Melissa’s Monologue

As we head into the last two months of the year, I am always reminded of how thankful I am to have family and friends around me. My gardening friends have provided inspiration, insight and even a plant or two! I joined this club so I could learn more about gardening and plants in general. I have been blessed with great educational programs, satisfaction from community service projects, great plant material at cost, and the friendship of many members in the organization. As the holiday season approaches, I hope that you will also look back on this year and appreciate all of your blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!

Top Ten Signs You've Eaten Too Much

10. You ate the turkey, the pop-up thermometer and the plastic net
9. Last thing you remember is positioning your open mouth behind a dump truck full of yams
8. All your silverware is worn down to tiny stumps
7. Whilepicking your teeth, you dislodge an angry construction worker
6. Strangers keep addressing you as "Mr. President"
5. This morning, the display on your bathroom scale read "Good Lord!"
4. You now have an ass the size of Plymouth Rock?
3. People keep looking at you and saying, "I thought the Macy's Parade was over"
2. Your relatives can't go home because they're stuck in your gravitational field
1. You're sweatin' gravy, my friend!

David Letterman
November 1996

Club Elections in November

Officer elections for the upcoming year will be held at the next meeting. There is still an opportunity for you to hold an office and help shape the 2004 OGOA. So far, those on the ballot are:

• President --- Melissa Hanlin;
• Secretary --- Mary Lou Carson;
• Treasurer --- Norm Bowers.

If you would like to run for one of these or the other offices, it would be greatly appreciated. Vice President–Membership; Vice President--Programming; Director At Large; and Historian are all vacant. All the officers work together as a team for the betterment of the club. Please consider volunteering for one of these positions.

November’s Program

Sarah Ruhlen, a Johnson County Extension Master Gardener, will speak to us on the topic of "Organic Gardening". So bring your questions about how to cure or prevent pest problems or disease problems without toxic chemicals, and what kinds of plants can be grown and kept healthy without spraying.

New Member

Please welcome our newest member, Chuck Johnson of Olathe. 

2004 Membership Renewals

It’s time again to renew your membership for 2004.  Membership levels are:

• Individual membership is $30
• Family membership are $45.
• Student membership is $20
• Associate membership is $10—no voting privileges

Why did you join or renew in 2003??? Will you renew your membership again for 2004???
Your Benefits Include:

Informative programs	Membership in a national organization
Knowledgeable members	The Gardener, national bimonthly magazine
Quality plants at a discount	OGOA club newsletter
Spring plant order/sale	Community Service opportunities
Fall mum & spring bulbs	Discounts at area nurseries and garden centers
Poinsettias	Garden Fellowship & Fun
Garden tours and picnics
National/Regional Conventions	Photography contests

Annual Holiday Banquet

Next month, in lieu of our monthly meeting, we will hold our annual holiday banquet December 11^th at 6:30pm.  There will be a sign-up sheet at the November meeting to bring a dish.   The club will furnish table service and brisket as our main entrée.  After an enjoyable meal, we will see a slide show of the National GOA photography contest entries.  The winners made it into the 2004 TGOA calendar as well as the cover for The Gardener.

REMINDER:  NOTE THE DATE AND TIME CHANGE - DECEMBER 11,  6:30PM

Families are invited!!!!  Please let Melissa or Mary Lou know who will be attending.

Poinsettias

Did you get a poinsettia last year for the holidays????  How much did you pay for it???  How long did it last???   Do you need a gift idea for a special person who has everything?

As a membership perk, we can get a group discount on poinsettias through Family Tree Nursery. 

• A 6 1/2 inch pot is $9.00    This is a perfect tabletop plant that is approx 14-16” tall. 

• A 7 inch pot is $17.50        This is a floor poinsettia that will be approximately 24” tall.

Colors available include: red, pink, red/white, pink/white or white

Orders are due to Melissa by November 20^th

Flowers will be available December 5^th at Melissa’s house

***I purchased several of these last year and gave them as gifts.  I had one that lasted and looked beautiful into March.  I will bring the pictures to the November meeting.

