This Month's Newsletter

These tropical perennials originate in Columbia and Ecuador. The colorful part we think of as the flower is actually the spathe. Breeders have come up with purple, red, pink, multicolor and cream colored versions. They can take over a year to reach a good pot size, and are produced from seed but more often from tissue culture (cloning from a few cells, which is easily done with plants). Also called the Flamingo Lily, they have been grown for cut flowers.

Most plants grow up to two feet tall and a foot wide, although miniature versions can be only 10” tall. They’re grown as houseplants, and being tropical, require temperatures over 60° F. Soil should be a coarse, well-drained peat/bark mixture. They prefer consistent moisture and high light conditions (but not direct sunlight; put them behind a gauze or lace curtain if that’s a south window).

Melissa’s Monologue

I like February. It’s a short month and soon my daffodils will be peeking out of the ground. Once they start coming up, I get excited about spring and all the new plants I want to put in the garden. Sam and I went to New Orleans in January and were thrilled to see all the green instead of brown vegetation. There were even camellia trees in bloom! It’s good that it gets so cold in Kansas or I would have palm and camellia trees in the yard. Oh well, the tradeoff we make for snow to play in….

February 14-16 KC Metro Lawn & Garden Show — American Royal
more info: www.kcremodelingshow.com

February 20 February OGOA Meeting – Attracting bats and wildlife to the Garden by Patti Armstrong, Master Gardener

February 22 Pressed Flower Cards Class by Bob Mapes — Church Basement

February 28 Newsletter articles due for March

Feb 28 – Mar 2 Johnson County Home & Garden Show — O.P. Convention Center

March 20 March OGOA Meeting – Irises by Dr Norlan Henderson, Powell Gardens

March 20-23 Spring Home and Garden Show – Bartle Hall

March 24 Flower Delivery of spring bulbs

March 31 OGOA Scholarship Applications Due

April 11-21 Tulip Time @ Binkley Gardens, Topeka, 9-5 daily

April 12 Compost/Mulch Day

April 17 April OGOA Meeting – Soil Amendments by Lew Leonard, Master Gardener

April 26 9^th Annual Plant Sale, 9am-1pm

OGOA Owes Back Taxes

It was discovered, as we reviewed the books for the last two years, that we somehow “forgot” to pay the sales tax for the spring plant sale and to renew the clubs incorporation. This means that we owe. The board officers have things well in hand now but be prepared for a bit of belt tightening.

Pressed Flower Card Class

Back by popular demand, Bob Mabes is coming Saturday Feb. 22, 10 AM at First Christian Church, to teach us how to make beautiful greeting cards from pressed flowers. For $6 Bob provides all the materials and instructions for making two cards. Get out of the winter doldrums by choosing from hundreds of different varieties of dried flowers and greenery to create your one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

MO-KAN Region Booth

Once again, the MOKAN region will have a booth at the HBA Home Show, March 20^th - 23^rd at Bartle Hall. Members of the area clubs promote GOA and sell pussy willows and forsythia as the main fund raising event of the region. If you are interested, time slots are available. Free admission and parking passes are being arranged for those working at the booth. Contact Melissa to sign up.

·        Thursday-Friday     11-2, 2-6, 6-10
·        Saturday-Sunday    10-2, 2-6, 6-10
·        teardown Sunday night.

Olathe Public Library Project

Linda Tech has volunteered to chair the Olathe Public Library project again this year. Let her know if you would like to help. Watch the Calendar of Events for workdays. A sign up sheet will also be available at the club meetings. OGOA began this project in 2000 by designing, preparing and planting the 70’x90’ area south of the Indian Creek Branch. Maintenance of existing perennials and new plants is needed throughout the growing season. In addition, some finch houses/feeders are planned to attract wildlife to the area.

Flower Angel Delivery

The MOKAN region will be allowed to distribute the spring bulbs on display at the Home Show. Contact Melissa if you would like to get a load of bulbs to deliver to the area senior citizen community. The best time to get the bulbs is Sunday evening after the show and deliver them Monday, March 24th.

