The Landings Garden Club

  October 2009

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Garden Club Members,
With the cooler weather arriving we are approaching what may be the busiest time of year in our gardens. It is an exciting time. For the last few weeks we have discussed dividing plants and sharing them with friends, transplanting shrubs, adding new perennials and putting other plants to bed for the winter. We will be planting pansies, snapdragons and other over wintering annuals.  Fall is the time for planting perennials. Choose healthy, good quality plants from a reputable nursery or garden center. If you get to know the owners or manager you will get good service and can get plenty of gardening tips as well. Plan where you want to make changes in color, texture and size in a flower bed. One great idea is to go to the garden center once every 6 to 8 weeks and buy a flowering perennial. This way you will have color in your garden all year round. You can have it as a container plant through the hot weather and then transplant it in the autumn. Remember to choose plants suitable for where you are planting. Here on Skidaway Island we are zone 9. Check the sun versus shade, wet versus dry, and the quality of the soil. No matter how good the plants are they will not be happy in the wrong conditions.  Fall is also a good planting time for trees and shrubs. Remember David Moulder’s lesson last month – plant to the depth of the first lateral root, fertilize along the drip line away from the base of the plant and mulch well to about 3 inches. Remember too that a good cup of tea goes a long way when you are admiring your latest work of art.

Anne

GARDEN CLUB OCTOBER 26th MEETING
Messiah Lutheran Church
Board Meeting 9:00am
Coffee and Meeting  9:30am
Marsh Walk 10:45am
We will carpool from the Lutheran Church at 10.30am
Wear comfortable shoes, bring bug spray and a bottle of water.
This month, the program, open to the public, will consist of a guided salt marsh and maritime forest walk at the Skidaway Island Marine Extension Center which will take place from 10:45 until 12:15pm at the Center. The guides for the walk will be John Crawford and Dr. Mare Timmons, marine educators. There will be a charge for the walk of $7 for club members and $10 for non-members which will be collected at the Extension Center. For those who are unable to walk for that long do come for part of the walk and enjoy the beauty of the marsh and the Maritime Forest. All those who wish to participate in the walk or who wish more information about it, should call 598-8762 or 598-9504.
We have a very personal reason to enjoy the Marsh Walk. Sandra Wolf and her husband, Jay, were volunteers at the Marine Extension Service.Jay was askedto lead a group of Eagle Scouts to build a trail through the forest with the assistance of an associate, Lloyd Center. Jay diedshortly afterthe trail wasfinished. Lloyd Center suggested that the trail should be named after Jay. Branigar made the sign andit reads The Jay Wolf Nature Trail. We will walk part of The Jay Wolf Trail on Oct.26th.Refreshments at the membership meeting will be provided by Jan Kemp, Lisa Hall, Sandy Humphrey, Marie Scheuermann and Farideh Heidary.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
BY PURCHASING AMAZON.COM PRODUCTS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE
It's easy:
1. Go to www.thelandingsgardenclub.com
2. Click on the Amazon link at the bottom of the page.
3. The Landings Garden Club will receive a percentage of anything you buy at Amazon, after linking through our website. These referral fees will help us support The Brown Thrasher Scholarship Fund, Orphan Bird Care, Savannah Tree Foundation, Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens, Hospice Savannah, and many more worthwhile projects.The holidays will be here before you know it. Think about purchasing your holiday gifts at Amazon. Thank you and happy shopping!

BUTTERFLY GARDEN RECOGNITION!
Dear Landings Club Members,
Thank you so much for your hard work, time, research, and funding of the Butterfly Garden at the Interpretive Center. Since the installation last spring the garden has been a huge hit with guests at the park. All summer long it has attracted a wide variety of butterflies and it is a joy to see visitors’ reactions when they get to see them.

We have always looked for ways to beautify the entrance to the Interpretive Center and this has filled that goal and then some by providing a beautiful entrance and attracting wildlife. The markers for identifying the plants are perfect allowing us to use the garden for educational purposes teaching the public about what plants they can use to attract butterflies. 

With our constant funding cut backs it is always a challenge to be able to meet goals that we have set for the park. Generous neighbors like you help to make it possible for the park to continue to provide a natural experience for visitors to our beautiful island. We look forward to your next visit to the park so that you may see your dollars at work.
Thank you again,

 Holly Holdsworth - Park Manager

DONATIONS TO GA REGIONAL CENTER
As our Christmas Season approaches, it's again time to think seriously about our donation to the Ga RegionalCenter.
Our Garden Club sends a monetary donation to be used for garden supplies for the 2 gardens the patients maintain at the facility. When we send our toiletry samples they are used as prizes during the year for games and gifts. For the most part these clients have no family in their life.
The toiletries we can contribute include: soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotions, toothpaste, toothbrushes, brushes, combs and small make-up items. As has been done in the past we would like to collect socks, for ladies and men, white, athletic or everyday at the meetings.
They are in need of clothing as well, as there have been drastic budget cuts, so they are receiving less clothing. We will purchase some clothing as Christmas gifts for the clients. If anyone has any good, used, usable clothing they could donate, that would be greatly appreciated anytime during the year. We will be collecting socks, toiletries at our business meetings starting at the October meeting.
Thanks in advance.
Kathy Zmijewski, Ruth Casey, June Palmer