Pine Ridge Garden Club news

by Helen Nicolaou

Autumn is a beautiful time for walks, the sounds of migrating birds and falling leaves remind us that winter is near. The smells of warm spices in traditional desserts of apple and pumpkin pies are a favourite during chilly days ahead. It was a bit of a surprise last week to wake to the sight frost sparkling on the grass in the early morning sun, however, by early afternoon, the sun made for a pleasant day.

Visiting local farm markets is a wonderful way for families to spend the day getting out for a wagon ride to the orchard to pick apples or go for a walk through a corn maze or the pumpkin patch to hand pick the perfect carving pumpkin. This past weekend with temperatures in the 20’s, we had more time to collect and enjoy the last of summers blooms and gather the last harvest from vegetable gardens. Gone are the tender beans, tomato and cucumber vines, cold weather crops such as swiss chard, kale, brussel sprouts and cabbage will continue to do well. Brussel sprouts taste even better during the cold weather well into November. Just a reminder to leave the leaves in the flower and vegetable gardens for beneficial insects and hibernating toads, as well as leaving stems with perennial seed heads for over-wintering birds and nesting places for beneficial insects.

Tuesday, October 1st, 7:30 p.m. at the Nestleton Community Center, Norma Haney and Helen Nicolaou held the “Dried Flower Workshop”. Members were asked to dry and provide hydrangeas. A bundle of assorted dried flowers and decorative seed heads was provided to incorporate in their design their arrangement within a frosted glass pumpkin. Norma gave a brief introduction on how to handle the dried flowers and order of assembly. Both Norma and Helen assisted with any concerns and troubleshooting during the workshop. While the bundles were similar, the outcome in their designs were lovely and quite different. After the workshop, Helen did a demo on making roses from maple leaves. The evening was fun and enjoyed by all participants.

Tuesday, November 5th, 7:30 p.m. “Durham Master Gardeners” Noreen Blythe, Tanya Bignal and Ingrid Jenssen will speak on “Creating Winter Interest in the Garden.” This is also the night of our delicious “Annual Dessert Night Fundraiser” Our skilled members will be baking their favourite cakes, pies, cookies and squares. There will be some gluten-free and dairy free items available. Members are asked to please bring your desserts by 7 to 7:15 p.m. Members bring your better half, relatives and friends for a delicious evening of sweets. We look forward to seeing you there.

See Janice for dessert/refreshement tickets and Shelley for door prize tickets. Lug a mug. Guests are always welcome.

We are saddened that long time member of the Pine Ridge Garden Club, Shirley Love had passed. Shirley was a member for over 40 years and past president four times during that time. In 1993 Shirley was recognized and awarded the Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA) Certificate for her contributions to the club. She was an avid participant in the “Flower and Design Shows”, winning many awards for her entries in both flower and design categories. Shirley kept the community informed with her columns in Standard paper and planned many memorable garden trips which were well organized and attended. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Nestleton Community Centre on Sunday, November 17th at 1:30 p.m.

Pine Ridge Garden Club where gardeners come to bloom.