(PRESS RELEASE) – President Cam Miller opened the meeting with the Garden Prayer, after which the roll call included showing the mum you brought.
Many said theirs were done blooming, in part, due to the dry conditions. Those that were shown ranged from dark purple to showy lilac-colored blooms. 18 members responded to roll call with two guests.
The program for the evening was given by Kayla Wyse, county extension agent for OSU. A graduate of Wilmington College and former FFA teacher in Stryker, she presented information on the Master Gardener program.
Begun in Washington State in the 70’s the program is now in all U.S. states and Canada and Korea. There are 64 groups in Ohio with 3,500 active members. The beginning course involves 50 hours of education and 50 hours of volunteer work, with some scholarships available.
Now there are hybrid classes with online lectures and in person labs. In Willams County, tours are available with roundtable discussions.
Also, classes in floral design are open to the public several times a year. A new Junior Master Gardener class is in the works for 2025. Five Pulaski club members are former Master Gardeners. Club members thanked Kayla for her informative program.
The secretary’s Report and treasurer’s Report were approved. The evening’s floral arrangement, entitled “Blessings” was presented by Peggy Miller. It included a large pumpkin filled with mums, grasses, and purple salvia. Enclosed were lists of things she is thankful for.
Pest of the Month – Spider Mites – was given by Carol Wheeler. Spider Mites thrive in hot, dry conditions which stress plants and make them more vulnerable. First signs of spider mite infestations are usually small, light-colored dots on the leaves.
One might also notice webbing in the plant. Leaves might start to look grey or light bronze. To confirm, shake an affected leaf over a sheet of white paper, if you see moving colored dots you have spider mites.
One way to address the stress is to water plants regularly and spray the leaves with a strong jet of water. The next option is a miticide that is specifically developed for spider mite control.
A special treatment can be injected directly into the soil. Be careful using “bug control” sprays as these insecticides have little effect on spider mites but kill off their natural predators such as ladybugs, and predatory mites.
Old Business
Photo Contest – Members voted on their favorite photo displayed in each category:
Category 1 – “Family Tree ; Category 2 – “Vacation Wonders”; Category 3 – “Edible Landscape”; Category 4 – “The Color Purple”; Category 5 – “Out of the Box”. Winners were congratulated and participants were thanked with a small gift each.
Regional Meeting – November 7, 2024
Members who registered for the Flower Show were thanked. An Herb Educational Display was part of the flower show. Speakers for the day were Sandy Gordon, the Montpelier Parks Director, who spoke on the Children’s Garden in Montpelier and Marlene Purdy speaking on Creative Design.
Williams County Fairgrounds flower beds will get their fall cleanup after a killing frost. The flowers are still looking good. Members were encouraged to pick some dusty miller to dry from the bell tower bed.
New Business
The December meeting will be a Holiday Party at 5:30 pm. Members paid the treasurer for their meal. Bring a gift at $10 wrapped in one of the four categories for “A Children’s Christmas.” Category 1 – “Barbie Dolls”; Category 2 – “Lego Land”; Category 3 – “Story Books”; Category 4 – “Bicycle.” Members will vote on their favorite in each category.
Dates for the Fair Committee and the 2026 Centennial Committee to meet were tabled. It was m/s/p to make a $50 donation from the treasury to the Filling Home of Mercy.
It was m/s/p to make a donation of $100 to the Pulaski United Methodist Church for the use of its facilities throughout the year. Door Prize of two thistle seed bags for finches brought by Carol Wheeler was won by Judy Shilling.
An announcement was made by Michelle O’Dell to remind members of the Festival of Trees at the Bryan Foundation building beginning on November 29. There are several days available to view the trees decorated by local persons and available for sale. The meeting adjourned.
Share and Tell was describing how we collect and store seeds for the following year. Several members store their seeds in small pill bottles or metal containers. Silica gel can be added. Be sure to date the container.
Store in garage or refrigerator, or some perennial seeds are to be frozen. One member collects tomato seeds on a wet paper towel, saves during the winter and plants directly in the ground come spring with great success.
Hostesses for the meeting were Cindy Clark, and Barb Deetz. The next meeting of the Pulaski Garden Club will be December 3, 2024, at 5:30 pm for dinner and Christmas Party.