Other Community Service Projects

There are other projects that the membership has done in the past. If you are interested in chairing or co-chairing any of these projects, let one of the board members know. A lot of information has been collected over the last several years to make the projects as easy and stress free as possible.

·        Arbor Day Event
·        Horticultural Therapy at Good Samaritan Center
·        Overland Park Arboretum
·        Johnson County Developmental Supports
·        Big Pumpkin/Giant Sunflower Contest
·        Youth Gardening

GOA National Convention

Convention 2003 will be in Albany, NY at the Holiday Inn - Turf, June 25th through 29th. The theme of this meeting will be "More to see in 2003 in Albany". The cost of registration is $185.00, which includes 10 meals, all tours, seminars and free transportation (in Albany) to and from the airport. As a perk of membership, this registration fee is paid by OGOA for members attending the National Convention the first time. Your expenses include lodging and transportation to/from the convention. Watch the Gardener magazine for more info/registration forms or check out the website www.tgoa-mgca.org If you are interested in attending, contact Melissa ASAP.

Plant Sale Update

Because no one has volunteered to chair this event, this year’s plant sale will be a little different from those in the past. We would like to focus primarily on members this year. The thought is to order plants for members only and to sell any leftovers at someplace like the Olathe Farmer’s Market. If anyone has any ideas on a site for the leftover sale, or would like to step up and chair the event, please contact Melissa.

It is not the intent for you to feel overwhelmed by any task. Even if you only have an idea—it is welcome. Keeping things as simple as possible is the goal.

January Meeting Recap

Master Gardener Carrie Ganschow started the year off with a program on cutting gardens. In addition to learning about make blooms and foliage last longer, we were also given a lot of information regarding the attributes such as fragrance, seedpods, etc. of different plants. After a short business meeting, the evening ended with an informative question and answer session of gardening related topics.

Tulip Time

Binkley Gardens in Topeka is open for tours daily from 9-5, April 11-21. The private garden of Jerold and Joan Binkley spans 3 ½ acres and showcases over 25,000 tulips and 12,000 daffodils over a diverse landscape of formal and informal gardens, mature woods, stream and pond. To ensure the beautiful blooms, Jerold replants half of his tulips each fall. Admission proceeds go to the Topeka Beautification Association to fund beautification projects in the Greater Topeka area. Brochures and maps will be on the back table at the next several meetings.

We Need Your Dues

I have received 11 individual dues and 3 family dues so far this year. To save money we don't send out dues statements. If you haven't yet paid please send me a check for $30 for individual or $45 for family.

Electronic Distribution of the Newsletter

The budget is a bit tight this year and in an effort to do our part, the newsletter will primarily be sent out electronically.

Beginning next month, the newsletter will be sent electronically to all members for whom we have an email addresses. The newsletter will also be posted on the website. For those without email, the newsletter is still available in paper form, but we would like to minimize them.

African Violet Troubles

Taken from the KSU Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources
Horticulture 2003 Newsletter

If you grow African violets, take note of the causes of these potential troubles:

1. Spotted leaves - this occurs if you allow cool water to contact the leaves. Use only room temperature water.

2. Small plants with pale yellow leaves - often caused by too much light and inadequate fertilization.

3. Leaves curled downward - may be a result of too low temperatures (below 60 degrees).

4. Long leaf stalks and a few or small blooms - often results when plants don't get enough light.

5. Buds dry up - this might happen if there is not enough moisture in the air or soil and if temperatures are too high.

6. Plants wilt quickly and crown rots - likely they are getting watered too frequently and/or the drainage may be poor (due to potting mix or lack of container holes) or the plants were set too deep into the soil.

7. Leaf stalks rot where they rub against pot edge - high salt concentrations on the sides of the pot and near the soil surface damage the leaf stalks allowing the Botrytis disease organism to enter. You can protect the stalks by putting a strip of aluminum foil, paraffin, or a cardboard cover around the rim of the container.

8. No flowers - may be due to one or more of the following: temperature too low, soil is overfertilized, too much light or too much shade, too much or not enough water, or air contains stove gas. (WU)

Olathe Gardeners of America

Plant of the Month: Anthurium