The Truth about Tulips

Hi everybody! I am looking out my window at today's version of the biblical rainstorms and it seemed like a good time to write something about tulips--since their season is fast approaching. We all love tulips--they give us brilliant color when our eyes are desperate to see it. They come in such an array of forms and shapes, heights and colors. Want over the top baroque? Tulips can give it to you. Ruffled and girly--no problem. Simple and tailored? Exotic and mysterious? Yep. Ever since the Turkish ambassador made a gift of bulbs to Flemish botanist Charles de l'Ecluse in 1530, these wonderful bulbs have filled the world with their color and magical beauty.
There is a fair amount of mystery about tulip culture--and that's what got me thinking about this. I am doing a bit of research into this and will make a post in the Spiffy tips about that---but what I want to talk about here is how tulips fit into history. Most people have heard of the "Tulip Mania" that supposedly siezed Holland in the 1600's and ultimately destroyed the economy--but the fact of the matter is, things didn't really happen that way. Thanks to Wikipedia I have a better idea of what Tulip Mania really was.
After Charles (okay--Chuckie the Botanist) grew the bulbs and they were seen to thrive in their new home in Holland, they became an object of fascination and a status symbol in that country. Classed by color, the broken colored varieties especially the pink and white and purple and white combinations were highly sought after. It takes 7 to 10 years for tulips to bloom from seed, and several years for new clone bulbs that form on the parent bulb to reach maturity, so its easy to see that the supply was limited for these plants. Add to that the fact that when tulips achieve maturity and do bloom, the main bulb disappears, and clone bulbs form in their place--meaning that the plantings of the tulips were not entirely permanent.
Now you have a sought after plant, and a limited supply. Prices go up.
As this began to happen, people began to begin to grow tulips as a source of income. The traditional school of thought is that people of all economic levels from Millionaires to paupers began dabbling in tulips--but research has found evidence of tulip culture for money only in the middle class or higher echelons. People began to purchase futures of tulip crops--and the speculation began. A lot of religious institutions looked upon this practice as a form of gambling and wrote some highly sensational pamphlets about the evils of tulip "mania". These pamphlets formed the basis for the historical perception that all of Holland was staggering around in a tulip induced haze, arresting people for accidentally eating tulip bulbs, trading their estates and lands for a single bulb etc.
What really happened was interesting, but not nearly so cataclysmic. People traded futures and some small fortunes were made or lost. Something quite similar happened when Hyacinths first hit the market. However, when the bottom dropped out of the Tulip market, it really crashed and burned in a way that Hyacinth values did not. Some of what happened was related to the ending of the Thirty Years War, and an uptick in available money in circulation because of that; some of it was related to a legal change in the futures contracts for the tulips. The contracts at first were legally binding--if you agreed to buy 100 bulbs at 5 bucks apiece and when they were ready to go they were only selling for 1.00 apiece--tough toenails for you. Pay up and enjoy your stupidly expensive bulbs. But the florists guild got parliment to change the way the contracts were administered--and they all became option contracts. This meant if you agreed to pay 5 bucks and they were only worth 1 at harvest, you could pay a penalty and the contract would be voided. Add to that the bubonic plague was flying all around and people were generally freaked out, and you have the recipe for a strange set of circumstances, and an even stranger set of reactions to the phenomenon.
So the "Tulip Mania" of old may not have been the first "speculative bubble" as many people have claimed, but it was a period of time when flowers went about doing that voodoo that they do do so well--and people spent some time being hypnotized by a plant. When Holland awoke from the trance, she had a bit of a hangover, and the psychological effects of the rise and fall in prices for a PLANT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD reverberated in their society for a long time. Fortunately for us, they have never lost their adoration for this beautiful genus, and the tulip growing business is alive and well in Holland. Now each winter we can open the pages of those glossy catalogs with their highly colored (and sometimes disingenously photoshopped) photos and dream of melting snow and brilliant colors fluttering in the warm sun. YES I SAID SUN!!!!!!!! THERE WILL BE SUN!!!!!!
Now go eat some pie and wait for the rain to stop!
Hail to the Dirt!

PROGRAM AT FERNWOOD FEATURING MICHAEL--but no pie :-(

Hey folks--this program will happen the Sunday before we get to see Michael at Bobbi's--sounds like it would be really interesting and educational!


Modern Plant Exploration: Boondoggles or Legitimate Science?
Dr. Michael Dosmann, a former Fernwood employee and present Curator of Living Collections at The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, will present a program at Fernwood on Sunday, May 1, at 1:00 pm. The connections between people and plants are some of the strongest bonds known. We eat plants, we use their fibers and wood, and we admire them in our gardens. Toward those ends, intrepid plant explorers have long searched the wilds for the rare, the unusual, and the magnificent. These adventurers have brought back exclusive 'new plants' as well as amazing stories. However, in this modern age when nature is dwindling and invasive plants are on the rise, many rightfully ask if the goals for plant collecting should change - or if the activity should even take place at all. Dr. Michael Dosmann returns to Fernwood to share his own experiences as a plant collector and botanist. He will talk about how plant collecting might be different than it was in the time of Ernest Henry 'Chinese' Wilson 100 years ago, but it is no less important. In fact, efforts to explore and document biodiversity are more important now than ever before.
This lecture is free to Fernwood members - non-members are $20. Register by Saturday, April 30, by calling 269.695.6491. You must have a reservation to attend, so don't delay!

