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Bulb Planting:
Congratulations to all those intrepid members who helped plant the tulip bulbs on Thursday Oct 26th at the Squamish Public Library.
Garden Tools:
The November meeting was held on Monday November 20, 2006 at the Squamish Library at 7:00 p.m.
The Guest speaker was Paul Buikema..."Progress Landscaping" - tools- purchase & maintenance. He gave a very informative talk. With over 17 years experience in the nursery and landscape industry, Paul is a Certified Horticulture Technician (retail), an ISA Certified Arborist (PN-5482A) and a Certified Tree Risk Assessor. He has had articles published in gardening magazines, has been a guest on a number of gardening radio talk shows, gives seminars on a wide range of landscape and garden topics and is a regular contributor to garden and arborist oriented online web forums. In 2003, Paul received the British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association's Young Member of the Year award for his volunteer efforts and contribution to the industry.
Winter Gardening:
On Monday Oct. 16th at the Railway Park, we had our Monthly Meeting and we all were treated to a very informative and interesting talk by Ellen Grant on Winter Gardening...Let's all get out and see what we can do to get more out of our yards this year! Ellen plans to tour her garden this coming season with camera-in-hand to illustrate her ideas.
We also had a great Perennial Exchange and gleefully took home our new booty. Many thanks to all those of you who took the time to get out and dig.
 
Fall Fair:
At the Fall Fair Dorte Froslev was the aggregate winner in the exhibits/entries.
Here are some images from the Fair
(Taken by Beth Fitzpatrick)
Bananas:
These plants are amazing. We over-wintered them from tiny plants indoors and planted them out in the spring....Result a real tropical feel to your garden...Try it yourself...all they need is a lot of water and regular fertilizing and they are happy...also easy to overwinter outdoors. Each one has several "pups" which can be transplanted in the spring.
Dave and Alison Colwell
Our Christmas Social and Wreath Decoratiing Event was held at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Dec. 4th.
Thank you Thor and Dorte for providing the Space.
Also many thanks to Lois for organising the wreath sales etc.
Invasive Plants:
At our January Meeting, the old Executive was thanked for all their hard work in the last activity-packed year and our new Executive was introduced. Also we were treated to a very informative talk by Andrew Appleton from 'Evergreen Stewardship and Restoration Services' on Invasive Plants.
Many of us were humbled into reviewing our garden inventories...a good second look at some of the "monsters" lurking there certainly seemed to be in order!
However, he did reassure some of us that a good knowledge of the growth habits of some of these aggressors might allow a few to be kept corraled and watched in certain specific areas of our gardens. It is quite amazing how many invasive plants are sold to the public and also naively shared by unsuspecting gardeners over the fence!
Please check our "LINKS" section for some more information on Native Plant Species and Invasive Plants.
<< This is Giant Hogweed!....It is very invasive and any contact with the skin should be avoided. Lasting damage can occur, resulting in extreme sensitivity to sunlight with resultant burning. Do not try to remove it without some protective clothing. This plant is spreading rapidly throughout the lower BC mainland.
Here's what it can do! -->
Meg Fellows-Invasive Plants February 2007:
Many thanks to Meg Fellows who gave a presentation at our February Meeting on Local Invasive Plants, leading a discussion on what we should do as a gardening club. This was followed by some interesting, useful and lively discussion.
One main point was that we should all develop a clear awareness of the destructive potential of our local invasive species and act responsibly within the context of any particular situation. If we do have any of them in our gardens and wish them to stay then appropriate controls should be made. We all wish to avoid the unwanted spread to our neighbours and the environment as a whole.
Some species are so aggressive that they might well oust other desirable species if allowed uncontrolled freedom. We should watch that we do not give other unsuspecting gardeners any of these plants as part of our generous sharing. Perhaps also we should encourage plant venders to be aware of what some of these commonly sold plants can do.
 Native Plants in Home Gardens-February 2007:
At our March metting on March 19th. in the Squamish library we were treated to an interesting talk by Barry Belec on Native Plants in home gardens.
