Tiller
Garden Club Schedule 2 Officers and Chairpersons
Club/Member News 3 GBBG Coming Attractions 4 Home and Garden Uses for
Baking Soda 5
Advertisers 2, 6
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
From the President . . .
The Gardeners Club of Green Bay, WisconsinSchroeder’s Flowers has a very good selection of garden and flowering plants and Green Bay Nursery has a very good selection of landscape plants. These are our sponsors, so when you go there, ask them what they have that may be new this year and tell them you are from the Gardeners Club of Green Bay. Sometimes it is surprising what you can find out, and it is always good to try something new.
So, I hope to see all of you on May 11th. Your President Carl Christensen
You are invited to Carl
Christensen’s at 1:30 p.m. on
May 11 for a container planting
class. Please bring a lawn chair
and hope for great weather. If
you would like to demonstrate a
planting, please bring whatever
you need. Wear a mask if
desired.
Address is
206 East River Drive, De Pere.
I hope that everyone is still in very good health.
Treasury Status $2,570.59 Scholarship Fund $1,200.00 Due to no meeting in March, there are no minutes this month.
The Gardeners Club of Green Bay
You are invited to Carl Christensen’s at 1:30 p.m. on May 11 for a container planting class. Address is
206 East River Drive, De Pere.
Larry Meiller Show Wisconsin Public Radio
88.1 Green Bay
Weekdays: 11 a.m.—12:30 p.m. Garden Talk: 6 a.m., Saturdays
David Calhoon 4696 Swan Road Green Bay, WI 54311
(920) 866-9367
www.swanstonegardens.com
Articles for the next issue of the Tiller are
The Gardeners Club of Green Bay
Officers and Chairpersons
President Carl Christensen, 920-425-3224 [email protected] Vice President Marlene Bergum, 920-336-7472 Secretary Agnes Schussman 920-327-1138 Treasurer Marsha May, 920-621-0611 2611 Pine Grove Road De Pere, WI 54115
[email protected] Past President
Carl Christensen, 920-425-3224 [email protected] Membership and Public Relations
Patti Nellis, 920-869-1570 920-288-7166 [email protected] Rose Borowitz, 920-632-2068 [email protected] Sunshine Ruth Goeben, 920-494-3008 Tiller Editor and Website Manager
Shirley Winnes, 920-499-4441 [email protected]
Historian
———————-Open———————- Civic Projects and Fund Raising Silver Trowel
———————-Open———————- Inventory Control and
Education and Plant Records
———————-Open———————- House and Program
Carl Christensen [email protected] Refreshments Coordinators Sue Rohan, 920-336-3004 [email protected] Mary Naumann, 920-866-2282 [email protected]
Club and Member News . . .
What’s up in your world?
Please share your news in this column. Marsha May shared her first
blooms of spring on March 26th.
Introducing Our New Member—Julie Leisgang
I am a former mechanical designer, now a full time gardener, song writer, basket weaver and teacher,
and homemaker. I love spending time with my husband and daughter and our two dogs. I’m a foodie; I love to cook and bake and try new restaurants. I grew up gardening and I’ve filled our yard with beautiful flower beds and two vegetable gardens. I can’t say that I have a favorite flower because I really love them all! I love growing herbs and using them in my cooking, and I like multi-purpose plants, especially anything I can weave with. I’m currently working toward a mostly perennial landscape, but I can’t help but plant some annuals!
Mid Vallee Golf Course is looking for someone to work on the beautification of their course. Hours are flexible and duties involve maintenance of existing areas and planting
of new areas. It is a paid position with golf and cart privileges for you and a guest. Contact Eric at
[email protected] or call 920-371-2574.
Every year, April 13, is designated as International Plant Appreciation
Day. There isn't a lot of documentation about this special day as to its origination, the only found reference to this day is in
Coming Attractions Sponsored by the
Green Bay Botanical Garden
Call 920-490-9457 or
see http://www.gbbg.org for complete information, reservations, and cost about any of the following:
Virtual*: Garden Craft: Firebowl, Apr 13 @ 5-6 pm, Steve Schultz,
Steve’s Leaves. Learn how to make an outdoor patio firebowl! Create warmth and ambiance for your spring and summer entertaining. The instructions are easy plus you can personalize your firebowl to make it unique!
