Our 2023 – 2024 Season ended with our Annual Dinner at A Villa Louisa where our new board was sworn in by Polly Brooks (Former President of the FGCCT). Suzie Hoyt of Glastonbury Garden Club hosted us for a wonderful tour of her beautiful gardens prior to the Annual Dinner

Kim Eierman

The Glastonbury Council of Garden Clubs is hosting Kim Eierman, (sounds like Fireman) at the South Glastonbury Congregational Church (949 Main Street, S. Glastonbury) on Monday, October 7 at 6:30 pm. Founder of EcoBeneficial LLC, Kim is an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer specializing in native plants. Based in New York, Kim teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, The Native Plant Center, Rutgers Home Gardeners School and several other institutions.

Kim is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics, presenting for industry conferences, sustainability events, corporate events, environmental organizations, and other groups interested in environmental improvements,

ECOBENEFICIAL LANDSCAPE STRATEGIES FOR THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Climate change is here and it is impacting our landscapes – increased flooding, more frequent droughts, more extreme weather events, longer growing seasons and increasing temperatures. Ecological mismatches, record loses of native species and an increase of invasive species are now the norm. Want to help fight climate change in any landscape? Learn how the plants you choose and the landscape practices you use can help reduce the impacts of climate change and improve the environment around you.

Evergreen Country Gardeners

Our annual plant sale will be Saturday May 11th from 9:00 – 12:00. We’re working hard to reduce transmission of invasive Asian Jumping Worms in our plants by bare-rooting most of the plants dug from our yards. These worms deplete nutrients from the soil making it difficult for plants to thrive. We will have information on the problem as well as demonstrations illustrating the “bare-rooting” process.

Features

• Bare-rooted plants from members gardens
• Herb Garden Planters
• Annuals from Draghi’s
• Hanging Planters from Draghi’s – Great for Mother’s Day Gifts
• Garden Tool Sharpening
• Master Gardeners on site
• Pollinator Pathways Table
• Accepting Cash, Check and Credit Cards

Evergreen Country Gardeners enjoyed the CT Flower and Garden Show – Bursting into Spring – which took place February 22-25 but many of us were at the Convention Center from the 20th – 25th! The following eight members members participated in the show as entrants and or volunteers.

• Donna Nowak (President) – Show Schedule Chair, Design Entry
• Kathy Harris – Botanical Arts – Photography Division Chair
• Suzy Fisher – Quality Control Chair
• Trish Manfredi – Table Entry
• Carole Fromer – Design Division – Judges Clerk
• Valerie Escalera – Design Division – Quality Control
• Jim Oliphant – Botanical Arts Division – Photography – Judges Clerk, Photography Entrant
• Shirley Jackson – Hospitality

Members of Evergreen Country Gardeners in Glastonbury gathered recently to make 33 floral arrangements for Welles-Turner Library and area nursing homes and shut-ins using leftover flowers from The Federated Garden Clubs of CT’s standard flower show held in conjunction with the annual CT Garden and Flower Show, held this year Feb 22-25. The show is held at the CT Convention Center in Hartford. After the show closed on Sunday members of the club collect all of the discarded and leftover flowers from the exhibits for these arrangements.

Changing leaves signal that the growing season is winding down. Here are fall gardening tips for what you should do to prep your landscape for colder months.

• Deal with fallen leaves. Turf grass won’t tolerate thick layers of leaves well. If you don’t have a lot of leaves, skip raking and mow over them to chop them into smaller pieces that will add nutrients to the soil.
• Seed or lay sod. Cool temperatures combined with late fall rain make for ideal conditions for establishing new lawns or repairs in most regions.
• Aerate your lawn. Plan to aerate high-traffic areas annually to loosen compacted soil; otherwise, every 2-3 years will do.
• Keep up with weeds. Dandelions, clover, and other common lawn weeds will start proliferating as the temperatures cool off in fall.
• Raise your mower blade. Keeping your lawn taller will encourage more root growth, which helps your grass survive the winter better.

Prep the Perennial Garden

Perennials are garden workhorses. After a long growing season, they’re ready for a winter rest. Stop deadheading in early fall and leave the above-ground parts standing even after frost kills them (unless pests and diseases are an issue). They’ll provide both food and shelter for wildlife. Songbirds will enjoy the seed buffet, and many pollinators like native bees overwinter in standing stems and brush.

Complete the following tasks in your perennial garden in the fall:

• Remove weeds. Clear away as many as possible now so you have fewer to deal with next spring.
• Add mulch. After the ground freezes, add a 4- to 5-inch-thick layer of bark mulch over the crown of perennials planted this growing year and those that are frost-tender in your area.
• Plant spring-blooming bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, and many other spring-blooming bulbs are best planted in late September or October.
• Dispose of diseased or pest-ridden plants. Remove any leaves, stems, and whole plants with diseases or bugs to reduce problems the following year.
• Water once a week if dry. Even though perennials are going dormant in fall, their roots are still actively growing until the ground freezes. Well-hydrated plants withstand winter stresses better.

