Our Christmas pot luck supper was well attended this year. Of course the food was delicious as it always is and everyone looked like they were having a lovely time.

Penny Stewart, the Director of our Ontario Horticultural Society district , was the guest speaker at the supper. She give us an excellent description of three of the gardens she visited when she and her family were on holiday in Quebec. It was wonderful to see flowers, shrubs and trees in leaf and grass in the middle of so much snow and ice. Thanks for being our speaker, Penny.

Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society Newsletter, Spring 2014

Our Christmas Pot Luck Supper

Bittersweet Muse Spring 2014

Page 4

Bittersweet Muse

When people came to select the next ticket in our Christmas draw, Tom asked them which plant they liked best. Here Hildegard tells Mary and Tom which is her favourite. A succulent, perhaps?

Justina’s favourite must be something wonderful and unusual.

That’s Larry on the right counting off all of his favourites.

Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society ExecutiveMember ofPresident: Mary Lockhart

Past President: Hildegard DoroshVice President: Tom BridgeSecretary: Florence BellNewsletter: Gail Knowles Webmaster: Kim HayDirectors: Judy Bullock Larry Davy Magi Marlow Gail Knowles

http://www.gardenontario.org/site.php/lennox

District 3

Questions and Answers about the Plant SaleQ: When is the plant sale?A: The sale is on May 17 from 9-2. Larry has asked

that we bring everything in well before 9 so plants can be priced and organized by type. Larry plans to be on hand before 8.

Q: Where is the sale? A: It will be in the parking lot to the west of the

Napanee City Hall on Centre Street North (County Road 41 North) at Market Square.

Q: What should I bring with me?A: In addition to plants from your garden, what

about - a portable display tent (a folding tent canopy) if you have one - folding plastic table, if you have one - watering can - water for the plants in a jug or pail with a lid - empty cardboard box bottoms so buyers can

easily carry their plants to their vehicles - folding chair - snacks and a bottle of drinking water - sun screen, hat, cool shades, or rain gear and

a sweater, depending on the forecast

Q: How do I prepare plants for our sale?A: Transplant them as early as you can so your plants

have time to adjust to being in pots well before the sale.

When you see new growth, gently lift the plant and place it in a pot filled with damp soil or soilless mix.

Place the pot in a sheltered area and keep the soil moist. If you would like to have a larger plant, put the pot in the sun but it will require more water than if it’s in the shade.

For some mature perennials, water the plant the day before you divide it. The next day, dig out as much of the root ball as you can. Use two pitch forks working in opposite direction and split the plant. For ornamental grasses, a saw or ax might be needed. Perennials with roots that are easy to dig, just chop a piece off the side with a shovel and lift.

Once the plants are divided, put them into pots filled with damp soil or soilless mix no deeper than they were when you started. Put the pot in a shady sheltered spot and keep well watered.

Q: Should I add a price to my plants?A: Larry will provide details about pricing and

describe how his system of coloured stir sticks works at a meeting closer to the plant sale.

Q: What sells the best?A: Not surprisingly, healthy plants with labels do very

well. Even though there’s not much room, please try to include as much information as you can on the label, like the name of the plant, flower colour, height and growing conditions.

A photo from last year’s sale

Page 2 Page 3

Bittersweet Muse Spring 2014

Upcoming Society EventsNews from the Community Garden In the summer/fall of 2009, Steve Pitt, an avid gardener and retired plant expert with the Ministry of Natural Resources, came to me and suggested we have a community garden in Napanee. His idea was to find some land and grow a garden to produce fresh, locally grown produce for the Napanee food bank. I spoke with Harold Bentley, who was then our president, about the project and he thought it was a great idea, one that fit the mandate of our society.

With that support we decided to proceed. A meeting was held with representatives from the Salvation Army, who operate the food bank, and members of the municipal

council of the Town of Greater Napanee. Everyone was excited about the idea. The Mayor, Gordon Schermerhorn, liked it so much he offered land at his property on the Hamburgh Road just south of Napanee for the garden.

Our first year was 2010 and many people helped get the garden started, including Harold, by measuring the area, and generally helping out. Don Vankoughnet, the Mayor’s neighbour, arranged for a delivery of manure

and came by with his plow to get the ground ready for planting.

We have added water barrels, which the fire department in Napanee keep filled for us at no cost. Even though our budget is very low, funding from the Napanee District Community Foundation helped us buy a garden shed last spring. This year we hope to buy garden tools for volunteers to use.