Gardens are for Giving

Hi folks--Great meeting last night! Many thanks to Kathy for giving us all a chance to meet Sara Stewart and learn about the phenomenal transformation that Unity Gardens is bringing about all around the area. More on this later--first the boring stuff (i.e. business meeting). We dispensed with the Secretary's report and Shirly only had one thing to report--that after some minor confusion she took care of business and got our district dues paid. We didn't realize we owed district dues--or we forgot--who knows. If it was anyone's fault it was probably mine--but thanks to Shirley's diligence its taken care of now. Thanks, Ms. Rynearson! In old business--Mary Ann reported back, and our lunch outing to Thyme of Grace will be on Friday May 6 at high noon. We will meet before this and get our menu choices finalized so Mary Ann can call them and give a heads up so they will be ready for us. This will not be a meeting--just a fun day. Plan to attend and enjoy a wonderful lunch. In state club news--Rosie and I will be going to the convention in Merrilville this Thursday. This is the day of the awards banquet. We will do a little recon to help with the "jobs" assignment that as a club we need to iron out. More on this in new business. From MHA--the spring kickoff luncheon was great--you can join MHA for free--just go online to http://www.michianahort.org/, I asked if people still want to try and make a trip to Lurie Gardens--I will get in touch with Ben and see if he wants to make the journey. (I know--is the sky blue???--come on!) With that, we dispensed with old business and went on to new. First off was picking a new date for the June meeting at Rosie's--we don't want to conflict with the other garden club she has coming, so we will meet on WEDNESDAY the 8th of June. Hopefully we can get organized and she can teach us all to make hypertufa planters. On to state convention news, Patrick was nice enough to make a beautiful beaded pin on behalf of all of us to present to Joyce Bulington, the state president. Joyce was a big help to us as we went about forming our club, and I wanted to give her a small momento of our group from all of us. Thanks so much, Patrick, for this beautiful and unique gift. And in more convention news, we all examined and discussed the list of available "jobs" for the club to choose from to help with the 2012 convention. There was some consternation and a lot of varying opinions as to what task would be appropriate for our small, inexperienced club. Rosie had a lot of good insight to contribute that helped us feel more informed. Shirley suggested that we ask for help in deciding and Sue suggested that we see if we can "pair up" with another club to share a task. Everyone felt that these were good ideas, and I will do my best to implement them at the meeting next Thursday with the planning committee. Be warned folks, I am entirely out of my element here--but I will try to get the right thing done. Thankfully Rosie will be there too--and I know her help will be invaluable. With that, we dispensed with new business, and there were a few announcements: "Indiana Gardening" magazine is a terrific new publication available. http://www.indianagardeningmag.com/ or phone them at 1-888-265-3600. Prairie Pride Folk Art Show is April 16-17 from 10-5 Laporte time. Address is 3883 E. 700 N. in Rolling Prairie. Sue had some print material from Rockford regarding public gardens and a shuttle tour. Dave bought some fish emulsion that is putting the evil asian carp to good use. Who remembers "BASSOMATIC" from Saturday night live?? River Street Flowerland is having twig furniture classes. You can visit their website http://www.riverstreetflowerland.com/ Unity Gardens opening day is Sat. April 9 from 12-2 at the LaSalle Square Unity Garden 3701 Prast Blvd. Website is http://www.theunitygardens.blogspot.com/ Which brings us (finally) to our speaker, Sara Stewart, the driving force behind and creator of Unity Gardens. This amazing idea which arose from Sara's experiences as a public health nurse has quickly gained momentum to become a real community wide phenomenon. The simple concept of healthy food grown by a community for a community has taken hold and rapidly become a real force for good in St. Joe County. Along with nutritious produce that is lovingly grown and freely given to anyone, came education about healthy food preparation and meal planning, learning the art and science of gardens for many age groups, as well as opening doors for people both socially and economically. Unity Gardens is a young endeavor, but already they have a legacy they can call their own that is manifest in the partnership of people from diverse backgrounds who come together to create a common good. Sara is to be applauded and helped in this undertaking, and many groups both public and private have stepped up to grow this program. Anyone can create a Unity Garden--there are some criteria that need to be met; for information you can call 574-315-4361. Thanks again to Sara and her beautiful technical support personnel (daughter, Leigh) for an inspiring and informative presentation. We wish them every success, and hopefully we can be a contributing factor to that success either as individuals or as a group. With that, Patrick adjourned us and those of us that hadn't already glommed on to the terrific treats that Shirley provided (as always--thank you, GF) did so. Thanks again to Kathy for her friendship with Sara and providing us all with this chance to meet her.

Maggie found a plant sale!

Hi folks--Henslers is having their annual plant auction--check the link:

http://www.kasersauction.com/images/nursery.pdf

Thanks Maggie!

Up and coming STUFF--get ready for spring!