Refresh Your Vegetable Garden for Next Year

Whether you have an elaborate kitchen garden or a small patch for raising edible plants, things will start to slow down in the fall as you harvest the last of your tasty bounty. Once a few frosts finally bring the growing season to an end, check off these vegetable garden chores to prepare for next season’s harvest.

• Clean out beds. Removing all plant debris helps prevent pests and diseases from overwintering in your garden and returning even worse in spring.
• Put away stakes, labels, and other accessories. As you remove plants, don’t forget to gather items such as labels, stakes, and cages. Store them where they’ll be handy to reuse next year.
• Add compost. Spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of compost over your beds to enrich the soil. No need to till it in; precipitation and soil organisms will do the job for you.
• Plant cover crops. Sow cover crops like mustard, peas, or clover in the fall to prevent erosion. Then turn them over into the soil in spring to add nutrients.
• Expand planting areas. If you’d like to increase your planting space, fall is an excellent time to set up new raised beds or smother grass where you want to create an in-ground bed.

Care for Trees and Shrubs

Did you know fall is an excellent time for planting trees and shrubs? This is when you should start that new hedge or establish a new shade tree in your yard because the soil is still warm enough for roots to grow a little before winter. In addition, a little fall care for your established trees and shrubs will help them weather the colder months better.

Follow these fall gardening tips for trees and shrubs:

• Plant new trees and shrubs. Add deciduous trees and shrubs until about a month before the ground usually freezes. You can also plant evergreen species in fall, but they tend to do better when planted in spring.
• Provide plenty of water. Newly planted trees and shrubs—and established ones—will tolerate harsh winter conditions better when well-watered in fall. Likewise, extra water for evergreens is essential in fall.
• Replenish mulch. Add a fresh layer of mulch, such as wood chips or shredded leaves, around trees and shrubs to protect roots from winter temperatures. Keep mulch from touching the trunks to prevent rot and other diseases.
• Prune after dormancy starts. Trimming after September 1 will trigger tender new growth that’s easily damaged in winter. Instead, wait until leaves have fallen from deciduous species before pruning.
• Guard trunks against deer and sun damage. Younger trees and shrubs can be ruined by deer rubbing antlers on the trunks. Plus, their thinner bark can be damaged by sun-scald. Using a tree wrap or guard in fall can prevent both issues.

Organize Your Tools and Gardening Gear

As the growing season winds down, don’t forget to prep your garden tools for winter. Cleaned and refreshed, your favorite garden helpers will be ready when you are, come spring.

• Clean hand tools. Remove dirt, then place the metal ends of trowels, weeders, and other tools in a bucket of sand laced with vegetable oil.
• Sharpen blades. Pruners and loppers can get dull with lots of use, as can shovels and spades. And don’t forget mower blades. Use a file to restore their sharp edges. Then coat with a bit of vegetable oil to prevent rust over the winter.
• Drain hoses and irrigation lines. Before freezing weather sets in, remove any water from your garden hoses and irrigation tubing.
• Prepare small engines. Drain gas lines of mowers, weed whackers, and tillers. Change oil as needed before storing machines in dry, covered spaces for winter.
• Clean out sprayers. Empty and wash out your spraying equipment with soap and water, inside and out. Rinse and allow to air dry before stowing them away for the winter. And if you have leftover chemicals, store them in a safe place where they won’t freeze.

Clean Up Annuals and Containers

Colorful annuals are often the first plants to succumb to frosty fall weather. Once a hard frost does them in, you’ll want to tidy up planting beds and pots to be ready to fill again next spring.

• Empty containers. The freeze and thaw cycle can crack containers, especially those made of clay left full of potting mix. After cleaning them out, store your pots and planters in a protected, dry area like a shed or garage.

• Clean out flower beds. Once frost withers the zinnias, petunias, and marigolds in your garden beds, it’s time to pull them up so your planting space will be ready for new flowers in spring.

• Collect and store seeds. You can save seeds of many kinds of popular annuals, such as celosia, petunia, cosmos, and nasturtium. Place each type of seed in a labeled envelope and stash them in a cool, dry place until sowing them in spring.

• Clean out flower beds. Once frost withers the zinnias, petunias, and marigolds in your garden beds, it’s time to pull them up so your planting space will be ready for new flowers in spring.

• Collect and store seeds. You can save seeds of many kinds of popular annuals, such as celosia, petunia, cosmos, and nasturtium. Place each type of seed in a labeled envelope and stash them in a cool, dry place until sowing them in spring.

• Dig up tender bulbs. Cannas, dahlias, caladiums, and several other tropical bulbs and tubers will not survive winter in northern regions. Dig them up shortly after the foliage turns brown in fall and store them in a cool, dry place for planting outside next spring.