Virtual*: Be a Part of the Solution – Plant a
Landscape That Makes a Difference (presented by
Melinda Myers), Apr 21 @ 6:30 -7:30 pm
In honor of Earth Day, join the Garden and nationally known garden expert, Melinda Myers, as we focus today and beyond on earth-friendly practices. Plants and environmentally-friendly landscapes are one way individuals can make a difference in our changing climate. Using a diverse plant palette, planting natives whenever possible and appropriate, and keeping water where it falls—so it can be cleaned and filtered before entering the groundwater—are just a few of the strategies horticulturist, TV/radio host and author Melinda Myers will discuss. The focus will be on a comprehensive approach that can be phased in with strategies to fit various sized landscapes as well as those with time and/or budget restraints. This talk will take place via Zoom and a recording will be available on Melinda’s website following the presentation. Free.
Composting 101 for Bellin For Women Members, April 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inspired by Earth Day, let’s turn your garbage into a garden by composting your fruits, veggies, paper towels, and more! Join us at Green Bay Botanical Garden to learn how to compost, why it’s important for your garden, and how it works. They’ll teach how to compost for every home and family size.
***Make sure to bring your gloves and wear your gardening clothes because this is a hands-on, outdoor event! Also, bring an empty coffee canister with its lid as we’ll be making an indoor, tabletop compost bin for you to take home!***
In-person attendance is limited; first come first serve. Once in-person seats are filled, all other attendees will be able to attend virtually via BFW Facebook live. Those living outside of Green Bay are encouraged to virtually join us!
Registration is required. Bellin for Women members only. Not a BFW member? Sign up for free at BellinForWomen.com.To register for this free event, register here or call 920.445.7373 or 888.758.7373.
Go Public Gardens Days, May 7 @ 9 am-8 pm. Join us for an entire week to celebrate National Public Gardens. The Garden is open daily from 9 am-8 pm. Admission is free for all visitors on Friday, May 7, 2021!
Member Swap Day @ Green Bay Botanical Garden, May 16 @ 9-am-8 pm. Cost: Free.
Experience other local attractions! Members of the Garden, the Automobile Gallery, National Railroad Museum, and Neville Public Museum invite you to visit all attractions for free on Member Swap Day. Simply present your membership card when you arrive. Hours are The Automobile Gallery, 9 am-3 pm; National Railroad Museum, 11 am-5 pm; Neville Public Museum, 12-5 pm.
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
Opens May 8 through September 26
Guests of all ages will be enthralled by and get to interact with eight larger-than-life sculptures of animals made from trash and debris washed up from bodies of water.
You’ll discover the connections between plastic waste, the wellbeing of marine life (and us!) and learn every-day actions that we can all take to make a difference for the Great Lakes and beyond.
Washed Ashore has traveled to botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos, and museums across North America. Over the last several years, it has gained popularity, making stops at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History; SeaWorld Parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Toronto Zoo, and even the Epcot Center at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, among many more. The Garden is the first and only venue in Wisconsin to host this traveling exhibit.
Home and Garden Uses for Baking
Soda
Ants —dust infested areas with baking soda—it is poisonous to them.
Mosquito bites—make a paste with baking soda and water, apply to bite with a Q-tip and let dry. Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the alkalinity of the bite stopping the itch.
Wasp stings—make a paste with baking soda and water, apply to bite and cover with a bandage. Baking soda draws out the venom and neutralizes the sting.
Poison ivy—a paste of baking soda and water will soothe the rash.
Preventing Foliar Infections, Fungus, Black Spot, and Mildew*
To protect against powdery mildew and black spot, mix one teaspoon baking soda and five drops of corn oil in one quart water. Fill a trigger-spray bottle or trigger-sprayer with the solution and trigger-spray directly on roses, houseplants, and cucurbit crops. Apply once a week for approximately two months. Reapply after rain. (Before treating the entire plant, test this oily formula on one of the plant’s leaves and wait one day to make certain it doesn’t burn the leaf.) This solution can be used as described on grapevines when the fruit starts to appear. The same solution can also be used on pumpkins to prevent fungal diseases.