Many species were discussed and it soon became apparent that there is much to learn about many of the plants which we take for granted.
He did not preach about the exclusive use of natives but rather highlighted their beauty when placed in the right setting alongside our favourite interlopers. His knowledge and wit carried us all smoothly through the evening which ended with a multi-door prize raffle and the sale of a selection of the plants which he had brought with him.
The April 16th meeting included our plant exchange followed by Gwen Odermatt
discussing Butterfly Gardens. Location....Railway Heritage Museum.
For over the last decade Gwen has operated 'Petals and Butterflies', a farm nursery that specializes in growing plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The large pond in her garden gives her the opportunity to grow aquatic plants and enjoy the expanse of wildlife the pond brings. She gave a most interesting talk which included spectacular pictures of Butterflies along with informative biological anecdotes
On Monday, May 7th we were treated to this year's keynote speaker, Steve Kovacs of Waterscene Design in Delta. His topic was Creating a Paradise with Water Features. Since it was founded nine years ago, Waterscene has specialized in teaching landscapers and homeowners around Western Canada how to build a breathtaking 11' by 16' water feature in just 8 hours! The aim is to provide natural, beautiful, low maintenance water features. Waterscene has appeared on national television shows such as The Canadian Gardener and Room to Grow, and Steve has been a speaker at Garden Shows, Home Shows, garden clubs and libraries across the country. His company had a display garden at the BC Home and Garden Show in February and will also have one at the Vancouver Sun Garden Show at Van Dusen in June.
He provided several hand outs, and presented a slide show.
He said that people want to come home and hear the sound of clear water, particularly if this is a low-maintenance situation. Water features:
aesthetically enhance the landscape;
provide tranquillity and a relaxation zone;
are an educational tool for children, and
bring nature to your property.
In his experience there are:
Fish people (aquarists)
Plant people (gardeners)
Decorative people, and
Complete water gardeners (all of the above).
There are various water features available, ranging from a container water garden, to a pre-formed shallow pond, to a do-it-yourself liner pond, which is the most popular. The liner is hidden by rocks. A professionally installed liner pond is the most expensive choice. A pond-less waterfall is also an option.
He mentioned that mosquito larvae do not live in moving water.
There are five components to a water feature:
Circulation (pump and tubing
Filtration (mechanical and biological)
Rocks and gravel
Fish
Plants.
Biological filters make use of beneficial bacteria to convert and remove nitrogen components, mainly ammonia and nitrate. Mechanical filters physically remove debris and waste matter.
The best depth for a pond is 2 feet. Plants aid in algae control through shade and competition. It's best to cover 30-40% of the pond's surface with plants.
The best predator control (herons, racoons) is a mechanical scarecrow with a motion sensor that shoots water. It's important when building ponds to create small caves and hiding places for fish.
Steve invited all the Garden Club members to visit his operation in Ladner.
Visit his web site by clicking here
2007 Fall Fair (pictures from Beth Fitzpatrick
Flowers from Ellen's Garden
Some of our intreped members
September 17
Gerry Gibbens, spoke on the topic of
Pruning. Mr. Gibbens is on the BC Council of Garden
Clubs Speakers List and was very obliging. He works for the Vancouver Parks Board and at the Van Dusen Gardens. He served his apprenticeship at Windsor Great Park in England. He has also been President of the Vancouver Rhododendron Society.
His presentation was most informative and drew many questions from the audience. Many of us will now do our "surgery" with renewed confidence.
October 15
Our speaker was Chris Woods, the new director (as of September 2006) of the
VanDusen Botanical Garden. His topic was "A Passion for Plants". It only took two or three frames of his slide show, combined with his wit and eloquent delivery, to surely convince us all of this passion. There were equisite pictures of gardens and close-ups of flowers which certainly had the "wow" factor to which he refered.