The garden produces vegetables, like squash, tomatoes, beets, peppers, lettuce, cabbage and beans. Marigolds, zinnias and sun flowers are interspersed to deter bugs and add a bit of colour.

Volunteers come from all over the area, including members of our horticultural society. We usually meet at the garden at 8 am on Mondays for an hour or so before the heat of the day. People who want to volunteer but not on Monday mornings, come by when they have the time and work for a bit. Kevin Kell and Kim Hay keep statistics, which are very helpful when we apply for funding.

Members from Lennox and Addington Community Mental Health come to the garden with their peer support group, usually on

Wednesday mornings. They have developed a program for their clients, and do general garden work, weeding, hoeing, watering and so on. In return they harvest a few vegetables for their

life skills and cooking class. A win/win situation for them, and for us.

Other groups participate in the “grow a row” program with produce going to the food bank. For example, J.J. O’Neill School in Napanee planted a small garden at their school. The Allen Macpherson House, a local historical landmark in Napanee, donated their garden plot to the program. Barbara Gibson, grew amazing carrots for us, and plans to do it again. She also wants to grow turnips for us this year.

Our aim is to volunteer and provide fresh locally grown produce for the local food bank. There is always need for volunteers to work in the garden an hour or so a week and to participate in the “grow a row” program.

by Susan Withers

Volunteers take a break and ham it up on a hot Monday in August

March 19 - Garden tools, their selection and maintenance is tonight’s topic, presented by Frank Stacey. The meeting will be held at 7 o’clock in the Napanee Fire Hall, 66 Advance Avenue off Centre Street North.

April 16 - Society member Judy Bullock will talk about Hostas at our regular meeting scheduled for 7 pm at the Fire Hall.

May 17 - This is the date of our plant sale. Please bring any transplants from your garden to the sale. Larry Davy will be happy to answer any of your questions about the sale. See more details on page 4.

May 21 - At tonight’s meeting, Master Gardener Pat Haslett will talk about ornamental grasses. The meeting starts at 7 in the Fire Hall.

June 18 - This is our first pot luck supper of the year, starting at 6 pm in the Fire Hall. Be sure to bring your favourite edible, cutlery, mug and plate. All members, families and friends are most welcome to join in.

July 18-20 - The Ontario Horticultural Association is holding its 108th annual convention in Cornwall this year. There will be speakers as well as bus tours to gardens and historical sites in the area and a trip to the Montreal Botanical Garden on the 17. Please see www.gardenontario.org for more details.

August 20 This is our annual BBQ starting at 6 pm. Hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages and refreshments will be provided. Please bring a salad or desert along with your plate, mug and cutlery. The location will be announced closer to the day. Everyone is welcome.

Every year, Peter and Jane Good invite everyone to Avenstone, their cutting garden. The garden is open the first four Sundays in August from 2 pm to dusk and is located at 393 Bethel Road. Go to Camden East, drive 1 km north on County Road 4 North, turn east on Bethel Road and drive 2 km.

The Cutting Garden

2013, The Year in ReviewThis past year was a successful one for our horticultural society. There were many new and returning members. Thanks to your donation of beautifully healthy plants, our plant sale raised over a thousand dollars.

Lots of very interesting speakers came to our meetings. For instance we learned about seeds, how to cultivate soft

fruits like strawberries and raspberries and how to grow native perennials for naturalizing in the garden. We heard

how members’ gardens did over the summer, and went on a virtual tour of Holland’s fields of tulips. We helped out at gardens in the community and

planted trees.

Many of us wished we had worn more sweaters at our pot luck supper in

Springside park in June. In August we ate lots of hamburgers and hot dogs at Kim and Kevin’s and celebrated Christmas in style at the Fire Hall.

We’re all set to start the new year in the garden. Now if we could just get rid of all that snow and ice …

At the plant sale

Fortunately no wasps flew from Mary’s nest at our meeting.

At our September 17th meeting in the Fire Hall at 7 o’clock, we’d like to hear from you, about your experiences in the garden. You can even team up with a friend or.

Now we don’t expect some power point presentation or anything fancy, just a willingness to share some of the

things you learned while getting your hands dirty. It could be a minute or two about your African violets on the window sill, a garden you had at a former home or a plot of land that you’re working on now.

Did you grow something new this year or try something different? We’d like to hear how it all turned out.

