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Joliet Area Garden Club
P. O. Box 3790, Joliet IL 60434
February, 2015
Web site: www.jolietgardenclub.com
Volume 14, issue 2
Newsletter editor: Chris Blecker
With only a few exceptions our meetings are at 6:45 pm on the second
Tuesday each month at the Barber & Oberwortmann Horticulture Center at
227 North Gougar Road, Joliet, IL. Our next meeting is Tues. Feb. 10th.
JAGC 2014-15 Officers …
Ginna Jones, President ([email protected]); Dot Kluzek,
Vice President ([email protected]); Bev Scheidt, Treasurer
([email protected]); Lynn Hossack, Secretary ([email protected]);
Jean Kadar/Joan Raiger, Programs ([email protected]);
Bonnie & Marty Mesewicz, Membership ([email protected]);
Chris Blecker, Newsletter ([email protected])
Inside this issue:

Orchid tips

Garden Walk News

Bus Trip Reminder!

Rose Pruning Tips

Survey Says ...

Local Seminar Info!
Program News …
From Your Program Chairwomen (Jean and Joan)
Our speaker for February is Rita Renwick, President of the Will
County Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society, Volunteer
Coordinator for Interpreters at Lake Renwick, and President of
the City of Joliet’s Tree Advisory Board. She also monitors frogs
and toads and volunteers at Midewin National Tallgrass
Prairie.
Rita is a retired teacher who grew up in LaSalle County near
Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks and has been active in conservation efforts in the
community for over 30 years. We’re sure you will find her program on Hummingbirds informative and
interesting! Come to the meeting and explore the unique features and behaviors of magicians of the
air – Hummingbirds.
This fascinating species summers in our area and migrates through the region in even greater
numbers. Join us and learn more about these miniature miracles!
A Few Words From Our President …
Hello everyone!
Guess what, I finally brought in my outdoor Christmas decorations and underneath some of them
were green plants growing . Up about 4ins!! See—there’s hope! We lucked out in Dec. with little
snow so maybe Spring will get here soon. I know that’s really crazy thinking
but I refuse to think that we have months of nothingness.
I thought the pizza party was fun and the survey was very telling and we plan on changing a
few things for the better. Don’t be scared—it’s all for the good!
See you in February!
Ginna
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
Ref: University of Illinois Extension
“Gardener’s Corner”
V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
M
ost orchids require the same temperature range as other
Orchids:
houseplants. Daytime
An Outstanding
highs in the 70s and
night time lows of 55-65
Indoor Plant!
degrees F will keep
orchids growing
perfectly happily. A
bright window with
ndoor house plants don’t have to be limited to indirect sunlight all day is ideal.
the standard foliage plant. Orchids, for example, are
long-lasting flowering plants that make great houseIn terms of watering, once a week is about right for
plants!
most orchids. Overwatering is by far the easiest way
to kill an orchid, so only water orchids once the
Phalaenopsis species— (fayl-eh-NOP-siss)
potting media has dried out slightly. Orchids are
typically planted in a well-drained media, like a bark
The moth orchid is really the most adapted for grow- mixture that allows water to easily drain away. “A
ing in your home. This orchid has long arching
few ice cubes placed on top of the bark media once
sprays of colorful flowers that begin flowering in win- a week does the job well for many orchids”,
ter or early spring and reaccording to Candice Miller, University of Illinois
main showy for several
horticulture educator.
months. They require less
light than some other
Probably the most difficult aspect of growing orchids
orchids, and flower in a
is getting them to re-bloom. Providing orchids with
variety of colors and
warmer temperatures during the day and cooler at
patterns from pink to white.
night (about a 10-15 degree difference is ideal)
(The “blue” ones have been
helps to simulate seasonal cues that the plant
died, so don’t be fooled by
needs to start blooming again. If the temperature in
them!)
your home stays relatively consistent, you will likely
I
Cattleya species—
(KAT-lee-ah)
Cattleyas are known for their use in corsages and
for having a flower that can last from two to six
weeks. They generally flower only once per year
during the spring or fall. They require TWICE the
amount of light of moth orchids to perform well in the
home.
Dendrobium species—
(den-DROH-bee-um)
Dendroobium orchids produce long, graceful sprays of
flowers that are typically
white, lavender or a combination of the two
during the fall and winter. Flowers may remain
open three to four weeks.
have difficult in re-blooming orchids.
Fertilizing is also important. An application of a highphosphorous (“bloom booster”) fertilizer in midNovember can help to jump start the re-blooming
process. (The middle number is higher
on bloom-booster fertilizer.)
Some resources also suggest that
during the month or so that you are
trying to get the plant to re-bloom, you
should restrict watering to just once every two
weeks (allowing the top 2” of growing medium to dry
thoroughly before watering again).
Though a little extra manipulation is
needed to get your orchids to rebloom, that moment of pure excitement
when you realize a new flower is on its
(Continued on page 3)
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
way is definitely worth it!
A great place to learn about orchids and make a
purchase is Anything Orchids at 23027 South