Mr. Woods is originally from England and began his apprenticeship in horticulture at the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew. He worked at three other gardens in the UK before
moving to the US in 1981. There he has worked as Director and Chief Garden
Designer of Chanticleer, Vice President for Horticulture and External Operations
for the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, and Executive Director of the Ojai
Valley Land Conservancy in Ojai, California. He has been a consultant for a
number of other gardens and horticultural projects. He has written numerous
articles as well as The Encyclopedia of Perennials: A Gardener's Guide (1992).
In 2003 he was awarded the Professional Citation for significant achievements in
public horticulture by the American Public Garden Association.
Our latest meeting was November 19 at the Squamish Public Library. We were treated to an amazing talk on Bio-Dynamics by Ferdinand U. Vondruska from Paradise Valley.
He started his Bio-Dynamic life at the Zurich Waldorf School in Grade 4 when he was taught seeding wheat all the way to the making of
bread. During the ten years at the Waldorf School, he attended gardening and farming classes every Wednesday afternoon for 4 hours. His study at Emerson College, Forest Row England under Prof. Dr. Herbert Koepf, a world renowned Bio-Dynamic expert, is where he got his Diploma.
 
For 17 years, Ferdinand was also a Waldorf teacher before he settled with his wife Marcela in Paradise Valley, BC surrounded by the beauty of forests, mountains and the serenity of the wild Cheakamus River. Ferdinand has established himself here since 1985 and has actively been involved with studies and practices of BioDynamic Preparation Making and composting for gardens, fields and forests. To date he still teaches and practices Bio-Dynamic preparation making and composting to heal the soils that surround us. He also teaches BD courses in Mexico, the US, Finland, Canada and many other countries. Through his traveling experiences around the globe and the many countries he has visited and lived in, he has devised a method of Bio-Dynamics that can quickly restore polluted and exhausted soils in almost any geographical area.
For background details and balanced discussion of Bio-Dynamics Click Here
The date of the wreath decorating party is confirmed and it is December 3 at the Brackendale Art Gallery.
On December 3rd. We had our annual Christmas Wreath Decorating Party at the B.A.G.
Here are a few pictures...thanks to Carla, all the helpers, food contributors and, of course, our hosts (Tor and Dorte Froslev)....The Punch was most warming and welcoming!
OUR HISTORY : A Look Back Over Time…….
Part 1: The beginning years…..
It’s a snowy Saturday in February, the groundhog saw his shadow today and everyone knows that means we have 6 more weeks of winter. All I can do now while waiting for Spring is nurture my indoor plants, let the snow disappear, and tend to some “unfinished” business.
A few months ago I promised our President Carol, that I would try to write something for our newsletter on the evolution and history of the Squamish Gardeners. Being sort of a pack-rat, I had kept old minutes and other bits of information about the club in a very neat notebook thinking that some day the information therein would be useful! So here I am at my computer, a nice hot cup of tea beside me, thumbing through old minutes that tell the story of how the Squamish Gardeners came into being, the paths taken by the group and who the players (gardeners) were. Please know that I’m not making up any of the following information….it’s all to be found in the paper trail of our minutes and newsletters, although as a casual writer, I will be making frequent editorial comments!
The first “formal” meeting of what was initially called the Squamish Garden Club was held on June 27th, 1994, 7:00 PM at the home of Fran Martin, Dryden Road, Brackendale. (That’s 14 years ago.) This was an organizing meeting (gathering of addresses, initiating a phone chain, discussing meeting places, possible club projects, and of course, who would bring the refreshments for the next meeting). Lots of gardening interests were raised and ideas flowed readily. (How do I control slugs? Can we share seeds and garden magazines? ). The first membership list for the club includes some familiar names: Marcie Phillips, Melissa Geddes, Mary Wild, Jill Gould among others.