Hey all--here are a couple upcoming things to help put some SPRING JOY into our lives.

http://riverstreetflowerland.com/component/content/article/1-news/26-third-willow-class.html

http://theunitygardens.blogspot.com/p/our-mission.html

Thanks to Kathy for the Unity Gardens update!
FL

HYPERTUFA AT ROSIES????? FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday Rosie stopped by with a wonderful idea. We have to change the date of our June meeting at her house--we were thinking maybe Wednesday the 8th instead of Tuesday. And if we do this, we can converge under Rosies circus tent and she will teach us to make HYPERTUFA troughs! This is a wonderful way to make gorgeous planters for your yard and garden and I would love to learn. We need to know if this day change will work for everyone so Rosie can begin getting her head wrapped around what we will need to do this. I am sure we can all pitch in to pay for our own materials, or bring stuff or do whatever is required. Please email me or phone and let me know if this date change works for you. I will also have Buscia do some phone calling. HTTD! (and the hypertufa!)
FL

Time to start getting DIRTY

Hi everyone--thanks to all who made the meeting last night. We didn't have a lot of business to take care of, which meant we had plenty of time to visit and stuff.
As for business--we didn't have any minutes read--Shirley has been keeping track of what goes on though. She also shouldered the burden of recording and submitting everyone's dues to the state. This is a time consuming and fiddley task and I really appreciate her stepping up to be responsible for this. Our state dues have been paid, and we all have little ID cards now from the Garden Club of Indiana.
We also discussed our plans to meet for lunch at Thyme of Grace. Mary Ann will look into this further, with the intent of doing this the first Friday in May (May 6). The tenative plan will be to meet at noon. This will not be a meeting--just a fun outing. Our meeting will have happened Tuesday of that same week at Bobbi's. We may have Pat McCauslin from ND as a speaker if his schedule permits--or if we are all VERY GOOD and bake LOTS OF PIE we may be lucky enough to get a visit from Michael Dossmann. I know his mom and dad would be thrilled if he could make it home but its a very busy time for him. In any case there is plenty of beauty to drink in and enjoy at Dave and Bobbi's. In fact Bobbi suggested that people arrive early so we can trek back to the woods to see the zillions of daffodils she has planted. Be sure to bring boots--I have been back there and you will need them. But its a beautiful sight for sure, and something well worth the hike!
That pretty much took care of the old business. As for new business--Sue passed around some literature about some worm casting products available from the Farmer's market and information about a Garden Show on Mar. 19-20 at Ginger Valley.
We discussed the upcoming MHA tailgate flower shows, which will take place at Beutter Park on June 11, July 9 and Oct. 1. The theme for the first one is "Blast from the Past" and we decided that if Dwayne is amenable we will use "Homer" the vintage pickup truck for our display and do a retro "Sanford and Son" type display, complete with costumes. More on this later. Shirley volunteered her Prius for the July show, which is themed "Think Green".

We had a reminder from Shirley about the upcoming Chigago flower show trip. She has a fairly large group going. Date for the trip is Sat. March 12.

The Sept. meeting will be held at Marianne Kemp's house. She is going to tell us about her food preservation adventures, including winemaking.

Our next meeting is Tues. April 5 at Shirleys. Sara Stewart will be telling us about Unity Gardens. Thanks to Kathy for setting this up.

As for announcements--Don't forget the benefit for Unity Gardens at http://www.naturescrossroads.com/. They are donating a portion of the proceeds from any seed sales.

March 5 is the day for 2 great garden events--a Symposium at Fernwood featuring some heavy hitter speakers including Roy Diblik. This event is $90.00 for members and $110 for non members. Also the Warsaw master gardeners symposium is that day featuring Paul James. Late fee for that is 40.00.

And a reminder to check your "Indiana Gardens" for signup information regarding the state convention in Merrilville. The deadline is fast approaching if you want to go. There is a discount for early registration.

After that we talked about seed starting basics. I will write a longer blog to recap everything I covered in that discussion. Suffice to say there were a lot of interesting questions, and I hope that everyone will think about trying this very rewarding pursuit.

When we got done I forgot to ask Patrick to adjourn us--so we actually are still meeting.
We can't be done until he says so!
HTTD!

CAN IT BE??? SPRING?????

Hey everybody--Bobbi just sent me this pic of SNOWDROPS. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody else that has spring babies, run out and have them smile pretty for the camera and send 'em along. We can all use the happy!

Hail to the (still frozen but getting better) dirt!

