March 19 - Dreams of Spring

Now that Mother Nature is finally teasing us with a hint of Spring, Chester Garden Club opened its 2009 year on March 16th with an illustrated talk by Logie Cassells on the care and nurture of bulbs. He also had a hand-out - The Bulb Cheat sheet - that provided a variety of tips to make the most of your bulbs. Logie encouraged us to plant bulbs for all seasons, but he also shared a dream with us. He challenged all members of the club to begin planting a large number of spring-flowering bulbs over the next five years, so that by 2013 spring-time in Chester would see the village awash in colourful drifts of snow-drops, crocuses and daffodils. Are Chester gardeners up to the challenge?

Members who attended our opening meeting had an opportunity to pick up the latest copy of Scotia Gardener, the newsletter of the Nova Scotia Association of Garden Clubs (NSAGC). That issue contained a lot of information on the NSAGC's forthcoming annual convention, to be held this year in Pictou on June 5th and 6th. As host, the Pictou Garden Club has chosen the theme: Preserving the Past for our Future. For those who don't have a copy of the newsletter, we suggest you check out our link to the NSAGC website, which has full information on the convention. Please note that the deadline for early-bird registration is April 30th, and that registrants are responsible for arranging their own accomodation. A list of suggested locations may be found on line at: http://www.parl.ns.ca/gardenclub/conference.htm

In closing, a tip for more colourful bulbs, submitted by a member of the Chester club: Spring bulbs should be fertlilized when shoots first appear (a liquid 20-20-20), and remember that spring bulbs can be transplanted "in the green" but be sure to add bone meal.