The Rainbow
Gardeners of Shelby
The Rainbow Gardeners of Shelby County always
welcome new members and guests to our monthly meetings. We get together
at CJ Highmarks, 2599 Michigan St. in Sidney, on the second Tuesday
of each month at 12:00 for lunch and programs. Feel free to call
or e-mail for more information. The theme of this year’s programs
is “Our Feathered Friends.” Join us as we learn more
about the wild birds in our gardens and back yards.
We have some great programs in store for
this winter and early spring:
- February 9 – Dick Thoma, former
President of the Ohio Bluebird Society, will discuss the impact
that we can make in protecting and nurturing the remarkable comeback
of the Eastern Bluebird.
- March 9 – Ann Heeley will lead a
show-and-tell on birdhouses and bird feeders.
- April 13 – The staff at Andy’s
Garden in Troy will present “Gardens Galore” with
a focus on plants that provide food and habitat for our feathered
friends.
Fast
forward to JUNE 5, opening day of the Farmer’s Market. The
Rainbow Gardeners will be located where we were last year, in a
space across from the old G.C. Murphy building. We’ll be selling
an amazing variety of annual and perennial flowers, ornamental grasses
and ground covers, hanging baskets, and container plants at equally
amazing low prices. All of our plants are locally grown, healthy,
and ready to beautify any garden.
Think
it’s too late to plan for the 2010 holiday season? Think again!
Now is a great time to shop for silk flowers, Christmas ornaments,
and a myriad of other items to decorate for Thanksgiving, Christmas,
and the New Year. Prices have been slashed at most stores and online
suppliers, and while pickings for some merchandise may be slim,
there is still a huge inventory to be had for pennies on the dollar.
Peg Sparks gave a spectacular program on decorating for the holidays
using items that many of us already have. Click
Here to read her presentation complete with photos.
Winter is a perfect time to think ahead to
spring, so why not consider dedicating a little (or large) garden
space to chocolate? That’s right, a Chocolate Garden, as promoted
by Sharon Allen in her January program. Plants that have chocolate
colored flowers and leaves as well as plants that smell like chocolate
are not always easy to find, but are well worth the search. Sharon
made it a little easier for us to locate the most appealing choices.
Take a look at her Chocolate Garden presentation. Click
Here
We love to share timely gardening tips that
have proven useful by our members. During these late winter and
early spring months, gardening catalogs begin their trek from nurseries
and garden centers all over the country to our homes. But beware
(and here’s where the tips come in)…
-- Many of the plants offered are not suitable
for our Shelby County climate unless given tender loving care and
special growing conditions right from the start.
--
Photos of thick, lush, colorful flowering plants belie what you’ll
receive when your order arrives. Perennials may require 2 to 3 years
of growth before they look anything like their photos.
-- Reputable companies ship garden plants
only when temperatures are warm enough to preclude freezing or frost
damage. If a shipment arrives before that time, be prepared to baby
your order indoors.
-- Some companies substitute one variety for another if they run
out. Confirm your order when it is placed, and let the company know
ahead of time whether substitutions are acceptable.
-- Check online to verify a company’s
reputation before placing an order. Dave’s Garden has a “Garden
Watchdog” section where customers rate their experiences with
thousands of different mail-order gardening companies. (Bluestone
Perennials, by the way, is a northeastern Ohio company that is rated
in the top 30 for price, quality, and service. Bluestone Perennials
partners with the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs to provide discounts
to members.) Before placing an order with an unfamiliar
company, check “Garden Watchdog” to read what others
have to say.
See “Garden Watchdog” at http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd
.
-- Read the company’s guarantee policy
before ordering. Some require you to return DOA plants, shipping
labels, and receipts. Others require notification within a specified
period of time.
-- Sometimes Mother Nature or huge demand
causes varieties pictured on websites to become unavailable. Most
websites will post “Sold Out” or “Unavailable”
when this happens, but call first to make sure that the specific
variety you want is in stock.
-- Look for Internet specials and combine
orders with friends and family to save on shipping.
-- Order early if you plan on purchasing
rare or unusual plants or seeds.
-- Have fun browsing the catalogs and websites.
It’s a great way to garden in the winter.
And speaking of birds (that’s the
Rainbow Gardeners’ theme this year, isn’t it?) here’s
a great website to access information on feeding and providing habitats
for birds. Cedar Works is a southern Ohio manufacturer of bird feeders
and birdhouses sold at garden centers and home improvement stores.
Although their products must be purchased through retail outlets,
the information on their website is both interesting and educational.
Check it out at
http://www.cedar-works.com.

Thanks for visiting. Please
contact us for more information on attending a Rainbow Gardeners’
meeting as a guest. We look forward to hearing from you.
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