St Charles County Master Gardeners

                             St Charles County Master Gardener Meeting Minutes

           27 June 2019

Call to Order:  President Kevin Minard called the Master Gardener’s meeting to order.

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Attendance: 52

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Speaker:  Jessica Brady – Manager from Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada held a teleconference on “Non-Browning Arctic Apples” It was a very informative program on development of the non-browning fruits that have been and are in development.

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Secretary’s Report:  The Secretary’s report for 23 May was approved.

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Treasurer’s Report:   The financial report for 27 June was provided.   It showed the net monthly change from April.   It showed the end of May cash in bank and the overall projected expenses pre-2020 plant sale.

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Committee Reports:    

Membership:  Waneta Parmenter:  She awarded 7 new membership badges.

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Horticulturalist:   Justin Keay:  No inputs.

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Speaker’s Bureau:   Valerie Mertz:  July meeting will be at Thies Farm and Greenhouse @ 4215 North Hanley Road in St Louis County, starting at 6:30 on July 25.  See newsletter for directions

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August meeting will be at St Charles County Klondike Park.

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Education:   Mary Medina:   No inputs.

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Demo Gardens:  Victoria Gally and Cindy Platzer: 

The Entrance garden lead, Viginia Beckley, is stepping down.  Joan Wagner is replacing her.  There is a need for 3 or 4 new co-leads with Del Moeller in the pantry gardens.  Donations from the pantry garden is 420 lbs to date.

Cindy Platzer is collecting long range planning survey inputs for the demo gardens.

Del is keeping a diary of what is being planted, harvested etc. in the pantry gardens.

Garden leads are encouraged to write up activities happening in their gardens.   Write ups and photos are be given to Victoria Gally for review and editing before being published in the newsletter. 

Donations of 2 qt and larger pots can be left in front of the greenhouse for cleaning in preparation for the 2020 Plant Sale.

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Suggestions were made for setting up a blog/Facebook account to show Demo garden activities.

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Hortline:   Patti Kolek:   Hortline questions have been about clover in lawns, and fungal diseases, due to the wet weather.

Remaining donations from the highway patrol are on a pallet in the front of the greenhouse.  They are to be claimed this evening before items are recycled.

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Plant Sale:  Marsha Brown:  Orders for fall vegetable plants are being taken.   Paul Hendricks is starting the plants.

When working in the demo garden bring your own glass for drinking.

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Good of the Order: 

   Joe Walker announced that the Boys & Girls Club in O’Fallon is in their 4th and 5th week.  Kids are excited and learning a lot. 

Connie Wamble talked about sale of a warm-up doll for the garden.  It is hung outside of your window.  If it is wet, it has rained.   If it is stiff, it is frozen, if it is black you need to wash your windows,  etc.

Two button bushes are in full bloom.   One is by the rain garden path. 

 

 Thank you to this month’s facilitators, Ken Waterman, Mike Schappe and Anne Schappe.

Meeting was adjourned.

 

Respectively submitted,                              David Prince