It is a common practice for avid gardeners to start visualizing new additions to their gardens after the holidays have passed and Winter digs in her heels. We wait with anticipation for the catalogs to arrive in the mail so that we can thumb through them to gain inspiration for our container plantings, raised herb and vegetable beds, border shrubs, and/or native plants and trees.

Yes, the days are shorter, the wind is cold and plants are dormant. But this is one of the best times to start planning for Spring! You can learn lots just sitting at home and watching lectures or internet webinars, in addition to the aforementioned catalogs. With fewer attention-grabbing chores, winter is the perfect time to revisit existing designs and reconsider plant palettes.

Do you find yourself gazing out your windows to imagine where to plant some new pops of color, or perhaps shrubs and trees that could offer more privacy? The “Art of the Garden” process entails everything from plotting, amending soil, deciding which crops/plants to grow, and determining the best layout to optimize sun/shade exposure and the plants’ irrigation needs.

Maybe the idea of a raised bed or two appeals to you. There are several advantages to growing in raised beds, and pest protection is one of the greatest of them. Gophers, voles, and moles are notoriously destructive to garden bed, “attacking” from underground. By plotting garden beds aboveground, and filling them with nutrient rich soil and fertilizers, you keep rodents out while ensuring worms and other beneficial bio-organisms have access to the soil. Also, raised beds are more likely to remain weed-free and are easier to weed when any do take up residence.

So sit back and relax by the fireplace with a hot beverage and get inspired to try something new: grow your own bouquets, design a cottage or mediterranean garden, expand your houseplant collection, add texture to your garden with foliage plants, and let your imagination soar!

Enjoy a happy and healthy new year with gorgeous gardens!

If you are a current member, or hope to join the club soon, you don’t want to miss the upcoming speakers. On September 28th, the season kicks off with “How to Create a European-Style Floral Arrangement” with Carl Vivaldi. Watch him design beautiful arrangements, then buy raffle tickets for a chance to take one home.

Dr. Carl Vivaldi started his career in Horticulture as an exchange student in the Netherlands when he was 17. Carl spent two years working in Holland in floral design, where he learned their method of design. In the U.S., Carl studied at Delaware Valley University, then received a Masters in Botany from Miami University and Ph.D. from Penn, in the school of Biology.

At the October 26th meeting, you will be treated to “Flowers That Shaped Our History” with Santino Lauricella. Beyond sources of food, garden beauty and building materials, the connections between people and plants are often overlooked by our society and many don’t realize the connections we have with plants every day. Here, you will examine the rich history of some of our native species and explore how each has shaped the world.

Santino Lauricella has served as the education coordinator for Bowman’s Hill WIldflower Preserve since 2019. He is responsible for the Preserve’s educational programming, which helps visitors to be inspired by our natural world. Originally from central New York, Santino received his B.S. in Wildlife Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. An avid lover of the outdoors since his childhood spent just outside the Adirondack Park, he relishes all opportunities to share his passion for nature and science with others.

Look forward to seeing you at both meetings!

Though thousands of perennials are available, native perennials have a special role in the garden.

By definition, a native Pennsylvania plant is one that grew in Pennsylvania before the European settlers arrived, as opposed to exotic plants which came from other countries after that time period. Natives have many advantages. Because they evolved here, they are well-adapted to our climate and are generally easy to care for once they are established.

Many native perennials like less fertile soil and require the addition of little or no fertilizer. Perhaps the most compelling reason to choose natives is to preserve Pennsylvania’s biodiversity. Development is rapidly reducing natural areas that shelter a wealth of our native plants; the landscapes that replace the natural areas consist mostly of lawns and exotic plants.

Recent research from Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware has determined that 90 percent of our native insects are specialists that feed on three or fewer families of plants. The insects rely on native plant hosts and cannot eat the exotic plants that have become common in our yards. A reduction of native insects means that birds have fewer insects to feed to their young, and that will lead to a reduction of bird species. In the next fifty years, what we plant in our yards will determine the kind of wildlife that can live in Pennsylvania. By planting natives, gardeners can help retain our natural history and the beauty and diversity of Penn’s Woods.

Excerpted from https://extension.psu.edu/pennsylvania-native-plants-for-the-perennial-garden

As gardeners, Spring instills in us an eager excitement as the outside world begins to awaken after the cold dark days of Winter are finally in our rearview mirror. Whether in containers, a small patch, vast acreage, or somewhere in between, there is always joy to be found in our gardens. The hobby (often an obsession) is artistic, good exercise and emotionally satisfying—and yes, at times a bit disappointing. But we get over those slumps quickly and move on.

“The world’s longest living people have one thing in common: They garden,” says Jeff Hughes, co-host of GardenFit, airing on PBS starting March 21. The show follows Jeff and expert gardener Madeline Hooper across the country to farms and gardens as they offer advice and tips. You may want to add it to your short list of series to watch.

Make sure to mark your calendars for the April 27 meeting, when renowned presenter Jenny Rose Carey celebrates the benefits of shade and shows you how to make the most of it. She is a respected educator, historian, and author, and the senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Meadowbrook Farm in Jenkintown. She previously worked at Temple University for over a decade, first as an adjunct professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and then as director of the Ambler Arboretum.

One aspect of our monthly meeting is the “Little Show” in which interested members submit their entry based on the theme and corresponding criteria—which changes monthly. Prior to COVID, the live entries were transported to the meeting site where they were displayed and judged. Ribbons for first, second and third place, plus honorable mention, if warranted, were awarded.

As with everything else during these pandemic times, the rules changed. The monthly meetings went virtual and the Little Show submissions became computerized. To this day, the floral designs are digital only. The advantages are, no one has to physically cart their creations; all entries are shown on our Facebook page, displayed in this website, and highlighted in the monthly newsletter. That’s a lot of coverage!

If the judging facet prohibits you from entering, please note, that has also gone by the wayside, at least for now. We encourage you to try your hand at one of the upcoming challenges and let your creative juices flow. In fact, why not next month for the March exhibit?

“Branching Out” is the March theme. You are asked to construct a creative design which includes one or more branches. When arranging, consider inner spaces within petals, leaves, and/or branches. All files—as clear and crisp as possible—are due to Barbara Heisler (heislerbd@gmail.com) by March 18. Browse online sites like Pinterest to get ideas, or Google floral arrangements made with branches and see what pops up.

Hope to see your arrangement in the near future!