Center, in Frankfort (south of downtown Frankfort,
just south of Laraway Rd.)
You may remember hearing
Don White give a program
at JAGC a few years ago.
He brought beautiful orchids with him to sell. The
greenhouse is open to the public Mon-Sat 9-4 pm.
Don will help you make a good choice about an orchid for your home. He will also re-pot your orchids
for you (for a very nominal fee) if
needed and offers free advice on
any problems on questions you
may have. We’re lucky to have
such a great orchid greenhouse
so close by—stop in and see
him soon! His website is
www.anythingorchids.com
Photos: American Orchid Society website— www.aos.org offers
additional information on growing orchids as well.
Garden Day is fast
approaching. Tickets
sold out again in record
time! Everyone always
looks forward to this fantastic event
… and this year is no exception!
If you have anything you would like
to donate as a raffle prize or door
prize for Garden Day, please contact
Linda Deiss either by email at
[email protected] or by telephone at
815-725-5571 as soon as possible!
Thanks for your generosity!
Volunteers do not
necessarily have the
time; they just have the
heart. ~Elizabeth Andrew
JAGC has openings for folks to serve as officers
on our Board and committee chairmen!
Our Hospitality Team this month:
“Sweets”
Colleen Coleman, Barb Cruise/Don
Swibes, Diane Keck, Carol Kranz,
Jan McReynolds, Carol Murray
“Savory” (non-sweets, healthy)
Ann Ayers, Dolores Bryl, Sandy
Kopija, Mary Ninos, Karen Sauter,
Colleen Ward
Please see any officer if you have any questions
about what the responsibilities are. We assure
you that we can offer assistance as you “get your
feet wet” at JAGC!
As with any organization, the old saying holds
true: “Many hands make little work”!
Please consider running for an office on JAGC’s
board or volunteering to help with
one of the committees. More information will follow, but we
would love for any of you to consider running for a board position
or a Committee Chairperson!
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
How do flowers get their colors? From
Source:
www.MyGardenGuide.com
It’s a great little garden tips
website that you might find interesting!
Website article by Heleigh Bostwick
E
voking specific feelings and
moods, we all have our
favorite flower colors. In fact,
flower color is probably the primary
reason people choose one variety over
another.
Perhaps you prefer the cool blues,
purples, and whites, or maybe bright
“hot” oranges, yellows, and reds tickle
your fancy. How about a garden of
white and pink flowers colors or the
opposite, flowers in shades of black,
brown, deep purple
and blue? The combinations are endless
really, only limited
by your imagination.
pigments like anthocyanidin (purples
and reds), carotenoids (oranges
and yellows), and chlorophyll
(green). Some flower colors are
“au natural”, perhaps only affected
by temperature and plant stress.
They’ve evolved with regard to
specific pollinators, whether they’re
birds, bees, or flies and other insects.
Other flower colors have been bred
that way by mixing the pigments into different combinations or,
like hydrangeas, merely changing
the soil conditions alters the flower
color. By changing the pH of the cells
in rose petals, roses can be manipulated into a rainbow of colors.
There are also factors that
cause flowers to change color on
the plant itself. For instance,
many flowers change color as
they age. Vibrant blues may
fade to bluish-pinks. This
signals to pollinators that the
flower is past its prime. And
sometimes, flower color is all in
the eye of the beholder. How we
see colors varies with the type of light.
Early morning light is different than
midday light, which in turn, is different from the light at dusk.
Recommended reading: Color Your Garden
by Jill Billington; Armitage’s Garden Perennials: A color Encyclopedia by Allan
Armitage; or The Magic of Monet’s Garden: His Planting Plans and Color Harmonies by Derek Fell.
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
Thursday, Feb. 19—Robert Mayfield, a
classically trained guitarist.
Tuesday, Feb.
24—MYA (Midwest
Young Artists) musicians perform.
Thursday, Feb.
26—Theodore Kruzich, violinist. The
ensemble’s repertoire includes classical,
If reading all the information about Orchids on ethnic, Broadway, and movie musical
Pages 2 and 3 of this newsletter didn’t catch selections.
your interest, maybe this will!
Tuesday, Mar. 3— Common Knowledge,
The Chicago Botanic Garden has Chicago-based harp and guitar duo.
an ORCHID SHOW running from
February 14 through March 15,
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
10,000 blooming orchids will be on
display at this show! AND on Tuesday
and Thursday mornings, the orchid
show also includes “Music with the
Orchids” performances from 10-11 am
on Tuesday and Thursday mornings!
Thursday, Mar. 5—
David Chiriboga,
flamenco and
Spanish classical
guitar.
Tuesday, Mar.
10—The Healing
Earth Native
American flute
circle.
Visit www.chicagobotanic.org or call
(847) 838-5440 for more information.
Perhaps you can get a group together
and form a carpool to make the trip! The
address is 1000 Lake Cook Road,
Glencoe, IL.
The Orchid Show “Music in the Morning”
schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Feb. 17—North Shore
Symphony
Thursday,
Mar.12—Kerry
Leung, known as
the “Chinese OneMan Band” .
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
Hospitality: You spoke
and we listened!
Based on comments in the January
survey, we would like to make some
changes to try to speed up the snacktime part of our monthly meetings.

