Tree and Twig Tomato Days, May 21 & May 22, 2011

Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Orchids - Book Review

Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Orchids is a pleasant surprise. It is so good! The basics are well covered and accompanied with excellent pictures that are marked so that you can go back and forth from text to picture until you are completely familiar with the concepts. The sections on temperature, light and water are so good that I could have used this book when I was teaching Indoor Plants at Niagara College. The section on insects, diseases environmental problems are so easy to understand because of the matching colour pictures. Every section of this book is exemplary. The encyclopedia of orchids is no exception. The information is good, concise and with colour pictures as an example of the many different orchids you can review their needs before you purchase them. This alone will allow you to be more successful with growing orchids. This book will save you money and a lot of disappointment at $23.95 CDN/$19.95 US it is even less than the cost of one orchid. This book is truly a bargain.
--
Bruce

Taste of Niagara Lavender Festival

 

Niagara Essential Oils and Blends in Niagara-on-the-Lake is having a first annual 

"Taste of Niagara Lavender Festival"  July 16, 2011.  Tickets are limited!  

Click on the image to go to www.neoblavender.com

Malcolmson Eco Park Plant Sale, May 14 & 28, 2011

* Malcomson Eco-Park is a 36-acre park in St. Catharines, main entrance
on Lakeshore Road opposite the north end of Niagara Street, near Lock
One of the Welland Canal.

* The Friends of Malcomson Eco-Park are managing the park along with the
city's parks department, working to establish Ontario prairie plants in
the 6-acre open area, and a Carolinian forest in the remainder.

* To help raise funds for our operations, we hold a series of plant
sales every spring. One has already occurred on April 30th; two more are
scheduled on Saturday May 14th 8 AM to noon, and on Saturday
May 28th 9 AM till noon. Sales are held in the greenhouse enclosure at
the southeast corner of the parking lot by the main entrance.

* We offer a wide selection of potted wildflowers (most at $5) with some
grasses and pond plants, plus potted shrubs and trees (trees mostly at
$12-$14).

For example we have butterflyweed and swamp milkweed, boneset and
Joe-Pye-weed, three species of silphiums (cup plant, compass plant and
prairie dock), three species of mountain mints, wild bergamot, marsh
marigold, wild ginger, red and white trilliums, and many more.

This year we have especially good deals on spicebush ($5) and small 40
cm white pines ($4). We have ironwood and chinquapin oak (a good yard
tree with edible acorns, especially for dry soils), among others.

Fiskars Momentum™ Reel Mower -- Product Review

Fiskars Reel Hand Mower is a joy to push.  I have tested the following and know it to be true.  A 95 lb weakling (our daughter) can successfully cut my lawn with this mower.  It is important to set the blade height using the paper strip method.  When you perform this task use long paper strips and be very careful as those blades are fast and sharp!  I have also found that cutting a double mowing strip around the edges of the turf area to be mowed helps prevent the lawn clippings from being thrown on your sidewalks, gardens and driveway.  This reduces your cleanup and if necessary allows you to do those strips again to mulch up any buildup of clippings.  What I like best of all is I am not paying for hydro to run my lawnmower.  Bonus!!
--
Bruce

Fresh Flower Arranging -- Book Review

Dorling Kindersley Fresh Flower Arranging by Mark Welford and Stephen Wicks is the best fresh floral arranging book I have ever seen.  The arrangements are up to date.  Their step by step with pictures and text makes this a good instructional book.  This book covers how to select fresh flowers, their preparation and maintenance.  I liked the pictures and text on how to wire and attach a rose to a man's lapel.  Very important today is hand tying bouquets, this is well covered.  Fresh Flower Arranging Step-by-Step Designs for Home, Weddings, and Gifts covers arrangements for every reason and season they use a multitude of containers in their  designs as well.  I have left the photography for last, the photography is exceptional.  In fact it is so good that you should leave this inspirational book out on the coffee table.  This one 'joins' my library.  Touch it and die!
--
Bruce

Garden Sitters Wanted for Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society Garden Tour

The Niagara on the lake Horticultural Society is celebrating our 20th annual GARDEN TOUR on Saturday July 9, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 5pm.

They have put together an incredible tour of 25 gardens showcasing communities that make up Niagara-on-the-Lake.

They need Garden sitters…..lots of Garden Sitters!

Garden Sitter duties:
Two sitters at each garden for a 3 hour shift between 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Garden Sitters will receive:
An invitation to our Thank You Wine & Cheese Party later in the summer.
A FREE ticket to tour the gardens. 
A FREE Ticket  for our "Garden Sitter Draw" to be drawn at the Wine & Cheese party.

If you would like to be a garden sitter we welcome you to join us, member or not.
Please email:   Gloria Thurston    jthurston2@cogeco.ca