THE BAILEYAN
The Official Newsletter of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Garden Club of Ithaca, New York
 
The Liberty Hyde Bailey Garden Club of Ithaca meets each month, on the third Tuesday (second Tuesday in May and December) at the Horton Room in the Floriculture Greenhouse, Tower Road Cornell University Ithaca, New York. 
The Club is open to all gardeners. Visitors are welcome.
Volume 44 Number 4                                                                                                                                     April, 2005

                 2005 Officers
 
President Debi Lampman
Past President and Treasurer Elke Schofield
First Vice President Ray Fox
Second Vice President  Elizabeth Owens-Roe
Recording Secretary  Helen Swank
Editor of the Baileyan and Webmaster Carla Hegeman Crim
Corresponding Secretary  Cliff Manchester
Assistant Treasurer Tom Guihan
 Directors Ken Devine (2005)
Ruth Doll (2004)
Dave Farmer (2003)
 Regional President Debra Nero 



This month:

April 19th, 2005
Board of Directors: please meet at 7:00 pm.
Regular meeting: 7:30 pm

        
Plant Auction!

Bring in those perennial divisions, houseplants, dusty garden tools, etc.  
Also bring cash or check and be ready to bid away! 
All proceeds go into the club treasury, and you will go home with
some garden treasures.  Bring a friend!

Refreshments will be provided by Beverly and Bob Hillman


Next Meeting: May 10th, 2005 - Seedling Sale
Refreshments will be provided by May Jenks

April Notes:

Announcing the LHBGC Plants of the Year
Members voted at the March meeting, and the winners are:
 
Perennial:
Gaillardia Mix
One of the brightest and easiest to grow of all the perennial daisies.  Prefers full sun and sandy soil. Will tolerate drought, poor soil and heat. 24"-30"

Image from Burpee Online
Annual:
Zinnia, Benary’s Giant
has exceptionally large, Dahlia like double flowers measuring 4" to 5" across.  Vigorous growers, hold up to heat and rain quite well.  Best in full sun with fertile well drained soil - will tolerate light shade. 30" - 36"

Image from Burpee Online
Vegetable: 
Redbor Kale
Have beautifully colored leaves and are suited to the flower bed or veggie garden.  Perfect for summer salads and stir-fries.  Very vigorous and cold resistant.  36"

Image from Park's seeds
  

A New Addition to our Lending Library

Common-Sense Pest Control
by William Olkowski, Sheila Daar, Helga Olkowski



As Reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly: The authors of this impressive volume are founders of the Bio-Integral Resource Center in Berkeley, Calif., dedicated to nontoxic pest management. Throughout the book, their knowledge of environmentally friendly controls is richly evident. They begin by discussing basic plant, animal and insect names and information on management and natural pest controls--a section which, as they admit, readers may well want to skip, preferring to zero in on whatever particular pest they'd most like to stamp out. A thoroughgoing education follows: we learn nearly everything we'd ever want to know about pests and their control, ranging from indirect treatments to the physical (e.g., hand-removing Japanese beetles) and from the biological (releasing beneficial insects) to the chemical (insecticidal soap and baits). Pests of the home and greenhouse, the body, garden and the lawn are covered in unusual detail.

Thanks to Ruth Doll for suggesting this acquisition.  Don’t forget to visit the lending library and “check out” our many titles!

Opportunities

Upcoming Horticultural Events
April 23rd & 24th,  April 30th & May 1st - 2005 - Cayuga Lake Wine Trail's 13th Annual Wine & Herb Festival - All 15 Wineries, located around Cayuga Lake, will be serving delectable foods paired with fine wines. Guests will receive 15 different fragrant herbs and vegetable plants when they visit each of the 15 wineries. Single ticket is $25, couple ticket is $40 (plus handling fee & sales tax). Tickets at the door are $5 more. For more information or to order tickets call the Cayuga Wine Trail office at 1-800-684-5217, online at http://www.cayugawinetrail.com or purchase at Wegman's.
 
April 30th, 1-4 p.m. -  Discovering Trees: An Arbor Day Celebration - Come celebrate Arbor Day in Cornell Plantations’ F. R. Newman Arboretum and learn about the importance of trees in our lives and our world. Fun and informative activities for the entire family will help you gain a deeper awareness and appreciation of these gentle giants of nature. Program includes tree tours, demonstrations, storytelling, games, crafts, tree snacks and a tree-planting ceremony at the conclusion of the event. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Free for Plantations members, Cornell students, and children under 5. Non-members, $3 per adult, $5 per family. This event is offered as part of Discovery Month, presented by Ithaca’s Discovery Trail Partnership http://www.discoverytrail.net .
 
