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Uwharrie Point Garden Club by Ann Piehl
The UPGC will meet regularly on the 3rd Monday of each month at 2:00 P.M. in the Uwharrie Room. Exceptions will include an occasional excursion which may need to be scheduled on another day of the week----to be announced.
If you wish to let us know ahead of time of your interest, or if you have questions or suggestions, please contact Ann Piehl at 461-1355, e-mail AnnPiehl at aol dot com; or Maryanne Bott at 461-5388, e-mail johnpbott at rtmc dot net.
December, 2008
Christmas season has arrived, and we all revel in our surrounding winter
gardens of greens, berries, and the shapes of leafless trees exposed for the
season. We are inspired to decorate and gather with friends to celebrate. Our
December Garden Club meeting catches the spirit with a party that has become a
favorite tradition. We are experienced in pure MERRIMENT.
This December is no exception. We will gather for our traditional Pot Luck
Luncheon and Dirty Santa Garden Gift Exchange on Monday, December 15th, at the
home of Joan Boling, 416 Glenbrook Springs. The time is 12:00 noon. Please call
Jane Knox or Joan Boling to learn what you can bring to contribute to our lunch.
And---of course bring a tempting gift for our exchange. It should be garden
related (and that covers a WIDE range, as those who have been before will
attest,) $10 - $15 in cost. If you haven’t been involved with Garden Club
before, you are welcome to join us. Our treasurer will be on hand to collect our
annual $5 contributions from newcomers and delinquent “oldcomers” alike. Come
prepared to have a wonderful time.
Gardening Tips for December
Catch the spirit of Irmi Heyen’s November program on clipping and gathering
treasures from your garden to deck your own halls. Irmi showed us how to make
napkin rings and mini wreaths of rosemary, and garlands short or long, laced
with berries, dark and light greens, and even curls of crepe myrtle bark. A roll
of green florists’ wire, a glue gun, some snippers, and your imagination are the
only tools needed.
Keep the shape of shrubs in mind when taking cuttings for decoration. Clip just
above a leaf bud. And give the cuttings a good soaking before bringing them
inside.
When choosing a poinsettia, choose a plant with the yellow flower buds (in the
center of the colored leaves) that are not quite open. Tight flowers are a good
indication that the plant is fresh and healthy. Place it in bright light, out of
drafts, and where temperatures don’t get much above 70 degrees. Keep it watered,
but not over watered.
Don’t allow potted azaleas to dry out. The soil must remain moist. Then they’ll
have a good chance of survival when you transplant them into your garden.
Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles. ---unknown
November 2008
It’s autumn and time to think about Thanksgiving. Do we dare mention
Christmas so early? Last November we went to Tom’s Creek for a fabulous
experience making our own Christmas wreaths. This is a tradition with Tom’s
Creek, open to the public----EXCEPT---we had our own private workshop! The
response of those attending was a unanimous: “We have to do this again next
year!” So---on Monday, November 17th, we’ll going back to Tom’s Creek Nursery
for a hands-on live-greens wreath-making project. Jim Carriker will have just
gathered bins and bins of freshly cut greens, cones, and berries. He provides
all the supplies needed to cut and arrange, including the wreath base, pins,
snips, ribbon, etc. The workspace is large and comfortable, and Jim even has
wonderful refreshments at hand. What more could we ask????? We’ll each take home
a fabulous fresh wreath that is ready to hang. And------once we’re out, OF
COURSE we’ll go for LUNCH in Asheboro.
This is a day you do not want to miss, so call the Club and sign up right away.
We need exact numbers for both the wreath making and lunch reservations. Let us
know if you are willing to drive. The cost of the wreath-making project is $20.
We are scheduled to be at Tom’s Creek at 9:30 A.M. We will meet at the Club
House at 9:00 and leave at 9:15.
Gardening Tips for November
- Bring cuttings from your yard indoors for fresh fall and Thanksgiving decorations.
- Stop all other pruning.
- Place cold sensitive potted plants in protected areas or indoors.
- Divide and move or discard overgrown perennials.
- Plant trees, shrubs, bulbs, and for fun---- a few new perennials.
- Get rid of the rest of your weeds and mulch heavily to deter their leftover seeds from sprouting next year.
- Trees without leaves need little or no watering.
- Evergreens and new plants do need water.
- Check all varieties of gardenias for white fly infestations. (Even azaleas, weak crepe myrtles, and other plants can get this plague.) Look under the leaves if they look pale or mottled. If you notice leaves that seem coated in black---that is white fly POOP. Spray with a solution of Malathion or other product recommended at Lowes.
"Most people, early in November, take last looks at their gardens, are then prepared to ignore them until the spring. I am quite sure that a garden doesn't like to be ignored like this. It doesn't like to be covered in dust sheets, as though it were an old room that you had shut up during the winter. Especially since a garden knows how gay and delightful it can be, even in the very frozen heart of the winter, if you only give it a chance." -----Beverly Nichols
October 2008
October is simply the loveliest of months in North Carolina. Temperatures are
downright perfect, humidity has dropped, fall gardens and colors are at their
peak, and ---
wonder of wonders, we’re even blessed with almost-to-the brim water in our lake.
We have a special treat for our October 20th garden club meeting. Our very own
Irmi Heyen will be presenting our program from the fruits of her intriguing
“Secret Garden.” As many of you many know, Irmi loves to garden and has created
a special haven for herself and her family. Irmi says that she always chooses
plants that lend themselves to seasonal decorations such as topiaries and
wreaths for both indoor and outdoor enjoyment. She will share some of her
creative secrets with us as she demonstrates how easily we can make our own
wonderful fall creations----just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
The meeting is on Monday, October 20th, at 2:00 P.M. in the Uwharrie Room. And
of course refreshments will be served. This is a program you do not want to
miss. We hope we’ll have a big turnout for Irmi and will be inspired to add some
new and special festive touches to our own homes this fall.