November Refreshments

Beth Reed and Julie Bird

What Happened at October’s Meeting?

In October, Johnson County Extension Master Gardener Bernie Armstrong spoke to us about “Structures in the Garden”

When you are planning to build or create a structure, some considerations are : 

• your goals for the structure, what you want to achieve

• style - to match your house, yard, garden theme, etc.

• scale - comfortable for your height

• for major structures check your local building codes, see if you need to get a building permit

Some examples of structures you could build for your yard: a greenhouse, a cold frame, a lath house, a potting bench, containers, benches, tables, trellises, screens, arbors, pergolas. Many plans and instructions for building structures of all sorts are available for free in books from the library or on the Internet. The Extension Master Gardeners are also a resource, and may be able to help with advice and information.

Materials you could use:

• Wood

• Metal, copper pipe, iron

• Cloth, canvas, parachute fabric - for a temporary roof, shade, or screen.

• Tile - for floors, walls, seats, tabletops; often leftover or broken tile is free from tile shops, construction sites, etc.

• Plastic - PVC pipe and corners can be made into plant supports, trellises, a  greenhouse frame, etc. They can be painted with plastic paints.

• Brick

• Stone

• Concrete

• Glass, plexiglass

Consider free, found, discarded, or recycled materials; there's a lot you can get for free!

When building a structure with posts:

The frost line for our area is 15" below ground level, so if you sink posts about 18" deep they should be safe from heaving when the ground freezes and thaws.

It's hard to make a structure with 4 legs completely stable; sometimes the design can be altered so it has 3 legs, and this is much easier to make stable.

And always remember, “It's best to start a new project with a new tool.” J

New Address

Charter member Phil Gronemeyer and his wife, Gayle, have moved to Colorado Springs, CO.  Phil works for Wal-Mart and transferred to a newly opened store.  Their new address is

620 N Murray Blvd. Apt. 301
Colorado Springs, CO  80915
719-574-4966
grones@hhim.net

Winterizing Roses

Though most shrub roses are hardy in Kansas, other types of roses can be more tender. For example, the hybrid teas have certain species in their ancestry that originated in the warm climate of southern China. These roses need protection to reliably survive Kansas winters.

Mound soil or compost about 8 to 10 inches high around each plant. If using soil, bring it in from another part of the garden. Do not pull it from between plants because this can damage the rose roots or make them more susceptible to cold. This normally is finished by Thanksgiving.

After the ground has frozen, add a 4-inch mulch of straw, leaves or hay for further protection. More soil may be spread on top of the mulch to keep it in place. Do not add the mulch before the ground freezes or mice may invade and feed on the roses over the winter. The purpose of these coverings is not only to moderate the cold, but also to prevent warm days during the winter or early spring from stimulating growth that is tender to returning cold weather.

Excessively tall canes should be pruned to a height of 36 inches and tied together to prevent them from being whipped by strong winter winds. Wind can damage the crown of the plant or loosen the surrounding soil. Next spring, remove coverings before new growth starts. Wait until after the ground thaws, or the tops may begin growing before the roots can provide water. (WU)

Taken from the KSU Department of Horticulture
Forestry, and Recreation Resources
Horticulture 2003 Newsletter
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/hnewslet

Control Broadleaf Weeds in Lawns Now

Now is the most effective time to control broadleaf weeds in lawns. Dandelion usually produces a flush of new plants in late September and the winter annual weeds henbit and chickweed should have germinated in October. These young plants are small and easily controlled with herbicides such as 2,4-D or combination products (Trimec, Weed-B-Gon, Weed-Out) that contain 2,4-D, MCPP and Dicamba. Even established dandelions are more easily controlled now than in the spring because they are actively moving materials from the top portion of the plant to the roots. Herbicides will translocate to the roots as well and will kill the plant from the roots up.

Be sure to choose a day that is 50 degrees or over. The better the weed is growing, the more weed killer will be moved from the leaves to the roots. Cold temperatures will slow or stop this process. (WU)

Taken from the KSU Department of Horticulture
Forestry, and Recreation Resources
Horticulture 2003 Newsletter
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/hnewslet