The Garden Club of Switzerland: In The Garden and in the Kitchen

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

In The Garden and in the Kitchen - Happy Thanksgiving!

The month of November took us to the Westminster Woods Community Garden, courtesy of St. Johns County Master Gardener, Jerrel Powell. Jerrel has done something pretty special to take the sweat out of gardening. He has installed a vertical hydroponic garden system. After explaining the science behind the hydroponic garden, we enjoyed a visit to the garden where residents were growing anything from flower, to herbs, to some really amazing vegetables. See the photos at the end of this article.

During our business meeting Arlene shared her latest visit to Julington Creek Elementary in her Junior Gardening report. Sarah discussed the Florida Water and Land Legacy and the need to keep the pressure on our legislators to honor that commitment. Mickey updated the club on the Monarch Butterfly Committee's accomplishments; see Year End Report from Butterfly-Monarch Conservation Committee.

November's bounty inevitably leads us to the kitchen, and our president, Claire Fioriti, gave us some inspiration when she served up her roasted kale chips at the meeting. See our our Holiday and Any Day Recipes posting on the Resources page for her recipe and for other ways to use local and seasonal produce. Our Publicity Chair, Dianne Battle, wrote an article, Honey in the Mornin' Honey in the Evenin' for her Master Gardener column in the December 2015 St. Johns Sun on her adventures on Tour de Farm and shared an unusual cookie recipe.

Click on the Read More >> link below to see some holiday ideas that support our affiliated garden clubs. Don't forget to enjoy the pictures of our visit to Westminster Woods Garden!

We all know that Christmas is coming up fast! Do you have someone on your list that you just haven't been able to find the perfect gift for? How about shopping from your computer AND supporting our Florida Federation of Garden Clubs or the National Garden Clubs? Your recipient needn't be a gardener. Just use the FFGC website to access Amazon, by clicking on the Amazon image on their home page. Of course, you can get gifts for your special gardener including books, jewelry, videos, and calendars through the FFGC Garden Shop or the National Garden Clubs Shop Online menu. All the links are in our Resources page sidebar item,
Support Our Affiliated Organizations.

Membership in a garden club makes a great gift (for you AND a friend) too!

Our December posting will feature a recap of our 2015 postings and photos of our members' Christmas luncheon at Carrabbas Italian Grill. Check out our calendar or email us for program information for 2016. In the meantime, do enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and let us give thanks for our many blessings.

In the Garden At Westminster Woods:

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PREVIEW OUR SELF-GUIDED TOUR!

We've been told how much our visitors love to walk through the garden. We appreciate that and are completing an upgrade that will allow guests to learn more about the plants and wildlife they see. We're installing signs that feature a QR code to access the native plant database with information on the over 50 plants we've planted, as well as the pollinators that utilize them. The URL to the website is www.AlpineGrovesNativePlants.org - We welcome your comments AND your photos. They can be shown at the kiosk by the garden entrance.
The QR Code is here:

If you need help using the image, refer to these help links
How to scan a QR code,

Scan a QR code with an Android phone,

or The best QR scanning aps.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR NATIVE PLANT POLLINATOR GARDEN?

We're working with the St Johns County Master Gardeners to upgrade and maintain the Freedom Butterfly Garden at Alpine Groves Park. Click the Resource link in the menu above to see what's happening. Our latest accomplishment is being awarded a Plant America Grant - Click the link here to see how it will enhance our garden. The Resources page also has a side bar column with sections the Document the Native Plant Garden and Forms for you to join our club or buy a commemorative brick for the garden walkway.

NEWS

The State Wildflower License Plate Gets a New Look. Show your love of Florida Wildflowers by purchasing a Florida State Wildflower license plate. The purchase raises money for wildflowers, wildlife and wild places. You can purchase a plate at your local DMV office or request one online with this link: Order Wildflower License Plate Online. More information on the purchase process and prices is at State Wildflower License Plate Information.

FFGC Announces Position Statements on Environmental Issues:

Neonicotinoids and implications for pollinators. Neonicotinoid usage has come under increasing scrutiny as a possible cause in bee colony colapse and other harms to pollinators. See the following news reports:

Are Pesticides to Blame for the Massive Bee Die-Off? PBS Newshour 11/24/15
Feds Propose Plan to Bolster Decline in Bees PBS Newshour 5/19/15
The Latest Buzz on Honeybee Colony Collapse PBS Newshour 5/3/15
Environmental Outlook: The Race Against Pests and Weeds Diane Rehm show 2/3/15

Lowes has announced a phase-out of neonicotinoid pesticides and pesticide treated plants in its Corporate Shared Responsibility Report (4/9/2015).

If you'd like to see neonicotinoids phased out completely, go to the Friends of the Earth Petition to the EPA to ban neonicotinoids and add your voice to the call.

Show your support for providing the monarch butterfly protection as an endangered species. Sign the Credo petition to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to do just that.

(Background: In response to a petition by scientists and environmental non-profits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said [on 12/29/2014] that Endangered Species Act protection may be warranted for monarch butterflies. The agency will now conduct a one-year status review on monarchs, which have declined by 90 percent in the past 20 years. More Info is in the Xerces Society's Monarch Butterfly Announcement. (posted 12/30/2014)

Environmental tip: Save resources by shopping for local produce. See our Resources posting, Local Farms Come to You for more info.

Fresh and Local Recipes

Monarch Committee Report