PRESENTING ARRANGEMENT … Joyce Mocherman of Bryan, pictured with her “Mother Nature” arrangement, features mums, beauty berries, crab apples, butterfly bush, and other late seasonal blooms.
Joyce Paepke reported on the bulb of the month – Hippeastrum a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids and cultivars of perennials commonly known as Amaryllis, which is sold as indoor flowering bulbs at Christmas.
Valued for their large ornamental flowers, the larger the bulb the more flowers. Most lack any fragrance, they produce large healthy leaves in the summer growing season, that dies back needing a two-month dormant period in a cool, dark place without water or fertilizer and, during winter begin watering and the flowers come out.
Can be planted outdoors, but potted well before frost. Allowing the dormant period, these bulbs will bloom year after year.
Dutch Amaryllis usually produces flowers first and leaves come after blooming. Best results are obtained by transplanting every three to four years.
The committee to plan the Williams County Fair Flower show reported that the theme next year is “Gardening for the Young at Heart”, featuring nursery rhyme.
The 2023 fair will return to the original schedule of Saturday till Saturday.
The spring Regional 1 meeting will be held in Williams County and the State Convention will be held in Findlay; these are great opportunities for club members to attend.
Philadelphia is having a Garden Show in March, and a few are interested in attending. The club is planning Design classes for January and February during the club hiatus during the winter.
Program for the meeting was “Deferred Gratification”; planting bulbs in the Fall, to enjoy their blooms next Spring.
Regina Partee provided bulbs and talked about planting Allium, Tulip, Daffodil, and Crocus. Plant bulbs now so they can go through the cold and sprout in time to enjoy in the spring.
As a general rule plant large bulbs about 8” deep such as Allium, and small Crocus bulbs at 4”.
Daffodils and Tulips can be planted 6-8 inches deep. When the flowers come up, mulch around them or layer newspaper to keep mud from splashing and weeds at bay. When the flowers have completed blooming, do not cut the foliage.
Bulbs will use the foliage to gather nutrients to store for the following season. One the foliage has turned yellow or brown, cut the plant to ground level.
The door prize brought by Barb Deetz was won by Peggy Miller. And refreshments were provided by Carol Wheeler and JoAnn Beucler.
Our next meeting on December 6th, will be our club’s Christmas Party, meeting at Pulaski United Methodist Church at 5:30 p.m. with a decorated gift that will be judged according to categories.