May 7th - 4th - Annual Trumansburg Festival of Flowers -  The Festival begins at 9:00am on May 7th with the Taughannock Garden Club's Plant sale at the Presbyterian Church. A complete schedule of Festival of Flowers activities is available at the Village Office and in other locations around the Village & Town. Contact Susan at 607-387-4471 for further details.
 
May 13th - 22nd - Rochester's famous Lilac Festival - A lavish array of flowers, attractions, and special events that signal the arrival of spring. The 1,200-plus lilac bushes in Highland Park create a floral rainbow ranging from the deepest of purples to the purest of whites.  For more information, call  (585) 546-3070 or visit the Lilac Festival homepage at http://www.lilacfestival.com/ .

From Cornell Cooperative Extension
Dividing Daylilies and Other Perennials - Wednesday, May 4, 6:00-8:00 pm.  Spring is the right time to divide many perennials. In this hands-on workshop, we will demonstrate how to divide daylilies, Siberian iris, Hosta, ornamental grasses, and others. Come prepared to work! We will tackle plants from the Teaching & Demonstration Gardens at Extension and Master Gardener private gardens. Rain or shine (indoors if wet). Fee: $10. Limited to 15 participants; prepayment required.

Annual Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale  - Saturday, May 14, 9 am - 1 pm, Ithaca High School
Join your fellow gardeners in a celebration of spring gardening! Plants galore from local growers and gardeners! Free pH testing, expert gardening advice, horticultural drawing, fun for kids and more!

Open Days Garden Tours 2005  - Sunday, May 15 and Saturday June 18.  Join us for the second annual Tompkins County Open Days Garden Tour! Six private gardens will be included in the Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program, a national listing of exclusive gardens that are only open to the public on these dates. A $5.00 admission fee is collected at each garden, and 40% of the proceeds benefit the Community Beautification Program. Visit the Open Days website at www.gardenconservancy.org for more information.

Call the GROWLINE With Your Yard & Gardening Questions - For help with questions about house plants, vegetables, flowers, herbs, lawns, trees and shrubs, soils, plant health and nutrition, household pests, wildlife, plant identification and pest management, call the GROWLINE at 272-2292. You can also e-mail your questions to growline@cornell.edu.

Treasurer’s Report
February 2005, Submitted by Elke Schofield

INCOME
Membership dues (Guihan/Howard)      $40.00   
EXPENSES
coffee, tea                                                               $5.17   

Checking account as of 2/28/05 =       $1,480.03

Petty Cash: $42.12

Meeting Minutes
Liberty Hyde Bailey Garden Club
7:30 pm, 15 March 2005
Horton Room, Ken Post Greenhouse
 
President Debi Lampman called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm.  24 members, three guests, and a speaker were in attendance.  She announced that a directors’ meeting had been held at 7:00 pm for a general review of forthcoming activities.
     
Elke Schofield, Treasurer, reported that was membership income of $40.00, expenses for coffee and tea of $5.17, leaving a checking account balance of $1,480.03 and a petty cash balance of  $42.12.
 
In celebration of Dr. Bailey’s 15 March birthday, Robert Dirig, Assistant Curator, L.H. Bailey Hortorium Hebarium at Cornell University, gave an overview of Dr. Bailey’s life at Harvard and Michigan, as well as Cornell.  In 1935 Dr. Bailey established the Hortorium and extensive library with the help of his daughter, Ethel Zoe, a zoologist.  Dr. Dirig also presented slides depicting the many travels and activities of this father/daughter team, and distributed copies of a paper he authored “Highlights in the Life of Liberty Hyde Bailey.”  Copies are available through red2@cornell.edu .
 
The business meeting began with a hearty “congratulations!” to Carla Crim for our new website – http://hort.cornell.edu/LHBGC
 
Debi Lampman reported a good hoop house turnout to start lots of seeds.  She brought 13 flats already started.  Next seed planting dates are 9:30 am, Satudays 19 March and 2 April.
 
Members voted on the “LHBGC 2005 Plants of the Year.”  Selected were Gaillardia Mix (perennial), Benary’s Giant Zinnia (annual), and Blue Curly/Redbor Kale.  These seedlings will be available at the Ithaca High School Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale, Saturday, 9:00 - 1:00 pm, on 14 May.
 