Time for Trees

Hey folks--we had a great time at the Soil and Water Conservation program last night--thanks again to Bobbi for spotting this opportunity. The speaker was from Hensler's Nursery--and he clearly had a deep love for and immense knowledge of trees. He covered everything from selecting appropriate species for the yard to planting tips and disease management. Some of the tidbits I came away with were the fact that municipalities have "tree boards" that you can consult with to help you choose recommended species for your area, root systems can extend out as much as three times the size of the canopy, most tree roots are within 18 inches of the surface, there is a bagworm that appears on arborvitae, and other trees that are recent migrants to our areas. The caterpillars hatch in June and as they go through their life cycles they can do a fair amount of damage. Air temps below minus 18 will kill them off. There are pesticides that will control them, or the bags can be picked off and drowned in soapy water. This works best if its done before June.
There were a lot of interesting questions from the audience as well, and he answered everyone in great detail. He emphasized the importance of uncircling roots in potted plants, careful attention to drainage patterns--especially clay soils, and proper fertilizing and watering of newly planted trees.
We were also provided with a lot of helpful handouts that covered a wide array of subjects.
And they had cookies--what could be better than trees and cookies. Oh--I know--trees and PIE. Or maybe trees and cookies and PIE.
Everything is better with PIE.
Shirley handed out a sheet with info about the upcoming excursion to the Chicago Flower Show. She is sending emails out about it as well. This is basically something Shirley and her family do each year, and she has been nice enough to invite us all to glom on to it. Personally I want to see Buscia's girls dance at the blues bar:-)
It was great to see everyone--as this old fashioned winter maintains its grip on us, it really helps to get a reminder that garden season IS coming and WILL get here.
We will see you all in March--until then stay warm.
And get some PIE.

FLASH FROM ROSIE!!!! GREAT EVENT COMING UP

Hi everyone--Rosie just sent me this on facebook. She has the registration form--Who wants to go????
Kosciusko County Master Gardener Symposium - Saturday, March 5, 2011 - 9 a.m. EST at Lakeview Middle School - 848 East Smith Street, Warsaw. The featured speaker is Paul James of "Gardening by the Yard". Tickets are $30 if purchased by February 23 - includes Continental Breakfast and Lunch.
HTTD

New link

Hey folks--I put a link in the "Handy links for dirty hands" to Debbie Brown's new blog about Bluebird House. If you need a beautiful place for guests or a party--think about Bluebird House. Hopefully Debbie will join our club soon and then she can keep us updated in person with all thats going on!

EVENTS A Plenty!

Hey everyone--thanks to our recent visit to the Porter County Master Gardener show, as well as a newsflash from Ben, I have a lot of upcoming stuff to tell you about. Check your calenders for empty days that you might have free to attend one or all of these fun things! And don't forget the State Convention for the GCI is coming up in April as well.
Here they are in no particular order:

APRIL 2 AT THYME OF GRACE RESTAURANT!!!! Ben and the Michiana Horticultural Alliance will be throwing a mini symposium. The guest speakers will be Ben, who will talk about--what else--GARDENING--Helloooooo--is there anyone surprised by this? The other guest will be someone from River Street Flowerland in Kalamazoo (my FAVE NURSERY) and they will do a hands on demo about container gardening. This place has some of the most beautiful containers you have ever seen--and their design people should have a lot to teach! If you aren't a member of the MHA yet--its free and super easy to join--just go to http://www.michianahort.org/ and sign up. Times and particulars aren't in the newsletter--I suspect they will be put out later.

MAY 7 will be the Garden Party--this annual event put on by the Four Winds Garden Club will begin at 8:30 on Saturday. You can purchase a ticket for the full day or half a day. The festivities end at 3:30. This lovely event takes place at St. John's United Church of Christ, 2701 E. Bristol St. , Elkhart. Tickets are 27.50 per person for the full day (includes continental breakfast and lunch) or 15.00 for a half day, which would frun from 8:30 to noon or from noon to 3:30--and include only one of the meals. There will be vendors, speakers and a make and take activity. For more information you can contact Judy Cook at inbert@msn.com . Reservations must be in by May 2.

Another event on SAT MAY 7 is the 11th annual native plant sale at Gibson Woods in Hammond IN. You can visit their website at gw-wildones.org. This runs from 9 to 2 and the flyer says for the best selection arrive early.
Another fun event is the Garden, Pond and Patio Expo in Crown Point at the Lake County Fairgrounds. This shindig costs 5.00 to get in, but its a very nice show. It runs from 9 to 5 in the Industrial Building.

From Rosie--The Northwest Indiana Hosta Society has their next meeting Sun. Feb. 13th at the Brookstone Estates Condod at 7507 Taft St. in Merrillville.They meet at 1:30 (their are an hour behind us) and their speaker will be Barb Ziolkowski, a master gardener and owner of a terrific place in New Carlisle. She will be talking about Daylilies in the Garden. Barb is a super person--if you haven't met her, now would be a great time!

Gardens on the Prairie in Lowell IN. is a place that must go on the radar screen of totally kewl places to go. They have events going on all season long--visit their website:
http://www.gardensontheprairie.com/ to learn more.
Thats all for now--HTTD!!!

Latest issue of Indiana Gardens

Hi folks--The latest issue of Indiana Gardens is out--let me know if you didn't get it and I will forward the document to you. There is a lot of information about the State Convention in it, so be sure to check it out.

FLASH FLASH FLASH!!!

Hey everyone--Rosie has given me a list of plants available from a wholesaler she buys from. If you want to purchase some really nice potted hosta in 4 inch pots she will add them into her order. To view pictures of the plants go to www.qandznursery.com and click on the availability list. Then click on the plant name to see a pic and description. To get the best discount these need to be placed by Feb. first. Delivery will be the first week of May. Rosie has an email list she can send you for the available plants--there are a few helleborus and daylilies on the list too. Rosies email is :
rosiesgarden@msn.com
You will need to add 1.00 per plant to cover shipping.
Check it out! lots of really nice buys there--thanks so much to Rosie for offering to do this!