We’re going to try putting the drinks in
a location away from the food. This
way if you’re early, you can get your
drink before you go through the food
line. It also, hopefully, will cut down on
a road block at the end of the food
line.

We’re going to
separate the two food
tables, with plates,
napkins and utensils at
both tables. This way
two groups can start
getting their food at
once. There will be different food on
each table, and you can still go to
both tables but hopefully it gets
people moving through the lines more
quickly. Both tables will have sweets
and savories.

Some people mentioned wanting
healthy snacks.
When someone
volunteers to bring
food, we gratefully
In particular:

We’d like the food to arrive by 6:30
p.m. at the latest so
that we have time to
get it out before the
6:45 p.m. start time

If you bring something
that needs to be cut or
otherwise prepared, it would help us a
lot if it came “ready to serve”.
We’re going to
experiment with
some changes.
Depending on
how this goes, we
might have to
rethink it, but for
now:

V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
(Continued on page 7)
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
accept whatever it is they want to
bring, and different people like
different things. When you take a turn
bringing food, of course you can bring
a healthy selection if you want.
Others might enjoy it and do the same
when they take a turn. Some though,
may have eaten at home and may
only want dessert or a tasty
snack. We’re all different,
and if we all bring something
yummy that we each feel
would be good, we should
have a nice selection for everyone.

If you aren’t a cook, but
want to do something, you
can bring pop and water
or make a donation for
them.
Many of you
have been very generous in giving us paper supplies. Right
now we have a good supply, but that’s
another way you can participate.
(One note – we have a good supply of
plastic knives and we don’t use those
very often; so this is the only thing I
can think of that we won’t need for a
long time.)