• Take cuttings to grow indoors. Snip sprigs of flower bed and container favorites such as coleus, geraniums, and sweet potato vine before temperatures get below 50˚F. They’ll root easily in water, providing a little indoor winter color. You can even keep them going long enough to plant outside again in spring.

Wow!! That’s a lot of work! But it will make your life in the spring much easier!

• Instead of raking up or blowing all the leaves off your lawn, mow some of them. The tiny pieces resulting will be fertilizer to encourage a greener lawn next spring.

• Recycle your discarded pumpkins, compost them or cut them into smaller pieces and leave in a wooded spot for wild animal treats.

• Consider individual composting to help the climate. You can start composting your garden waste by having your own composter or subscribe to a company like Blue Earth who, for a monthly fee, will provide you with a container which they pick up weekly and repurpose it into fertilizer. They will give you back several bags of the fertilizer each year.

• Check with your town about whether they collect kitchen scraps. In Glastonbury there is a container at the New London Turnpike transfer station where residents can dump their scraps, at no fee, as long as they have the necessary town dump permit. The collection is sent to Southington where it is processed into bio-fuel.

• Glastonbury plans to add a Blue Earth Container for residents to dispose of kitchen waste. Current plans are to place the container behind Town Hall in April of 2023.

Kill them all!!

 
By now, most every garden club has held programs on butterflies and host plants that attract them. Those living jewels that flutter from flower to bud, down to the muddy pools they drink from, seem worth anything to bring into the landscape. I thought so, too. But now, I’m refining my approach after tangling with an herb that should be strictly left out of any garden. “Beware of the Stinging Nettle” should be a refrain that echoes through the mind of any gardener.

“Burning” or “Stinging Nettle” is advertised as a butterfly attracting weed, an herbal hair rinse, an “energizing nettle bath”, or even as a tea served with elderflowers, lemon balm or a slice of citrus. Don’t do it. Be wise: stay strictly away. I share this advice after nearly three years of burning pain in my hands and arms that will not go away, and for which there is no cure.

This is the back-story. Three summers ago, I moved back to Connecticut. The house I bought had a landscaped, but neglected yard on the edge of a wood. The garden beds, if you could call them that, were full of a 10-14 inch green plant with oval, hairy leaves with serrated edges, arranged along the stem like a mint. Seedlings were liberally represented beneath them.

Did I look them up in a book? No. Eager to start my perennial garden, I plunged my hands in and began clearing them out. They are quite juicy when crushed, and the liquid flowed up my arms and on my legs as I kneeled. I spent hours pulling. They were ubiquitous after a moist spring and early summer.

The day after my first weeding, I woke up with arms, legs, and hands bright red and burning. No water, ice, soap, lotion or other emolument would quiet the burning. I treated it like poison ivy. No change.

At that point, I went on the internet and identified the nasty weed that had attacked me. In German, it’s called “Brennnessel” (burning nettle), and in English, “Stinging Nettle.”

Several months later, after three trips to the doctor, multiple heavy-duty cortisone shots, lotions, medications and soothing baths, the redness and oozing sores disappeared. The burning did not. Three years later, the burning still crops up when my hands get dry. Apparently, the tiny hairs embedded themselves and will not come out. As I move, they burn.

Herbals will tell you that nettle can be found in any lot with moisture, disturbed, nitrogen-rich soil. Woodland clearings, fertile fields, riverbanks, gardens and meadows are their favorite spots.

I say, “Leave them there!” Do not introduce them into your yard under the misguided impression that you are aiding butterflies. Otherwise, for your efforts, your children, grandchildren, friends, pets, and visitors may brush up against them and suffer for years to come. Let the butterflies use the ones in nature!

So how do you deal with nettle?

A gardening friend, who is also a medical doctor, devised a safe way to remove nettle, if you find it in your yard.

Liberally apply hand cream to your hands and arms as a protectant. Find two of the oblong plastic bags newspapers are wrapped in. Slide one up each arm, sticking your fingers through the plastic at the closed end of the bag. Your fingers will go through and anchor the bag. Put on two pairs of medical gloves (latex or plastic), one over the other, on each hand. Then don your gardening gloves.

Watching that the nettle, or its juices, do not touch any skin on your arms or legs, start pulling. Check your gloves periodically to make sure they are holding up. Change them if you find punctures. Seal the nettle in a plastic garbage bag and dispose of it in the dump. Do not put it in compost, as the hairs continue to infect any soil they come in touch with.

After removing all nettle from an area, always garden with the plastic glove/garden glove combination on your hands. The hairs remain for years in your soil, and can be just as damaging when bare hands come in contact with the dirt as they were on the plants. And please, please remember, “Always…beware of the Stinging Nettle.” Never be so foolish as to share it with a friend.

Janet Spaulding

Disclaimer: These thoughts and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of this organization.