A Program Note about our Topic for September “What’s happening in my garden?”

by Tom Bridge

Page 2 Page 3

Bittersweet Muse Spring 2014

Upcoming Society EventsNews from the Community Garden In the summer/fall of 2009, Steve Pitt, an avid gardener and retired plant expert with the Ministry of Natural Resources, came to me and suggested we have a community garden in Napanee. His idea was to find some land and grow a garden to produce fresh, locally grown produce for the Napanee food bank. I spoke with Harold Bentley, who was then our president, about the project and he thought it was a great idea, one that fit the mandate of our society.

With that support we decided to proceed. A meeting was held with representatives from the Salvation Army, who operate the food bank, and members of the municipal

council of the Town of Greater Napanee. Everyone was excited about the idea. The Mayor, Gordon Schermerhorn, liked it so much he offered land at his property on the Hamburgh Road just south of Napanee for the garden.

Our first year was 2010 and many people helped get the garden started, including Harold, by measuring the area, and generally helping out. Don Vankoughnet, the Mayor’s neighbour, arranged for a delivery of manure

and came by with his plow to get the ground ready for planting.

We have added water barrels, which the fire department in Napanee keep filled for us at no cost. Even though our budget is very low, funding from the Napanee District Community Foundation helped us buy a garden shed last spring. This year we hope to buy garden tools for volunteers to use.

The garden produces vegetables, like squash, tomatoes, beets, peppers, lettuce, cabbage and beans. Marigolds, zinnias and sun flowers are interspersed to deter bugs and add a bit of colour.

Volunteers come from all over the area, including members of our horticultural society. We usually meet at the garden at 8 am on Mondays for an hour or so before the heat of the day. People who want to volunteer but not on Monday mornings, come by when they have the time and work for a bit. Kevin Kell and Kim Hay keep statistics, which are very helpful when we apply for funding.

Members from Lennox and Addington Community Mental Health come to the garden with their peer support group, usually on

Wednesday mornings. They have developed a program for their clients, and do general garden work, weeding, hoeing, watering and so on. In return they harvest a few vegetables for their

life skills and cooking class. A win/win situation for them, and for us.

Other groups participate in the “grow a row” program with produce going to the food bank. For example, J.J. O’Neill School in Napanee planted a small garden at their school. The Allen Macpherson House, a local historical landmark in Napanee, donated their garden plot to the program. Barbara Gibson, grew amazing carrots for us, and plans to do it again. She also wants to grow turnips for us this year.

Our aim is to volunteer and provide fresh locally grown produce for the local food bank. There is always need for volunteers to work in the garden an hour or so a week and to participate in the “grow a row” program.

by Susan Withers

Volunteers take a break and ham it up on a hot Monday in August

March 19 - Garden tools, their selection and maintenance is tonight’s topic, presented by Frank Stacey. The meeting will be held at 7 o’clock in the Napanee Fire Hall, 66 Advance Avenue off Centre Street North.

April 16 - Society member Judy Bullock will talk about Hostas at our regular meeting scheduled for 7 pm at the Fire Hall.

May 17 - This is the date of our plant sale. Please bring any transplants from your garden to the sale. Larry Davy will be happy to answer any of your questions about the sale. See more details on page 4.

May 21 - At tonight’s meeting, Master Gardener Pat Haslett will talk about ornamental grasses. The meeting starts at 7 in the Fire Hall.

June 18 - This is our first pot luck supper of the year, starting at 6 pm in the Fire Hall. Be sure to bring your favourite edible, cutlery, mug and plate. All members, families and friends are most welcome to join in.

July 18-20 - The Ontario Horticultural Association is holding its 108th annual convention in Cornwall this year. There will be speakers as well as bus tours to gardens and historical sites in the area and a trip to the Montreal Botanical Garden on the 17. Please see www.gardenontario.org for more details.

August 20 This is our annual BBQ starting at 6 pm. Hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages and refreshments will be provided. Please bring a salad or desert along with your plate, mug and cutlery. The location will be announced closer to the day. Everyone is welcome.

Every year, Peter and Jane Good invite everyone to Avenstone, their cutting garden. The garden is open the first four Sundays in August from 2 pm to dusk and is located at 393 Bethel Road. Go to Camden East, drive 1 km north on County Road 4 North, turn east on Bethel Road and drive 2 km.

The Cutting Garden

2013, The Year in ReviewThis past year was a successful one for our horticultural society. There were many new and returning members. Thanks to your donation of beautifully healthy plants, our plant sale raised over a thousand dollars.