Protect melon plants from mildew by spraying the leaves twice during the season (mid-July and again mid-August) with a mixture of one tablespoon baking soda and one gallon water. To kill rhizoctonia fungi that cause brownpatch (brown or yellow rings or patches on lawn that dies), mix one tablespoon baking soda, one tablespoon corn oil, and one gallon water. Spray a light mist on the lawn. Correct any problems with drainage and do not use fertilizer with too much nitrogen.
Neutralizing Soil
To neutralize the acidity of potting soil, water the soil once with a mixture of four tablespoons baking soda and one quart water. To test soil, take a sample of the soil, wet it, and add a pinch of baking soda. If the baking soda fizzes, the soil
may be too acid to support most plants and vegetables.
To repair yellow burn spots on a lawn caused by dog urine, dissolve one cup baking soda in one gallon water in a watering can and saturate the urine spots every three days.
Cleaning with Baking Soda
Using equal parts of baking soda and water, apply to barbecue grill with a wire brush, scrub and wipe clean.
Remove pesticides and insects from fruits and vegetables by wetting the produce and sprinkling them with baking soda, then rinsing them. Remove tomato stains from rubber/plastic containers by scrubbing as you would with any cleansing powder.
Hand cleaner—remove garlic smells from hands with a small handful of baking soda. Remove grit, grease, or oil with baking soda and liquid hand soap.
*The USDA has approved baking soda as a fungicide.
Source: Jerry Green’s Gardening Magic, Rodale, Inc., 2003.
Unusual Facts from Google
On April 22, 1990, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Central Park in New York City to demonstrate in favor of Earth Day. The participants left behind 165 tons of litter.
A specimen of the fungus Armillaria ostoyae, covers some 2,200 acres in the Malheur National Forest in eastern Oregon, making it the largest organism in the world. This fungus which produces mushrooms in the fall covers 3.5 square miles and is still growing!Affiliated with The Gardeners of America National website: www.gardenersofamerica.club Local website: http://gardenclubgreenbay.weebly.com American Horticulture Society website: http://ahs.org
The Gardeners Club of Green Bay was begun in 1967 and became chartered in 1968 by the Men’s Garden Clubs of America (now The Gardeners of America, Inc).
Purpose and objectives of our club:
• to educate its members and the public and to promote interest in horticulture per-taining to home gardening,
• to acquire and disseminate horticultural knowledge in regard to materials, plans, and ideas in connection with home gar-dens to and for the benefit of individuals and communities,
• and to encourage and promote civic inter-est and pride in individuals and communi-ties, and to encourage and promote pride in individual or private gardens, commun-ity plantings, and parks.
Membership is extended to serious gardeners who have a concern for the above objectives of the organization. Membership categories and dues for 2021 are
1. $25 per individual, 2. $35 per family,
3. lifetime: $200; $5 annual local dues. In addition to the tiller, members receive a national newsletter.
At the national level, a photography contest is held each year, $1,000 scholarships are presented, Youth Gardening and Gardening from the Heart programs are implemented, a national convention is held, and much more. At the local level, members are involved with numerous community institutions through financial support and contributions of labor and plant materials. Silver Trowel awards are given to recognize contributions to com-munity beautification, four awards are given to youth in the Big Sunflower and Big Pumpkin contests, and much more.
Tiller Editor 301 David Drive Green Bay WI 54303
Paine Art Center and Gardens
Free Admission on Mother's Day May 9, 2021
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In celebration of Mother's Day, admission to the Paine is free on Sunday, May 9, 2021. Outside, enjoy a stroll among thousands of tulips and more blooms as the gardens come to life with the new season. Inside, wander through the ornate rooms of the mansion and view the current Jennifer Angus art exhibition. No reservations are required. Guests must wear a face mask or covering while inside the mansion. Face masks are optional outdoors in the gardens. Safe social distancing is advised.
1410 Algoma Blvd Oshkosh, WI 54901
(920) 235-6903 [email protected]
