Iris Garden Club of Wakulla County, Inc.
February 2010 Newsletter

Arbor Day Celebration

Over 300 people attended our 2010 Arbor Day celebration at Hudson Park. They all went home with a tree for their yard. Members sold a tableful of baked goods and garden items. Ninety-five raffle tickets were sold for the rain barrel and 44 were sold for the big tree. We shared a recap of the celebration at our January meeting and everyone who helped with the event was given a thank-you gift. Because of the rainy weather we had trees left over. We are giving black-gum and bald cypress trees for a $2.00 donation and other left over trees for $3.00. Check with me if you know of anyone who is interested in obtaining any of these healthy young, well-rooted trees.

January Meeting

Lynn Artz presented a program on the proper way to prune trees and shrubs. Handouts were provided for all who attended. Late winter is the time to prune many of your trees. Others need to be pruned after they finish blooming.

February 2010 Meeting

Show your love of gardening and bring a friend to the meeting. Audrey Alessi will be giving a presentation about gardening for birds and butterflies. Remember to bring some snacks to share with the group or a door prize to be raffled.

March & April Meetings

We'll have a change of venue for our March and April meetings. In March, Just Fruits Nursery on US 98 will host our meeting and in April we will meet at Purple Martin Nursery on US 319. Program details will be announced as soon as they are decided on.

Spring District lll Meeting

The Spring District lll meeting will be held in Steinhatchee on Friday, May 21, 2010. I hope we can have a large group in attendance.

State Conference

The FFGC state conference will be held from April 23-23 in Boca Raton at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Let me know if you are interested in attending.

Iris Garden Club T-Shirts

Angret is checking into getting us some Iris Garden Club T-shirts. The board decided that they will not be sold. They will be awarded to active members who hold offices and help at events and earn enough points. We truly need our members to actively participate in our club.

Garden Therapy

Tamara needs garden club members to help on the last Tuesday of each month. The seniors work from 10:30 until noon on those days. If you haven't seen the results of their hard work, be sure to stop by for a visit. The seniors are really proud of the area and enjoy working on it.

Yearbook Pages

Additional yearbook pages are printed, cut, hole punched and ready to add to your yearbooks. Each member has a packet of pages. Be sure to pick yours up at our meeting. You can also pick up your official garden club membership card at the meeting.

Library Workdays

We will continue to have library workdays on the second Tuesdays of each month but feel free to pull weeds from around the native azaleas, coonties and muhly grass whenever you have the time. In the winter months we begin work at 10:00 and I really need help with this project. Last month I trimmed the lantanas and filled in the empty spaces with flowering winter annual violas. We'll add a few more plants this month and spread some more of the mulch over the bare areas. Next month we can plant some more of the wildflowers.

Potting Parties

You're missing a fun learning experience if you haven't helped out at one of our potting parties. We potted up 450 baby trees for next year's Arbor Day celebration at our last one. That really doesn't take long with a group working together and that is what being a member of a garden club is all about. We learn about plants as we work together. We'll discuss scheduling the next one at our February meeting. There are more baby trees to plant. Brandy and Ted will store them in an irrigated area until next January. Remember, when you help pot the trees, you get to take one home for your yard.

Tree Record

I have received a form to record trees planted by, given away or sold by club members from February 2009 to February 2010. Think back over the past year and let me know how many you have planted. I'll record the number we gave away at Arbor Day, donated or sold throughout the year.

Share Your News

I'm sure many garden club members help with plants and floral designs at their churches and civic groups. Let me know what you are doing so I can share it in our newsletters.

Farmers Market

Don't forget to stop by Purple Martin Nursery on Tuesday afternoons from 3:00 until dark for their weekly farmer's market. I've bought some wonderful fresh produce from the participating farmers. It is so nice to find tasty tomatoes without stickers glued to them. Call them before you go since this hard winter weather has had an effect on the crops.

Plants for Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival's Plant Extravaganza

Chris and Ana want to remind you that we will need plants to sell at the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Extravaganza on April 10. This is a good time to divide and pot up some of your extra herbs and perennials.

Campbell Soup and Box Tops for Education Coupons

Wekiva Youth Camp needs you to save these and send them in to help them buy things for the campers. I'll bring a container to put them in. We need a volunteer to help with this project.

Time to Fertilize

Brandy Cowley-Gilbert reminded me that fruit trees need to be fertilized now.

Remember:

Tuesday,February 16,2010 1:00 at the library Iris Garden Club meeting-Audrey Alessi

Tuesday, February 23,2010 Garden workday at the Wakulla County Senior Center with Tamara

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Board meeting at library at 1:00

Tuesday, March 9 Library landscaping workday 10:00-12:00

Tuesday, March 16,2010 at Just Fruits Nursery- Iris Garden Club meeting at 1:00

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Workday at Senior Center 10:30-12:00

Jeannie Brodhead, President
Iris Garden Club of Wakulla County, Inc.

I sleep in my house but live in my gardens.

This information originally published on February 17, 2010.

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