Monroe-Woodbury

Garden Club
Newsletter
*** ***
April 2015

From our President

Hibernation is over! It certainly has been a very
cold winter; however, we can turn that page and
begin anew just like the trees and plants do.
It has been two very long months since we last
got together. We have a lot to catch up on and
to get going for our ANNUAL PLANT SALE ( just
around the corner SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015).
Jill Nardo has taken the lead on pushing the
wheelbarrow on this huge project. Our club
members have always been there to lend a
helping hand, and we certainly need that this
year. Friday, May 8, we will be going to Hoeffner
Farms to make our wonderful selections.
Further details will be discussed at our April 7th
meeting. Looking forward to seeing you then.
Geri DeAngelis

Congratulations
Congratulations to Joe Fordham on earning his
Master Gardener certificate. A wonderful
personal accomplishment and a bonus for our
club!

Our Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be on April 7, 2015 at the

Central Valley United Methodist Church at 7:30 pm.
The topic will be Proper Nutrition and Avoiding
Back Pain and Muscle Strain while Gardening.
We are fortunate to have Wayne Rossi, DP, PC from
the Chiropractic Health Center in Warwick, NY as
our guest speaker. A big thank you goes to Nancy
Lussier for scheduling and rescheduling this
program.
We will also be discussing our annual plant sale that
is to be held on May 9th. Bring your ideas.

Hospitality

Dessert: Jeannette Caruso, Michael Furbeck &

Marie Pulvirent
Milk and flowers: Linda Siebold

Happy Birthday!
Lucy Knox (April 2)

Members, please start preparing the

plants that you will be donating to our
plant sale. We need to be ready by
th

May 9 !

Arbor Day
April 14, 2015
Arbor Day is Tuesday, April 14, 2015! You
are encouraged to get your hands in the
dirt (if you can get past the snow!) and
plant and/or care for trees, bushes and
plants.
In 1854 J. Sterling Morton moved to
Nebraska. He and other pioneers noticed a
lack of trees, which were needed to act as
windbreaks to stabilize the soil and to give
shade from the sun. Morton planted many
trees around his own home and encouraged
others to do the same. On January 4, 1872
he proposed a holiday to plant trees on
April 10th of that year. This became known
as Arbor Day. All US states now have an
official Arbor Day on a date that, for
them, is optimal for planting.

April Gardening Tips

Early spring in the M-W area is a
wonderful time. Pansies, violas and
primroses may be planted outdoors in
gardens or containers in April. They
are not harmed by freezing
temperatures and direct sun prior to
planting unless they have been grown
in a greenhouse, in which case they
should be gradually exposed before
planting.
This is a super time to plant or
transplant trees and shrubs,
including evergreens, fruit trees
and berries. They will benefit from
the moist ground and the early
planting will help them develop new
roots that will be beneficial in the
harsher summer months.
April is also ideal for pruning
evergreens such as juniper, cypress
and yew. Remove all dead, diseased
or undesirable wood, but do not prune
back into the bare wood part of the
plant.
Forsythia and other spring flowering
shrubs should be pruned immediately
after they have finished flowering.
Cut back to the ground the summer
flowering shrubs and grasses that
have grown excessively large. The
Annabelle type hydrangea can be cut
back,too, as it blooms on new wood
and will quickly grow back and bloom
in mid-summer.
Fertilize your roses now, before the
flower buds begin to open.
Remove protective mulches from around
your tender plants.
Start your tomato seeds, and keep the
soil moist during germination.
Transplant seedlings into 4 pots
when they are about 1 tall. Provide
a warm, bright place for them until
you can transplant them outdoors in
late May.
There's fun to be had out there!!