Lots of very interesting speakers came to our meetings. For instance we learned about seeds, how to cultivate soft

fruits like strawberries and raspberries and how to grow native perennials for naturalizing in the garden. We heard

how members’ gardens did over the summer, and went on a virtual tour of Holland’s fields of tulips. We helped out at gardens in the community and

planted trees.

Many of us wished we had worn more sweaters at our pot luck supper in

Springside park in June. In August we ate lots of hamburgers and hot dogs at Kim and Kevin’s and celebrated Christmas in style at the Fire Hall.

We’re all set to start the new year in the garden. Now if we could just get rid of all that snow and ice …

At the plant sale

Fortunately no wasps flew from Mary’s nest at our meeting.

At our September 17th meeting in the Fire Hall at 7 o’clock, we’d like to hear from you, about your experiences in the garden. You can even team up with a friend or.

Now we don’t expect some power point presentation or anything fancy, just a willingness to share some of the

things you learned while getting your hands dirty. It could be a minute or two about your African violets on the window sill, a garden you had at a former home or a plot of land that you’re working on now.

Did you grow something new this year or try something different? We’d like to hear how it all turned out.

A Program Note about our Topic for September “What’s happening in my garden?”

by Tom Bridge

Our Christmas pot luck supper was well attended this year. Of course the food was delicious as it always is and everyone looked like they were having a lovely time.

Penny Stewart, the Director of our Ontario Horticultural Society district , was the guest speaker at the supper. She give us an excellent description of three of the gardens she visited when she and her family were on holiday in Quebec. It was wonderful to see flowers, shrubs and trees in leaf and grass in the middle of so much snow and ice. Thanks for being our speaker, Penny.

Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society Newsletter, Spring 2014

Our Christmas Pot Luck Supper

Bittersweet Muse Spring 2014

Page 4

Bittersweet Muse

When people came to select the next ticket in our Christmas draw, Tom asked them which plant they liked best. Here Hildegard tells Mary and Tom which is her favourite. A succulent, perhaps?

Justina’s favourite must be something wonderful and unusual.

That’s Larry on the right counting off all of his favourites.

Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society ExecutiveMember ofPresident: Mary Lockhart

Past President: Hildegard DoroshVice President: Tom BridgeSecretary: Florence BellNewsletter: Gail Knowles Webmaster: Kim HayDirectors: Judy Bullock Larry Davy Magi Marlow Gail Knowles

http://www.gardenontario.org/site.php/lennox

District 3

Questions and Answers about the Plant SaleQ: When is the plant sale?A: The sale is on May 17 from 9-2. Larry has asked

that we bring everything in well before 9 so plants can be priced and organized by type. Larry plans to be on hand before 8.

Q: Where is the sale? A: It will be in the parking lot to the west of the

Napanee City Hall on Centre Street North (County Road 41 North) at Market Square.

Q: What should I bring with me?A: In addition to plants from your garden, what

about - a portable display tent (a folding tent canopy) if you have one - folding plastic table, if you have one - watering can - water for the plants in a jug or pail with a lid - empty cardboard box bottoms so buyers can

easily carry their plants to their vehicles - folding chair - snacks and a bottle of drinking water - sun screen, hat, cool shades, or rain gear and

a sweater, depending on the forecast

Q: How do I prepare plants for our sale?A: Transplant them as early as you can so your plants

have time to adjust to being in pots well before the sale.

When you see new growth, gently lift the plant and place it in a pot filled with damp soil or soilless mix.

Place the pot in a sheltered area and keep the soil moist. If you would like to have a larger plant, put the pot in the sun but it will require more water than if it’s in the shade.

For some mature perennials, water the plant the day before you divide it. The next day, dig out as much of the root ball as you can. Use two pitch forks working in opposite direction and split the plant. For ornamental grasses, a saw or ax might be needed. Perennials with roots that are easy to dig, just chop a piece off the side with a shovel and lift.

Once the plants are divided, put them into pots filled with damp soil or soilless mix no deeper than they were when you started. Put the pot in a shady sheltered spot and keep well watered.

Q: Should I add a price to my plants?A: Larry will provide details about pricing and

describe how his system of coloured stir sticks works at a meeting closer to the plant sale.

Q: What sells the best?A: Not surprisingly, healthy plants with labels do very

well. Even though there’s not much room, please try to include as much information as you can on the label, like the name of the plant, flower colour, height and growing conditions.

A photo from last year’s sale