Link to Unity Gardens Blog

Hey folks--Kathy came through with flying colors, and we now have Sara Stewart on board to come speak to us in April. I also asked Kathy to get a "wish list" from Sara for things they need for Unity Gardens. She will let me know the results of this and I will post it on the blog. That way when Sara comes to speak to us, we can bring donations of needed items to help Unity Gardens in their efforts.
Here is a link to the Unity Gardens blog--I will also put it in the "handy links for dirty hands" section. There is a series of classes being offered at the Greenhouse starting this Saturday about growing vegetables. So if you don't make it over to Valpo, this is another garden related thing to do. Sounds like this will be an ongoing series that will continue for awhile.
HTTD!
http://www.theunitygardens.blogspot.com/

FINALLY!

Hi everyone--wasn't it nice of Mother Nature to finally cooperate and let us have a meeting? It was so great to see everyone. We are a fun group and I love being around all of you. Rosie regaled us with tales of her upcoming dramatic triumph in Laportes epic production--''Robin Hood and the Neck Talking Merrymen". Bobbie told us a cautionary tale about keeping Depends in the car and going for a big Mac. Maybe they should just include a pair in each biggie meal. Shirleys house is undergoing some kitchen demolition (first kitchen or second kitchen? Is the second kitchen for fixing second breakfast?) with the capable help of Dwayne and Cindy. Buscia is footloose and fancy free for the moment, Sue braved icy roads and transported all her kids safely as she always does, Maggie was home with a bug--GET WELL SOON MAGGIE! and Patrick is getting ready to box and ship after his latest Ebay triumph. We welcomed a new member--Kathy Harrell--thanks so much to Bobbi for inviting her to join. Kathy is well versed in the mysteries of African violets and is a houseplant enthusiast--and she will be a wonderful addition to our group.
Okay--down to business--or at least what we could remember between us since we last met.
Shirley won the "heads up" award by contacting WNDU and WSBT and starting the process of having our club posted on the channel crawls when they show cancellations. Currently they show up on the WNDU website, but hopefully when the process is complete they will run on the crawls of both stations. Thanks to her for taking this initiative. Great idea!
Shirley also passed our balance sheet around so anyone wanting to examine it was welcome to. She and I also discussed filing membership information about Rosie, Hayden and Kathy with the state--we need to email back and forth and get this taken care of. Apologies to Rosie and Hayden for being so lackadaisical about this.
I passed around a letter I received from the Delaware Federation of Garden Clubs thanking me for my donation to the Healing Garden at Dover AFB. If anyone else wants to make a contribution, you can go to the website:
MemorialGarden-Dover.org
and get information about how to contribute. If you send monies just be sure you enclose something stating this is where you want the money to go. At the time I sent my contribution in they were not set up to receive money online, but this may have changed now.
We also talked about the District meeting that Mary Ann, Bobbi and I attended in Oct. That was so long ago I don't remember much of what happened (note to club--next time elect a president with a functioning memory) but a couple things stuck in my head:
Postage has become outrageous so the state and district are going to rely primarily on internet to disseminate information. This includes the quarterly publication "Indiana Gardens" that will be emailed to members as a PDF. Anyone that can't receive this just needs to let me know and I will get you a printed copy. Cindy needs a printed copy of the most recent one.
I was given two copies of the state bylaws. I have one copy and Shirley has one now.
Joan Stone, the District President asked that each club in the district designate a member to serve on a planning committee for the upcoming State meeting in 2012 that our district will be hosting. Rosie was nice enough to step up and take responsibility for this job. She has sent her information along to Joan, but has heard nothing back yet. Thanks so much to Rosie for shouldering this job. Maybe we should bake HER some bread!
ALSO FLASH FLASH FLASH--We never discussed it because we got so involved in other stuff--but Rosie has a very wonderful idea to pass along if anyone wants to purchase some totally kewl hostas at reasonable prices. Watch the blog, facebook and your emails for updates on this.
Okay back to business--the other thing I remembered from the meeting is that clubs are encouraged to apply for awards--there are lots of them. You can go to the state website (link below in Handy links for Dirty Hands) and read about them. Rosie mentioned that there is an award for a program book--and we probably should have one anyway. I will see what I can pull together for that. Does anyone else want to get in on this project? I don't think it will be much to do--but I can think of several ways to stand the idea of program books on its head.
Might be fun.
OKAY--that was all the old junk--on to the new. The main discussion we had was about prorating dues for members that join the club throughout the year--specifically what to do about Kathy since she is joining so close to the end of our fiscal year. Thanks to Rosie for articulating our decision, and Shirley for noting it all down--the decision was basically this: People who join at any time will have to pay the 8 dollars to be filed with the state. That amount is inflexible and has to be collected. The remaining 12 dollars of the dues works out to 1 dollar a month, and if new members CHOOSE to prorate their own dues to pay only for the months that will pass before the new fiscal year, they may do so. If they wish to simply pay the whole 20 bucks regardless of when they join, thats fine too. This proposal was articulated by Rosie, seconded by Cindy and unanimously passed by a voice vote. It was also decided at this time that Kathy will wait and pay her first dues in April, which is the beginning of our fiscal year. At that time Shirley will file all three new memberships with the state.
Then we went on to a fun lunch day at Thyme of Grace. Sue brought up the fact that Michelle (the owner) has very pretty box beds planted in her parking lot, so a good time to go would be when the beds are growing. We decided around the 3rd week of May would be a good time--and Sue said as long as she has advance notice she can make a lunch event. Buscia was nice enough to let me "volunteer" her to take charge of this endeavor, and we will await her "intelligence report" on this. We will need to have the date nailed down by mid April so Sue has enough time to accomodate her schedule.
We also discussed an "I am sick of Winter" event to do. This year our event will be to glom onto Shirley's annual Chicago Flower show trip. She will send out invitations closer to the time--basically the idea is get yourself there and meet up and have a fun time. Go to the bar with the orchids, snore really loud and wake up on the hotel room floor? :-)
As for announcements--we had the following--Porter County Master Gardeners show is this Saturday. Follow this link for info:
http://www.pcgarden.info/gardening_show.html
This is a wonderful event--very well worth going to. If you have seeds or bulbs to trade, be sure and check out the information about swapping. Rosie will be there in the Hosta Society booth, Ben and I will be there in the MHA booth. Great speakers and lots of fun. 10 dollars gets you in and gets you a ticket or two for the swap as well.

