WELCOME TO WEDGEFIELD - A Deed Restricted Community

Green Thumb Garden Club – October 2016

garden_flowersThe Wedgefield Green Thumb Garden Club met on Sept 1st and enjoyed our lunch at the Wedgefield Clubhouse.  We would like to acknowledge our neighborhood Zaxby’s for supporting our Yard of the Month Program.  In our growing seasons a group of GC Members drive around 1/8th of the neighborhood at a time and identify the Yard most lovely.  The Sign is “planted” in the yard and written up for the newsletter and Zaxby’s presents the owner with a gift certificate, thanks Zaxby’s for all you do with us.  By the way did you see all the yards that received Honorable Rewards last month?  Way to go folks!

Mr. Ed Thrall from the Orange County Extension Agency was invited to talk to us about Fall Foliage.  The hostesses for the meeting were Adelaide Cantania and Shirley Hagan.  The 2 friends also supplied the door prizes of mums, which of course are a good choice for fall gardening.  Mr. Thrall also taught us about ways to protect the perennials in our yard.

Before we incorporate any new plants in our landscapes, we should:  have our soil tested, enhance the soil to the correct Ph, make a plan, use new soil, and fertilize that soil just before planting.

With the upcoming changes in seasons and weather, Mr. Thrall suggested ways to add interest and to save money:  group pots, choose different looking pots or pots the same.  Whether planting in pots or in the landscape, he suggested planting in masses-there is more color to catch your eye and is a cleaner look.  A truly important item is to assure the plants have similar water and sun needs.

Further he suggested we select plants that will flourish with cooler nights and dryer weather.  Do not choose plants at reduced prices unless they are for the autumn season!  Some annuals are bacopa, delphinium, dianthus, dusty miller, geranium, gerber, lavender, oriental cabbage, osteopermum, pansy, petunia, portulaca, snapdragon, viola, zinnia.

Our Garden Club Leader warned us about the Zika virus and provided the following information:  Zika is transmitted by daytime mosquitoes.  Since we garden in the daytime, we should wear long sleeves and long pants and spray ourselves with repellant that contains zeet.  To further increase our knowledge,  Janis Thaw wants us all to know that most folk that contact the virus do not get sick but can become carriers.  They can transmit the virus to others once becoming a carrier.  Every mosquito that bites you can then carry the virus to someone else.