Williamstown Garden Club – May 9, 2017 Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order by Elaine Neely at 1:05pm. There were 26 in attendance.
Sheep Hill – Williamstown Rural Lands
Business
1. Sweetwood asked the garden club for help choosing plant material and planting their raised beds. They will maintain them. Betty Craig made a motion to accept this responsibility. We voted unanimously to help Sweetwood with their project and we have been offered the use of their greenhouse in return.
2. The spring plant sale is Saturday, May 27. ALL garden club members are asked to supply at least 10 plants or the equivalent in baked goods or food donations. (obviously not 10 things).
3. No financial report.
4. Memorandums to the membership can be sent through Maria Siskind.
5. Anne Tiffany read two letters of thanks. Anne needed to have someone co-sign a document. The question is, who should this be. Maria agreed she could do that as well as track down the extra key to the post office box.
6. Eva Heekin will decide on a date for a propagation party in preparation for the fall plant sale.
7. New member, Betty Ianatelli, was introduced. It was nice to see recently new members, Judy Fitzgerald and Julie MacDonald at the meeting.
8. Plant pick up for our summer pots will be from Sue Metzner’s house. Kathy McKnight gave quick procedural directions for our planting for any new planters and their pots. Two barrels were stolen from Margaret Lindley. We need heavier pots but the expense is considerable. Hard to know who exactly will be replacing the pots with no direction from a president.
9. Elaine Neely said the at some point soon, perhaps this fall, the daffodils need to be refurbished. Program (the following are general notes from the talk) Susan Pardoe, the purchasing agent and landscape architect from Countryside Landscape made an informative presentation about container planting. Elaine Neely recommended getting on the horticultural mailing list from Countryside as it is very informative.
CONTAINER GARDENS
Likes grouping pots, i.e. The Williamstown Savings Bank. “Like a meadow”. Asian Ceramic Pots very good and heavy.
SIZE – of the pots, plant size, drainage ( gravel or stones in the bottom), keep saucers under plants empty.
SOIL – liked the Moo products. Miracle grow not really substantial or even soil. Ammend Miracle Grow products. Recommended Soil Moist, a polymer product that retains moisture. Place it down by the roots of the plant. Not necessary to replace soil every year unless diseased.
FERTILIZER – use a time release, like osmacote. Use fertilizer in watering. Likes Triple 20 fertilizer used 3-4 days on, 3-4 days off. Water at the same time everyday in summer, recommended late afternoon.
COLOR – used color wheel, likes color pops, white shows in dark. Consider who will see it, where it will be seen.
VISUAL ELEMENTS – Vertical, rounded/mounded, spillers and fillers.
VERTICAL – salvia, abutilon, summer snap dragons, butterfly bush ( varying sizes), angelonia.
ROUNDED/MOUNDED – New Guinea impatiens, profusion zinnias, begonias, marigolds, calibrichoa, nicotiana, whopper begonias.
FILLERS: lobelia, lantana, wave petunias.
SPILLERS: potato vine, vinca major, ivy, dichondra.
SHADE: begonia, lobelia, salvia.
Next meeting will be at The Milne Library, open to the public, Saturday, June 17 at 10. The topic is Gardening With Herbs, Greens and Aromatics. Ellen Ecker Ogdan is the presenter.
Respectfully submitted (unedited),
Susan Hyde