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First Executive:
President Bev Carson
Vice President Cheryl VanDer Eerden
Secretary #1 Thelma Whitfield
Secretary #2 Tricia Scott
Treasurer #1 Marcie Phillips
Treasurer #2 Jill Gould
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At the July meeting the club’s official name was established: The Squamish Gardeners and the first executive elected (see box). Committees were formed (social, fundraising, programs/events, membership) and the membership fee was set at $10.00. Members were advised to bring 12 self-addressed stamped envelopes to the next meeting if they wished to receive the minutes by mail. ( Now aren’t we fortunate to have e-mail?) More gardening/fund raising ideas were shared such as holding a plant sale, and donating funds to the library for the purchase of gardening books. I’m missing minutes for the next few months (I probably forgot to bring my stamped envelopes) but I recall that meetings continued to be held at member’s homes because of the difficulty in finding a “free” meeting place and the group’s limited budget. The first financial report (October 1994) showed 20 paid-up members and a bank balance of $187.45. The only expenditure in 1994 was $20.00 for membership in the B.C. Council of Garden Clubs.
In 1995 the group met for several months at the Howe Sound Secondary School, then at member’s homes in the summer months with a garden tour included!. Wasn’t that nice incentive to attend. Later in the year meetings were held at Xanthine’s Coffee House, which later became The Pause Café. As a fund raiser the group held a “Squamish Gardener’s Dinner” at a cost of $10 at the home of Kathleen Brennan. (a delicious menu!) and surplus funds were given to the club.
Although the group provided a wonderful opportunity for socializing most members wanted more information on gardening in Squamish and more structure at the meetings. We wanted to “tap into local expertise”. The first invited guest speaker was Greg from Garibaldi Nurseryland who talked about disease and pest control in the garden. A moss basket day was held in the spring . (That was fun: much like making a Christmas Wreath but using spring flowers.) Farmers from Brackendale approached the group to assist in resurrecting the Squamish Fall Fair and members were enthusiastic in their support.
The idea of a meeting raffle was proposed by Tricia Scott. Cost of the raffle ticket was a loonie and the raffle prize must not exceed $15. The lucky winner would bring the prize for the next month’s raffle and be re-imbursed from the treasury.
By June of 1995 the membership stood at 25 including three gentleman gardeners: Don Cochrane, Don McAllister and Lawrence Minchin. The dues were now $12 per year and an extra $5 if you wanted the club secretary to mail you the minutes. Elections were held at the August meeting: President Tricia Scott, Vice-President Don Cochrane, Treasurer Jill Gould Past President Bev Carson. Program planning for the meetings was taken on by 4 volunteers, each being responsible for the educational programs for a 3 month period.
The bank balance at the end of 1995 was healthy and the Treasurer reminded the group that we needed to think about ways to spend the money. Some of the ideas proposed were making wreaths, setting up a club greenhouse, buying and painting terra-cotta pots, and so forth. The first Christmas dessert pot luck was held at Kathleen Brennan’s home where we made Christmas centerpieces. Member Jennifer Porter bought the decorating supplies for the club. (Jennifer still supplies our Christmas wreaths!)
Now I know that reading accounts from the past can be tedious and I don’t want to loose your interest. Tune in for more next month! By looking back, we can see where we’ve come from and also honor our long-time members who led us down the garden path to where we are now.
Part 2 Growing Pains………….
The next several years saw many changes in the fledgling club and a welcomed increase in membership. But finding a place to hold meetings was a big problem and the executive struggled with this for a long time. As the number of members grew to 25 plus, member’s homes were too small and various church halls, the senior centre, and other venues were either too costly or just not available. But luck was with us! The new Squamish Library had recently opened and Maureen Painter (Head Librarian) approached Jill Gould (Garden Club President) about the possibility of the garden club taking care of the library gardens in exchange for a rent-free meeting place. (Minutes state: this is a heck of a deal!)
Once concerns about the district’s union members response to this proposal were laid to rest, the Garden Club enthusiastically accepted the offer and held the first meeting at the Library on July 20th, 1998. Garden Club members, working along with volunteers from the Friends of the Library, held work parties for weeding, mulching and sometimes planting. I remember that one year we planted red and white geraniums all along the front walkway. It was a stunning display.
