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Dakota GardenersAKA

Claybusters

Fall

2011

Officers for 2012

Presidents: Sande Speck and Judy RauVice-President: Anna Marie Joh nsonSecretary: Mary Bit t nerTreasurers: Linda Wilt f ang and Rick MenkMembers-at-Large: Linda Beek and

Konnie Thom psonAdvisor: Pam Farrel l

Aut umn Goodbye gardens-cut t ing down-raking up-cleaning

boots of al l t he muck.Now it s t ime t o plan and think of what to use with

plans and ink.

Our website is up and running! Go towww.Dakotagardeners.org

Please check out this exciting website.

Its a privilege to be part of this club! As members, we allneed to pitch in and do our part to make the club as

successful as it can be. The members below are helpingand would love to have you join them. We need

Chairs or Co-Chairs for the Perennial Plant Sale andSummer Garden Tours. As far as tours, we already have

gardens for July planned.Please let us know at the next meeting

Committee Chairs: Holiday Party: Judy Rau

Annual Plant Sale: Konnie ThompsonQuarterly Newsletter: Jackie OveromDoor Prizes: Mary BittnerMembership/Website/E-mail Notices: Pam Farrell

Alternative sender of E-mails: Judy Finger

Need Chair Persons for

(1) Perennial Plant Sale

(2) Summer Garden Tours

C0ming together is a beginning.Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.

~Henry Ford~

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Cool and Sweet!!!

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As the days grow cooler, many of us with vegetable gardens worry about frost killing our finalcrops of the season. But freezing temperatures, especially in moderation, can actually improve

the flavor of some vegetables!

These veggies like the frosty chill:)

Brussels Sprouts Frost actually helps remove the bitterness of this veggie by raising thesugar content!

Cabbage Light frost (above 25 degrees) gives the leaves an extra sweetbite!

Kale Frost-tolerant to about 10 degrees, this vegetable definitely improves in flavor whenthe temperature drops.

Kohlrabi Another cold-weather lover, it tastes best when Jack Frost has paid a visit or

two!

Turnip As anyone in the south can tell you, these vegetables can be (and often are) left inthe ground all winter! The tops die back at about 10 degrees, but the roots remain intact,sweet and fresh.

Other vegetables that can tolerate frost but don't seem to experience any flavorimprovement include broccoli and spinach. So load up on those Brassica family veggiesthis season and keep the fresh greens coming well past first frost!

What more remains to say of the garden, now shorn of its beauty. Except that each year one learns to love it more? Alone, defying frost and sleet, the tall monks-hood spires remain, to be

stricken down in turn, and patiently await the dawn of spring.George H. Ellwanger, The Gardens Story 1889

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If you can't bear to say goodbye to that beautiful Petunia or Pelargonium, maybe you don'thave to! Many "annuals" are really half-hardy perennials, meaning that they will continue togrow for another season if given the right conditions. You can snip them right now, root the

cuttings, and have big, healthy plants ready to go for spring!

Here's how to do it:....

1. Snip off a few stems from your favorite plants.The stems should be 2 to 6 inches long.

2. Remove any leaves too near the base of the stem (because you will beplanting this end!), but leave the big ones at the other end.

3. Dip the base in rooting hormone powder (available for a few bucks at your nursery or big-box store).

4. Insert the base into moistenedpotting mix in a container.

5. Place the container in a low-light indoor area for a fewweeks, then tug gently on the cuttings. If they resist, they have begun toroot and are ready to go under grow-lights!

6. Place the container beneath grow-lights for the autumn andwinter, making sure they get at least 6 hours of wide-spectrum light eachday. They'll be big and branchy by spring!

In addition to Petunia and Pelargonium, Coleus, Impatiens, Sweet Alyssum,Begonia, Brugmansia, and many species of Salvia all fall into thiscategory.

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Saving Some Plants-

Plants in pots are like animals in a zootheyre totallydependent on their keepers. John Van de Water, 1996

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Remembering the Tours

2011

Garden Tours

What fun was had by all!We saw charming, fun,sophisticated, creativegardens. Thanks to ourcommittee for a very funtouring year! Kudos!

A few garden photos of our own:)

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Konnie Thompson has a great idea f or you as you put your gardens t o bed. Look overt he size and locat ion of your perennials now, make not es on what needs t o be

divided, and plan ahead for t he perennial sale in t he spring. She even pott ed up afew and wintered t hem in a very protected spot w it h lots of mulch and wil l be set t

share t hem for t he club sale. Now t hat s t hinking ahead~!!

Bird Type of Feeders

Type of food

Northerncardinal

ground tray, post, tubefeeder

sunflower, safflower, peanuts, insects, crackedcorn,white millet, white bread, melon seeds, raisins,bananas

Purplefinch

high post, hanging andtube feeders

sunflower, safflower, thistle, insects, peanuts,suet mixtures, white and red millet

Bluejayground, any seed orsuet feeders

insects, whole corn, striped sunflower, peanuts,suet mixtures

Black-cappedchickadee

any type of feeder orthe ground

sunflower, safflower, suet mixtures, peanuts,thistle,peanutbutter, insects, sugar water, pie crust

White-breastednuthatch

all feeders sunflower, safflower, suet mixtures, peanuts,peanut butter, insects, pumpkin seeds

Wood-peckers

suet, hanging log feed-ers, post feeders

suet and suet mixtures, cracked corn,peanuts, fruit

Mourningdove

ground or low tray/postfeeders

cracked corn, white and red millet, safflower,thistle, wheat

Lets Feed Birds

The chart below will help you choose the correct feeder and also the food to feed specifictypes of birds. In winter birds need a little extra help from us to make it through the

coldest times. Not only do you help these special creatures, but you can enjoy watchingthem as they eat from your feeders.

Birds will also fee

on perennial plantthat have seed-headleft on them. Somgood ones would b

coneflowers, grassetickseeds, and

sunflowers. A fewshrubs will also

enhance birds diet

One of the bestwould be viburnum

Even rugosa rosesthat form rose hips

are filled withvaluable vitamins