The Michiana Horticultural Alliance has 3 dates set for its Backseat flower shows--these will all be in Beutter Park. Please plan on participating (we can participate as individuals or as a garden club) and help this fledgling organization get off to a flying start. There is a lot of potential in Ben's ideas and he has been working so hard to bring them to fruition. He deserves a lot of credit and support for this.
Also the MHA first annual nursery crawl will be on Mothers Day weekend and will continue throughout the following week.
You can find out more about the MHA events on the website--www.Michianahort.org

OKAY--after all this we got down to business and perfected our schedule for next year. We didn't exactly follow Cindy's model of drawing names, but everyone participated and will be contributing next year. This is wonderful because the club will take on the identity of everyone involved with it--and all our strengths and interests will have a chance to be expressed. Here is the calender as it stands now:

Feb. 8th at 6:30--Meet for a program at the Farm Bureau Office on South Michigan. Subject will be Selecting and Planting Trees, presented by Hensler's Nursery. Thanks to Bobbi for spotting this opportunity.

Tues. March 1 at 7 at Shirleys--Maggie was nice enough to round up Pat McCauslin, the head of landscaping at Notre Dame to talk to us. PLEASE NOTE--this date is not entirely firm until I hear back from Maggie--it may be March 8, the second Tues. I will amend this post when the date is finalized.

Tues. April 5 at 7 at Shirleys--Kathy is going to see if her friend Sara Stewart who is in charge of Unity Gardens can come and speak to us.

Tues. May 3 at 7 pm. at Bobbi's. We will gaze in awe at their BEEYOUTIFUL trees.

Tues. June 7th 7 pm. at Rosie's. We will admire Rosie's gorgeous hostas and hear all about these plants she loves so dearly.

Tues. July 12 7 pm. (NOTE--THIS IS THE SECOND TUES IN JULY) My house. We can hang out and look at the flowers. I can tell you all a little bit about junior genetics if you want to know.

Tues. Aug. 2 at Cindy and Dwayne's. We will have a chance to see the amazing and creative place Dwayne and Cindy call home--enjoy the beautiful deck they created, and hear the mystical and wonderful story of the Burr Oak tree. Cindy will also tell us about her many years as a wildlife rehab specialist. Over the years she has shown tremendous dedication to caring for animals who need help, and we can't wait to hear all about it.

Tues. Sept. 13 at 7 pm--place to be determined--either Shirley's or Marianne Kemp's. Marianne is an authority when it comes to food preservation. I think she knows how to preserve just about anything you can think of eating--and if she hasn't done it yet, she is always game to try. She makes her own wine out of just about anything and hopefully she can tell us about it. I will have to find out if she is willing for us to meet at her place--her garden really is a wonder of ingenuity and creative expression and deserves to be seen and appreciated.

Tues. Oct. 4th at Kathy's house--7 pm. Its not too late to gift plants--so lets think about maybe bringing Kathy something to help her with her yard. In the next few meetings we need to ask her about her site so we can decide what would be of use to her. She in turn is going to show us her houseplants, a subject many of us are woefully underinformed about. In particular she will hopefully teach us about dividing African Violets. I adore AV's but I seem to be an unwitting serial killer of them. Maybe Kathy can help me.

Tues. Nov. 1st at Shirleys--7 pm. Crafts. Patrick PLEEZE bring your bead box--and we will think up some other ideas for "make and take". Hopefully we can be more organized about it this year. I can always bring the pick machine.

Tues. Dec. 6th 7 pm. at Shirleys--Garden Recap and Cookie exchange--thanks to Sue for that great idea. We will talk about our garden successes and failures of the previous year. Be thinking about this meeting all the year through--so you can bring photos or examples of your triumphs.