Our first newsletter was born! Marcie Philips is credited with being the first editor as she struggled to learn Microsoft Word. Volume 1 (1997) began with less than 1/2 sheet of news and quickly expanded into a two column 3 page newsletter, full of information about nearby gardening events, and feature articles. In 1997 the dues were raised to $15 so that the Club could afford to make a $50 donation to the BC Council of Garden Club’s Scholarship Fund. The first perennial exchange was held in October in the parking lot behind the Library.
The very first notable out of town speaker was none other than David Tarrant who was booked for April 30th 1998. This was intended to be a fund raiser for the Club and the evening was a resounding success. All the tickets ($5 each for members...what a bargain!) were sold without any advertizing. The Club also held a raffle at the event which netted almost $125. Doug Boyd from the Garden Centre donated the container, plants, and potting soil for David’s beautiful planter, which was one of the coveted raffle prizes. Marcie writes in the Newsletter: “You will notice that I refer to him as David because he has a way of making you feel like he is a friend and not a noted celebrity. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an Annual David Tarrant Night? ” It’s a joy to read Marcie’s newsletters. She shares how her own garden is progressing, conveys her love of plants (especially roses), and invites readers to stop by anytime for a cup of tea and a walk down her garden paths.
The Garden Club soon realized that the Squamish community would support events featuring noted speakers and Steve Whysall came to Squamish in July of 1998. His slide show and talk was another success and helped to put the Club on a secure financial footing. The Squamish Gardeners participated at Rose Park Day in June 1998 and at the Fall Fair showing their willingness to be involved in community service. We made a large purchase of a variety of daffodil bulbs, sold them to members and to the public at the Fall Fair. Interesting meeting programs were given by local residents—-Sandra Davis (Wild Onion: identifying herbs) and Karen Unger (making a living wreath with spring plants).
But a change was about to happen. Tricia Scott, one of the enthusiastic leaders in the Club, moved to New Jersey. Jill Gould took over as President, Marcie Philips became Secretary / Treasurer and the new position of Program Director was given to Pamela Dithurbide. Beth Coles (later Johnston) volunteered to be newsletter editor. Our newsletters took on a different look thanks to Beth’s desktop publishing program and the addition of clip art. Interesting captions appeared such as Posies from the Prez, Seeds of Wisdom, All the Dirt and Where the Bees Buzz. Garden Gourmet treated us to some interesting recipes such as Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes and for those with a sweet tooth….Mocha Mint Nanaimo Bars. Yummy!
1999 was another banner year for the Club. Brian Minter agreed to speak in February and talked about plant combinations, introducing us to blue and burgundy ornamental grasses which keep their foliage color all year round. A new community project was proposed: create a low maintenance courtyard garden for the Howe Sound Secondary School. The Club agreed to spend $400 for plants. At the time that seemed to be a HUGE expense just for plants. But have you visited there recently? If you do, overlook the disgusting litter and you will see that most of the original backbone plants are still thriving.
Kelly Pfleiderer hosted the Spring plant swap at her acreage in Paradise Valley and everyone that attended was given a bag of chicken manure. Now only a gardener could get excited about that! Marcie Phillips learned all those Latin plant names and became Squamish’s First Master Gardener. Members generously shared their gardening expertise with us: Audrey Peterson talked about shade plants, Christine Bennett showed us how to make garden stepping stones, and Ellen Grant toured us through her huge garden on a beautiful August evening. New member Alison Sturton entertained us with her eloquent articles in our newsletters under the title Rambling Rose. She describes touring Ellen’s garden as “a journey of discovery”. Alison and Carolyn Grass designed our logo and the portable Squamish Gardener’s sign. But the highlight of the year was without doubt, the first annual Squamish
Garden tour held on July 10th. 12 Gardens were on that tour and the rest is history.
This is the end of my story. If you’ve stuck with me this far and your name has not been mentioned, I apologize. Many faithful members contributed greatly to the early success of the club: Kathleen Brennan, Debbie Donahue, Nancy Southam, Moira Begin-Pound to name just a few. Without a doubt, the success our Club enjoys today is based on the seeds sown by the early Squamish Gardener’s pioneers. Bravo!
Submitted by Beth Fitzpatrick
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