Ruth Doll, Debi Lampman, and Bev Hillman plan to attend the “Enchanted Gardens” Rochester Flower Show, Thursday, 17 March.
 
Ballots were distributed for the 2006 general election of officers for Men’s Garden Clubs of America, and a vote on a proposed $10 dues increase.  Also distributed were TGOA MGCA National Convention registration form, 2 - 4 June 2005, Jupiter, Florida.
 
A vote of thanks to Marty Pilat (and his wife, the baker) for the delicious refreshments.
 
The next meeting will be our annual plant auction at 7:30 pm, on Tuesday, 19 April.  Come and bring a friend for spirted bidding to find new garden treasures and fill our treasury.

Submitted by Helen E. Swank       
Recording Secretary     
                     

Articles

It is springtime at last!  While cleaning up the garden on a sunny day is a pleasant task, spring cleaning inside is for the birds! Here are some household tips, passed along by Debi Lampman, that will hopefully make the chores go a little faster.  
 
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
 
To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
 
Crayon marks on the walls? This works wonderfully! A damp rag dipped in baking soda...it comes off with a little effort (elbow grease that is!).
 
For permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!), rubbing alcohol on paper towel should do the trick.
 
Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S. Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted, unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S. pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way as well!
 
Ants, ants, ants everywhere... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
 
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
To easily remove burnt food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil on your stovetop.
 
Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer!!
* Clean the toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets; wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid  and effervescent action clean vitreous China.
* Clean a base. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill the vase with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
* Clean & Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
* Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
* Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain.

Makes you wonder about ingesting Alka Seltzer, doesn’t it?

While the melting of the snow is a joyous happening here in Central N.Y., it reveals the unraked leaves, dead plant material, and unscathed weeds lurking in the garden.  You may not be too happy about the debris, but your composter will love it!  Elke Schofield contributed the following two flyers about composting from Cornell Cooperative Extension.  This information is very useful whether you are starting a new pile, upgrading your system, or just want to maximize your “rot” efficiency.

Is it done yet? - Testing Compost Maturity (.pdf format)

Bird's Nest Compost Method

Here are some recipes contributed by Chef Delmar Crim. They were a part of an award-winning menu he prepared at a recent culinary competition, and are a great way to use up the last of your winter veggies!

Apple Barley Pilaf
½ c.     Uncooked barley
2 T.     Fresh butter
¼ t.    Thyme
¼ c.    Chopped onion
1           Fuji Apple
1 c.     Chicken stock
½ t.     Salt   

Peel and core apple, dice 2 oz. and puree the rest
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, smother onion until translucent.
Add barley and sauté for two minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes
Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary

Gingered Kale
12 oz.     Cleaned and deveined green kale
4 oz.     Spanish onion diced
1 c.     Water
2 T.     Canola oil
½ t.     Salt
¼ t.     White pepper    Saute onion in canola oil until translucent.

Add minced ginger, and stir
Add water, and then the kale that has been cut ¼” wide
Simmer until tender
Season with salt and white pepper
A beautiful spring poem :

                                                       
"FLOWER CHORUS"
 by Ralph Waldo Emerson



O such a commotion under the ground,
When March called "Ho, there! ho!"
Such spreading of rootlets far and wide,
Such whisperings to and fro!
"Are you ready?" the Snowdrop asked
"Almost, my dear!" the Scilla replied,
"I'll follow as soon as you go",
Of laughter sweet and low
From millions of flowers under the ground,
Yes, millions beginning to grow.

"I'll promise my blossoms," the Crocus said,
"When I hear the blackbind sing"
And straight thereafter Narcissus cried
"My silver and gold I'll bring."
"And ere they are dulled" another spoke
But the Violet only murmured "I'm here"
And sweet grew the air of spring.
Then Ha! ha! ha! a chorus came
Of laughter sweet and low,
From millions of flowers under the ground,
Yes, millions beginning to grow.
 
O the pretty brave things thro' the coldest days
Imprisoned in walls of brown,
They never lost heart tho' the blast shrieked loud
And the sleet and the hail came down;
But patiently each wrought her wonderful dress
Or fashioned her beautiful crown.
And now they are coming to lighten the world
Still shadowed by winter's frown,
And well may they cheerily laugh "Ha! ha!"
In laughter sweet and low,
The millions of flowers under the ground,
Yes, millions beginning to grow.