So thats the year in a nutshell! But as a bonus--there were a lot of "side trips" that came up in the discussion--and it would be great to incorporate some of these things into our years' activities. Here are other ideas that popped up:
If anyone wants to spearhead coordinating any of these speak up! Most of them are pretty casual--we can all just get someplace on our own and meet up there.

TRIP TO THE QUIET CORNER IN CHURUBUSCO
JASPER PULASKI TO SEE THE SANDHILL CRANES
LAVENDER HILL FARM
MARY ANN AND BLACKIE'S REDNECK GARDEN PARTY
JF NEW
WELLFIELD BOTANIC GARDEN
LURIE GARDENS WITH BEN
KALAMAZOO--WYETH EXHIBITION (Also River Street Flowerland--my FAVE nursery in the world)
WHO WANTS TO DRIVE A LONG WAY AND GO TO NORTHWIND GARDENS IN WISC.?? ITS WELL WORTH THE TRIP.
B.J. ZOILKOWSKI'S OPEN HOUSE IN JULY
HOSTA SOCIETY BUS TRIP
SUNFLOWER FEST
PIET OUDOLF AT FERNWOOD
BOTANIC BOUTIQUE (May 20-21)

So thats everything! Looks like a busy and fun year!

Better than TV

Now that we are more or less confined to our houses--we find ourselves gazing out the windows longing for spring sunshine and green spaces. Winter has its own particular beauty though--more Oriental in its influence, with strong lines and simple shapes and curves. Much of the detail disappears, and we are left with the bones that make up the world around us. One of the things this enforced simplicity does is push what detail is left to see into the forefront of our vision. Shapes of branches write themselves sharply across our eyes; conifers stand out like block prints with their filagreed canopies. Another beautiful detail that now comes into sharp focus is the winter birds. They animate the quiet canvas with their movment and color--some now softened to camouflage, some remain brilliant like the Cardinals and Blue jays. The still winter air magnifies their singing and calling to a crisp clarity; and we are reminded by their presence that life continues on, waiting patiently for spring.

Watching birds has always been a part of my life. They have always uplifted and enriched my existence; and winter is very special because of the intimate contact it provides with them. Feeding birds has become a very popular pastime and a multi million dollar business. I am sure most if not all our members feed the birds, and enjoy the relaxing pastime of watching them at the feeders.

Here are some simple facts and tidbits to enhance your "feeder watching" through the winter months. Most of these things may not be anything new to folks, but it never hurts to put them down in writing.

The most economical food to feed is black oil sunflower. Almost all birds eat it, and pound for pound it gives them the most nutritional bang for the buck. The hulls do fall to the ground and make a mess. They also secrete a chemical which can inhibit the growth of plants that get buried under their mass. You can either--a) ignore the mess, b) rake it up in spring, c) situate the feeder so the mess falls where it won't be a problem, d) feed the "no waste" foods, which seem more expensive, but you are not paying for the weight of the seed hulls d)feed suet blocks or seed blocks which will minimize the mess.

The cheap "songbird" mixes are really kind of a waste--they are full of things like corn and millet which the small songbirds will not or cannot eat. They will provide food for species like sparrows, bluejays and starlings, so if this is the primary type of birds you see you can use this food. But if you want to attract the pretty little birds, you will need to supplement these mixes with sunflower seed. However--if you seem to see a multitude of sparrows and house finches--don't despair! First off, these humble birds need to eat too; and their presence acts as a beacon to the other little songbirds--a group of sparrows congregated in one spot tells everyone a new restaurant is in town. And second--if you should see a group of humble brown birds, don't just think "oh, sparrows (or house finches)" and write them off. Examine the flock a little more closely. Oftentimes different species group together in winter, and its not unusual to find a less common bird in the group. I have spotted white crowned sparrows, fox sparrows, song sparrows, purple finches, pine siskins and redpolls in groups like this.

Peanuts are highly attractive to birds in winter because they produce so much heat. You can buy unsalted "scrap" peanuts to mix in with your sunflower. Its best to choose peanuts over peanut butter--a lot of cheap peanut butters no longer contain peanut oil--its decanted off and replaced with cheaper oils. And while peanut butter is delicious to birds it can really make them sick if they eat too much of it. Suet or dough cakes are also good sources of energy and heat. The cakes with nuts and fruits in them will bring members of the woodpecker family to your feeders with great success.

Birds need water in winter. We have a heated birdbath and I am always surprised at how many birds use it. A friend of mine used to have bluebirds all through the winter at her heated birdbath. That right there would make any electric bill worthwhile.

Even if you live in a fairly populated area, there is a good chance that you have raptors around. These highly adaptable predators have become accustomed to people and the ones that eat birds have learned to monitor feeders. If you have large trees or overhead areas where a raptor could perch and watch your feeder--they are most likely doing so. Place your feeders near shrubs or trees that birds can quickly hide in when danger threatens. The most common predacious bird at feeders is the Sharp Shinned Hawk. This member of the falcon family is a beautiful and highly efficient hunter that will strike a bird almost as fast as you can blink. They are usually at your feeder and gone again before you even know something has happened. If you see your feeder birds suddenly become very still on the feeder--its quite possible that someone has spotted this hunter and given an alarm call. Here is a link to the Cornell website about the "Sharpie":

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id

Even though it can be terribly upsetting to loose a bird in this way--keep in mind that the Sharpie serves a very useful purpose. The birds that aren't quick enough to escape are often old or ill, and will not make it through the winter season anyway. This way the provide food for another link in the chain, and are removed from the population, where they could potentially sicken other birds. Nature isn't always warm and fuzzy--and these beautiful and efficient killers are an important reminder of that.

