Pine Ridge Garden Club news

HELEN NICOLAOU Special to The Standard

The month of July was unusual, with record rain, heat and humidity. Perennials grew quick and the tender stems were vulnerable to heavy rain and wind damage. Fungus issues became a problem on perennials, such as phlox, echinacea, beebalm and rudbeckia. Tender vegetables like cucumber, cantaloupe and tomatoes have also been affected with blight. It is recommended to space tomatoes with plenty of air circulation, and to remove up to 12 inches of leaves, from the lower main stem, to help prevent blight.

The July Flower and Vegetable Show was enjoyed by members, with Norma H. winning Best in Show, for her Afternoon Tea, in Design. Helen N. won Best in Show, for her enormous Leaf lettuce, in the Horticulture Division. Helen D. won first, for her lovely pink rose, floating in a Champagne Glass. Anna S won first, for her yellow rose and Shelley B. won first, for her Helianthus, in the Any other Perennial class.

Thank-you to our speaker, Carole Ditomaso, for sharing views of her gardens throughout the seasons and offering great tips on extending colour in our perennial flower gardens.

We are grateful for the quick thinking by our organizers Rita and Helen, for rescheduling our day trip, due to the torrential rain, on Wednesday, July 10th. Wednesday, July 17th, turned out to be a beautiful sunny day and was enjoyed by all attendees. We were delighted for the personal attention we received and the information provided from each of our hosts. The three unique gardens we toured were within 40 minutes of Port Perry. We can truly say, we did not need to travel far to enjoy such wonderful gems within our community.

Our Tuesday, August 6th meeting was lighthearted, and featured an evening of Flower Arranging Demos. Barb Twiner, OHA Floral Competition Judge, and Norma Haney, Past President and Show Chair entertained members with great tips on how to create specific designs and achieve balance within several pieces. All designs were donated as Door Prizes, congratulations to the winners!

Coming up: Tuesday, September 3rd, Mary-Jane Pilgrim, from the Durham Master Gardeners, will be on hand, offering Gardening Tips and Trivia. Test your Gardening Skills/Knowledge and have lots of fun doing it. This is also our biggest and last Vegetable and Flower Show for this Season. New and seasoned members are encouraged to have a look in their gardens, to enter some specimens. This always makes for a great show, to see what fellow gardeners are having success growing. Check your Yearbook Schedule for the Horticultural, Special Exhibits and Design Classes. See pages 12 to 14 for tips on showing specimens.

Assistance will be available at the workstation, to fill out entries and to help with placement of specimens on the show tables. Please be sure to drop off your entries between 6 and 6:45 p.m. No entries will be accepted once judging has begun, at 7 p.m.

We are planning to visit The McLaughlin Parkwood Estate, on Wednesday, September 11th, for a guided tour of the gardens. If interested, you can receive more information and sign up during the meeting, on the previous Tuesday night.

Our Members' “Dried Flower Design Workshop” is coming up, on Tuesday, October 1st. The fee for the workshop will include: the container, dry oasis, and all the prepared dried flowers needed to complete the design, except for hydrangea blooms. Please refer to the newsletter on how to dry hydrangea. For members, who may not have a hydrangea, we will supply some extra. If you would like to participate, please make sure to register and pay at the September meeting.

Enjoy an evening out, with Door Prizes, Snacks and Refreshments. See Gloria for Door Prize Tickets and Lug-A-Mug. Members bring a Friend. Guests are always welcome.

To become a member, visit pineridgegardenclub.com

Where Gardeners Come To Bloom