Bowie Crofton Garden Club monthly meeting

Program/Topic:  "Growing from Seeds - Starting from Scratch"

Speakers:         Mike Gordon, Merchandise Manager, Patuxent Nursery, Bowie  

Assisted by Sandra Porterfield, Anne Arundel County Master Gardener

Topics of presentation:    When to start seeds and how to select which seeds to start; type of medium to use for seed starting; preparation of seed trays; care of seedlings from sowinguntil transplanting; transplanting seedlings from trays into larger pots or directly into the garden.

A brief question and answer session will follow the presentation. 

Bio: 

Mike Gordon is Merchandise Manager of Patuxent Nursery in Bowie where he has worked for the past several years.  

Gardening has been a life-long hobby for Mike.  His love for gardening stems from childhood -- his parents and grandparents understood the benefits of managing their own garden and enjoying the fruits of their labors.  

Mike’s current interests include organic gardening and creating a more sustainable environment at home, including producing his own food -- starting his own seed from his favorite varieties in late winter, and canning and preserving vegetables.  He further supports a ‘green’ environment at home by using renewable resources, in his wood-burning stove, to heat his home.  To promote a longer growing season, Mike uses a heated greenhouse, with heat provided by this same wood stove.   Additionally, rain barrels store as much as 600 gallons of rainwater, which he uses in his many gardens, as needed.

Date:  Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

Time:  7:30 p.m. 

Place:  Patuxent Nursery

           Sales Center/Greenhouse

            2410 N Crain Highway

            Bowie, MD  20716

           Seating for 50-60 people will be available.

 (Note that the Club is not meeting at its usual place, The Kenhill Center.)

Coffee will be available. 

Club contact:  Karen Woolfley (301) 262-8676

The next Bowie-Crofton Garden Club meeting will take place at the Kenhill Center, aka Bowie’s Old City Hall Building, on Tuesday November 29th, 2011 at 7:30 PM.

This month’s speaker, Kim Martinez, will discuss methods for attracting birds to your garden.

Kim Martinez
Regional Education Manager
Chesapeake Mid-Atlantic Regional Center
National Wildlife Federation
Annapolis, MD  21401

She will speak for appoximately 30 minutes and will share a few examples of appropriate plants for bird seed, nectar, berries, etc.
Other topics will include feeders and bird seed. 

Freebies that will be available will include bird guide DVDs, bird maps, tip sheets, and more.
 
This is a good opportunity to invite friends or neighbors who are also interested in gardening.

Our garden club received from the Ferndale Garden Club regarding their upcoming open to the public Holiday Event. They have David Shover who is a wonderful speaker, teacher and floral designer scheduled to participate. There will be a dozen vendors who will be selling many different items from dried herbs, Christmas ornaments, counted cross stitch, Christmas decorations, candles, bags, jewelry, and of course, the garden club will have a table with garden items. All of the Ferndale club members make homemade cookies and candies for the refreshments. We hope you and some of your fellow garden club members can attend.

For a copy of all the Brookside Gardens programs and events for Spring and Summer 2010, display/save/print this .PDF file:  http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/documents/xperience_spring2010final.reduced.pdf

Brookside Gardens is Montgomery County's incomparable, award-winning 50-acre public display garden situated within Wheaton Regional Park. Included in the gardens are several distinct areas; azalea garden, rose garden, children's garden, formal garden, fragrance garden, Japanese style garden and trial garden. The garden also features two conservatories for year-round enjoyment. A horticultural reference library is located in the airy Visitors Center. Admission is free.

Brookside Gardens' mission, as a public garden, is to foster appreciation for the art of gardening and the science of horticulture through plant collections and displays, learning opportunities and special events.