Another important aspect about feeder placement is proximity to windows. We are often unaware of how our windows appear in certain types of light--they become almost mirrorlike and birds will mistakenly fly into them thinking they are part of the outdoors. Or a bird panicked by an oncoming predator or passerby will act without thinking and fly into the glass. The easiest thing to do is simply place your feeders less than 10 feet away from windows. This not only allows you very intimate viewing, it prevents the birds from building up enough speed to injure themselves if they hit. You can also place decals on the glass to make it obvious to the birds that there is a surface there. If you do have a bird hit the glass, usually it will bounce off and keep flying. But if it hits hard enough to stun the bird and it is very cold outside, you can go out and gently lift the bird and take it inside. Usually the bird will be lying on its back with its feet tightly clenched. If its a small bird like a chickadee, you can just hold it very quietly in your hand--keep it covered so its in the dark--just cup your other hand over it. After a few minutes the bird will recover and you will feel it begin to move around. Take it back outside and open your hand near a bush or tree. Stand quietly for a minute or two while your patient gets her bearings, and she will fly into the tree and recover on her own. Taking them indoors keeps them warm while they recover and protects them from harm while they are incapacitated.

A larger bird like a blue jay should be covered loosely with a towel and carried gently inside, then placed in a covered box (be sure they can still get air) in a dark room. After about 10 minutes you should hear the bird scrabbling around in the box. Take it outside and just open the box. Step back and let the bird go on its own.

If you worry about birds harboring "lice" (I don't) or mites or something--wash your hands carefully and change your shirt after you handle it. I don't ever do this--but you certainly can if you worry about such things.

So spend some time enjoying the birds this winter. See how they go about living their lives--they live in a much more complex world than you ever imagined!

The Urban Homestead

Hey all--I came across this website and it really is a treasure. This site documents the story of a family living a successful sustainable lifestyle in urban Pasadena CA. From organic gardening, to beekeeping and small livestock, they have developed a life that puts low impact, home grown, local commerce front and center. Unlike some places that are full of advice by people who just tell you what to do, this site is run by people who actually LIVE this life and want you show you how they go about it, so you can learn from their experience. There is a lot to learn and be inspired by on this website. Go and check it out!
http://urbanhomestead.org/
Hail to the dirt!

Another Holiday thing

Hi everyone--I wanted to post this because the Iris Elm Garden Club in Winimac is such a wonderful group of ladies. on Dec. 3 and 4th (Friday and Sat.) they are going to have their 50th annual Christmas Arrangement show at the First United Methodist Church at the corner of US 35 and Spring St. in Winimac. I am planning to go--and I think Rob is off that day so we will both probably attend. We can haul up to 6 more in the Toyota, so let me know if you want to ride along. I think we can probably do either day. They will be serving refreshments and the site is handicapped accessible, so if you want to go and take a guest, hop in the car and take a trip. This club has really reached out to me personally, and I want to continue to support their club when the opportunity presents itself. It's a nice drive to Winimac, and if you want to do a hike in the woods before or after, the trip will take you right past Tippecanoe State Park. You still have to pay to get in the park on the weekends, but during the week admission is free.
HTTD!

Some fun stuff

Hi everybody--Here are some fun things going on in the area--thanks to Sue for the heads up.

Prairie Pride at Christmas
19th Annual Folk Art Show
"Celebrate Simplicity"
Saturday and Sunday: December 4th and 5th
10 AM to 5 PM (Central/Chicago Time)
Fawn Run Farm
3883 E. 700 N.
Rollling Prairie, IN

3 Mi. North of Rolling Prairie on Prairie Street/425 E., then left (west) on 700 N. 1/2 mile, right. (Look for McDonalds on the toll plaza) Foll the "Fawn Run Farm" signs.
*Free parking and Admission! Unique handrcrafted gifts, needful treasures from area culinary, craft and folk artists and antique dealers.
Promoter/Folk Artist: Marcy Dailey
fawnrunfarm@csinet.net


Also the Sawyer Market, in Sawyer MI (thanks for Sue also to clueing us in on this terrific place)
Is having a Christmas Open House. This runs Sat. and Sun Dec. 4 and 5. On Saturday night they are having an "Extravaganza" from 4 to 11 pm. with live jazz and lot of fun stuff. You can visit their website:
www.sawyergardencenter.com
for more information. This is a really fun place to go hang out and shop. If you like salsa, be sure to come home with a jar of American Spoon's Apple Chipotle Salsa--its YUM.
And the city of Buchanan is having "White Saturday" (which comes after Black Friday). The surrounding area will be having a series of special events in local galleries and businesses. It looks like Fernwood will also be participating--at least they are having their annual Christmas market then.
Go have some holiday fun!
HTTD