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They should then be given a little water. He uses a repurposed watering can he bought at an auto supply store that is used to fill batteries which allows him to accurately pinpoint where the water is needed. Succulents are made up of sedums and sempervivums, otherwise known simply as “semps” and because some are not hardy, dish gardens that are bought at a store should be kept inside.
Campbell’s favorite succulents are Tokyo Sun and Tiny Yellow Leaf. Angelina is easy to spread by just removing some of the lower leaves and inserting it under a rock or gravel. Sempervivums come in many colors and new unusual ones are coming into nurseries. May and June are the best time to plant semps and sedums. He says to never buy a plant without a binomial label because if you have the label you can look it up to see how to care for it. After the plants are taken out of their containers they should be planted so that their crowns remain above the soil. The soil should drain well as damp and wet are the enemies of succulents. Masons sand is a good planting medium because it is coarse. Sandbox sand should not be used as it is too fine. Duane Campbell is the author of “Best of Green Space, 30 Years of Composted Columns” which is available at Ben Franklin, Amazon and other outlets.
Following the program President Barb Andrus opened the business meeting by leading the club in the Pledge of Allegiance. The club welcomed new member Warren Batcheller who has recently joined the club.
Plans for the State of the Art exhibit in December are ongoing. The club is planning to have an exhibit of decorated Christmas trees. Carol Ulmer brought in Bethlehem stars she has created and plans to sell.
Members of the club are planning to remove winter decorations from the downtown area of Troy and are planning a spring cleanup at Alparon Park and the Heritage Village. Mulch and soil will be ordered for both locations and for Troy.
Laura Steele encouraged club members to enter their flowers for judging. The number of entries has dwindled over the years the floral space at the exhibit hall may be lost if the trend continues.
President Andrus said a Facebook account for the club has been set up and she has already posted on it. It is: HeritageGardenClubTroy,PA She announced that Heritage Garden Club will represent District V in the “Trash to Treasure” contest at the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania Convention in Erie. The title is “Catch of the Day” and was created by Barb Andrus, Joie Brasington and Gail McMahon. Four members of the club will attend the event taking place on April 19-21 where club member Sharon Brown will be installed as the new president.
Barb Andrus, Charlotte Lyon and Judy Warn expressed their appreciation for the club sponsored scholarships they received. Judy Warn talked about her experiences at the recent Landscape Design School. She found it very interesting and worthwhile and enjoyed meeting the other attendees. Barb Andrus and Charlotte Lyon will be attending Flower Show School at the end of the month.
A committee has been formed to explore dates for a tea party to be held at the Mitchell House at the Heritage Village to celebrate the club’s 20th anniversary. The club is planning to invite several local garden clubs to the event.
Several members of the club will take part in “Farm Days 1866”, a program based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book “Farmer Boy” which will be held on May 11 & 12. This will be the third year for the program which offers participating schools the opportunity to learn about what life was like in 1866.
President Andrus announced that the National Wild Turkey Federation Mountain Spurs Chapter has given the club a generous $250.00 donation for wildlife or native plantings. She asked for suggestions on what bird houses might attract birds.
Following the meeting the club shared delicious refreshments served by Barb Andrus.
New members are always welcome. For more information, call Barb Andrus at (570)297-3043. The Heritage Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania and National Garden Clubs Inc.