times.  Right now the daylilies were most prominent and Mrs. Shorter had a number of unique specimens blooming.
     In the backyard, there were raised beds with plantings of tomatoes and other vegetables.  The back patio area featured a shade garden.
     Following the tour, Mrs. Shorter took members inside her home where she had tables set up for lunch. Our lunch was provided by the Blue Spoon Cooking Company.  Members enjoyed a cold plate of chicken salad, pasta salad, fresh fruit, assorted cheeses and crackers .  The finishing touch was a delicious layered lemon dessert.
     After lunch, members visited other points of interest in Camden:  Camden Jewelry and Gifts, Young's Produce Center, Wilcox Farm Center, and Black Belt Treasurers.
     A trip to Petals of the Past is planned for June 7 and then we will have a break in meetings until September.

Mrs. Shorter telling us about the garden.

"Red Hot Poker Plant"

Shade Garden

Vegetable Garden

Evelyn Bond, Mrs Shorter, and Elba Bonham discussing the vegetable garden.

Gail Touchton admiring the shade garden.

Water feature.

Delicious lunch provided by "The Blue Spoon Cooking Company".

Young's had a large assortment of plants and concrete statuary.

Rose Garden -April 14, 2012