V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
Bus Trip
Update!
In case you missed the
notice (or forgot), here
are the details …
Monday, February 23rd
Lincoln Park Conservatory &
Garfield Park Conservatory!
Lunch is included (details were in the
flyer sent to everyone).
Cost for JAGC members is $25 (until
2/13) and reservations are
strongly recommended ASAP.
Payments should be sent
immediately upon making your
reservation to the club’s PO Box
3790, Joliet IL 60434.
Please note: You should mail your payment in rather than wait until the meeting night to pay! Only paid reservations
are guaranteed! Don’t miss out just because you didn’t send your payment in!
After February 13, the cost will go to $40
which is the same price non-members
will be charged! Also, registration will be
opened to non-members on 2/13!
Please realize that this is an
The bus ONLY holds 55
experiment & therefore it could
people though, so don’t
take a couple delay if you are interested
of months to
in this trip! Seats for this
trip are going “like hot cakes”!
get things
running
Call Joan Raiger at 708-417smoothly or
2927 or email Joan at
[email protected] with
to tweak it
questions or to register!
until it’s just right!
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J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
Rose pruning tips from
Better
Homes &
Gardens …
Chicago Flower Show at Navy Pier!
Since we typically
only prune our
roses once a
year, it can be
‘Betty Boop’
tough remembering how and when to do it. If you need
a refresher, here's our guide.
Cut back your hybrid
tea, grandiflora,
and floribunda roses to
about 18 inches tall in
early spring, just before
they start to grow. One
guide to help you know
when to prune is to
watch for forsythia to bloom. In the
coldest climates, prune these roses
back to live growth. It may be as low
as 8 inches, depending on how severe
the winter was.
Because many of these types of roses
are grafted, watch for any shoots that
seem to be coming from the roots and
not the rose stem. These are usually
unwanted suckers from the root
system and should be removed at
ground level.
Though it may
seem like butchering, pruning
this way will give
you plants that
produce lots of
lush blooms on
sturdy stems.
The roots of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show can be
traced as far back as 1847! The Show, held each March
at Chicago’s Navy Pier (March 14-22, 2015), is an
experience for the senses, invoking memories of spring
after a typically long and cold Chicago winter.
Tickets: $17 weekdays purchased at the show, $19 on
weekends at the show. $2 discount for purchases online
at www.chicagoflower.com
Discounted parking available at Navy Pier:
Monday-Thursday $15, Friday-Sunday $20
The Will County Master Gardeners are
hosting a garden walk in 2015....with a twist...a
Fairy Garden Walk!
Five Master
Gardeners will open their gardens for this very
special walk (in the New Lenox,
Homer Glen, Tinley Park area)
Sunday, June 28, 2015—from
11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
$15.00
The Illinois Master Gardener Mission is Helping
Others Learn to Grow and this garden walk WILL
educate you...even fairy gardens get their share of
horticultural problems. Each garden will have an
educational vignette station with a focus on a
current horticultural issue and provide you
with research based, U of I Extension solutions.
Registration is open NOW!
Walk will
be held rain or shine. Addresses of garden walk
locations will be sent on June 1, 2015 to
those registered to attend.
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/gkw/hort.html
For more info: Contact Nancy
Kuhajda, Will County MG Coordinator at [email protected] or call
815-727-9296.
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V O LU M E 1 4 , I S S U E 2
9th Annual Timmy’s Garden Walk
benefitting the Pediatric Program
and Services of
Joliet Area Community Hospice
Saturday, June 20, 2015.
Details and tickets available
soon. Stay tuned!
LAWN SEMINAR
Saturday, Mar. 21, 2015
1:00 p.m.
Learn tips & tricks to a great looking lawn.
Call to reserve your seat!
815-436-8600
TRI-COUNTY STOCKDALE
Hostas, Daylilies, Perennials, Trees & Shrubs, Grasses, Annuals,
Aquatic Plants, Granite, Pottery,
Pond Installations, Beautiful Display Beds
April 10—October 10
Princeton, Illinois
(815) 659-3282
www.hornbakergardens.com
PAGE 10
J O LI E T A R E A G A R D E N C L U B
Please support our loyal sponsors!
When you visit our sponsors, tell them you saw their ad here!
The Fields was recently
listed in Midwest Living
magazine as one of the
most desirable garden
centers to visit in Illinois!
24917 W. Strip Mine Road, Wilmington, IL
815—476-5383
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