Overheard at the Garden Gate August 2020
SLGC
Welcome, New Provisional Members!
Left to Right are:Barb Horrigan, Petra Moran and Sandy Gibbons
On July 14 Elizabeth Faremouth and Jennifer Hartford met with four of the six new provisionals and enjoyed boxed lunches on Jennifer’s backyard patio. It was a wonderful (properly socially distanced) afternoon. Elizabeth remembered to snap a picture at the end, although unfortunately, Anne Fitzgerald had already left.
A Favorite Thing
From Leslie Marting: Ann Whitney and I can both recommend, as a fun distraction, the Netflix series “The Big Flower Fight.” Ten teams of florists, sculptors and garden designers compete to create extravagant floral installations for a chance to display their work at London’s Kew Gardens. Reality television to take you away from today’s realities!
Our Members Outdid Themselves!
Polly White Named Emerita Member!
From Leigh Fabens: In June the Executive Board unanimously approved Emerita status to Polly White, who has been an Active member of SLGC since 1961! Polly intended to resign because she no longer finds it possible to participate in club activities, but we wanted to honor her with Emerita status. For her almost 60 years in the club Polly has been an enthusiastic, "active Active” member and supporter. I remember enjoying her charming house and garden when she hosted an Annual Meeting when I was new to the club. She loves her garden and she loves her friends, and we loved seeing her at our gatherings. Lots of good wishes from all of us, Polly!
Send Photos, Please!
The SLGC Board thought it would be a nice idea to have a link on our members only page to a gallery of photos of our members. It may help us get to know new members, as well as to remind us of friends we haven’t seen in a long time. Please send a photo of yourself (a selfie would work) to Dozie for inclusion on the website.
ODA Asks Public to Not Plant any Unsolicited Packages of Seeds
The Packets Contain Unknown Seeds & Often Feature Chinese Writing
REYNOLDSBURG, OH (July 27, 2020) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has been notified that several Ohio residents have received unsolicited packages in the mail containing seeds that appear to have originated from China. The types of seeds in the packages are currently unknown and may contain invasive plant species. Similar seed packets have been received recently in several other locations across the United States.
If you receive a package of this type, please DO NOT plant these seeds. If they are in sealed packaging, do not open the sealed package. You can report the seeds to ODA online here or you may contact the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Anti-smuggling Hotline by calling 800-877-3835 or by emailing SITC.Mail@aphis.usda.gov. Also, if possible, please retain the original packaging, as that information may be useful to trade compliance officers as they work through this issue.
Unsolicited seeds could be invasive species, contain noxious weeds, could introduce diseases to local plants, or could be harmful to livestock. Invasive species and noxious weeds can displace native plants and increase costs of food production. ODA and APHIS work hard to prevent the introduction of invasive species and protect Ohio agriculture. All foreign seeds shipped to the United States should have a phytosanitary certificate which guarantees the seeds meet important requirements.
We will have the latest information regarding this investigation on our website.
Attached are two examples of the unsolicited seed packets that can be used by the media.
Dandelion Detectives Needed
Do you have any grandchildren interested in becoming Dandelion Detectives? If so, help spread the word!
Dandelion Detectives is a STEM activity targeting 3rd-7th graders, where participants work together to measure the value of weeds for insects. This project will take place over the summer of 2020 and participants can be located in Ohio or any of the surrounding mid-western states.
The Dandelion Detectives project can be completed in one day of your choice (June-August) and involves: taking a pre- and post questionnaire about insects; observing insects at an "Observation Dandelion" created using provided materials and a sugar water mixture; and conducting a lawn weed survey. Participating Dandelion Detectives will be able to upload their findings to a project website. At the end of the project, students will receive a "Student Scientist" certificate and will have access to all of the data collected by the project team!
Toolkits containing all materials to participate in Dandelion Detectives can be ordered for $10.00 (to cover shipping fees) at this LINK.
There is also a do-it-yourself option offered HERE.
To learn more about this project, the team invites you to watch the webinar presented by Dr. Mary Gardiner, Professor of Entomology at the Ohio State University and Extension State Specialist, at this LINK.
To sign up for Dandelion Detectives or for more information, visit their WEBSITE.
Contact the DD team with any questions: dandeliondetectives@gmail.com
