Our May meeting featured members’ interpretations of ‘Tea time on the Sacandaga’.  Members created a table setting for an afternoon tea service with a place setting including cups, saucers, cake plate and napkins.  Virginia Conover took lots of photos which Betsy Emery will be adding to our website (visitsacandaga.com) so do check out the wonderful themes that our members chose.  See how the elements of the service setting are complemented by the choice of plant material in the flower arrangements.  Look too for the touches of whimsy that some members used to great effect.

Don’t rush to plant your annuals outside, wait until the night time temperatures are in the 50Fs.  If you buy them early – don’t we all! - take the time to make sure they are properly hardened off before planting.  Cool weather annuals such as alyssum and pansies can be set out earlier but impatiens will sulk if put out too soon and they may not recover.  Plant your plants to the depth they were in the six packs and water them in thoroughly.  Go back the next day and water again.  Don’t think that because it is going to rain tomorrow that that will be enough!  Keep up with watering during the season; plants usually need about one inch of water a week but those in containers may need to be watered daily or even more than once a day.

In early summer as the plants start forming flower buds, begin a fertilizer program using a balanced formula such as 10-10-10.  Read the label and apply as the manufacturer recommends throughout the summer and early fall.  If you have some annuals that are slow to flower use a formula such as a 15-30-15 to stimulate flower production.

In midsummer annuals with lots of tiny flowers such as alyssum start to look a little ragged and they will benefit from being cut back by a third to a half.  Use this technique for alyssum, coreopsis, bachelor’s button, snapdragons and sweet William.  Give them a dose of liquid fertilizer and they will set new buds very quickly.  If your petunias are starting to get leggy with blooms just at the ends, try cutting them back by half.  They will also set out new growth and flowers and you will have a more compact plant full of flowers in no time. 

We were delighted to see so many of our friends at our plant sale on May 5 and we thank you for your support.  It is through fundraisers like this that we were able to show the community presentations we have had this year.  Don’t forget our last presentation on Thursday, June 7 when Janet Vinyard will be talking about growing and blooming orchids successfully in upstate New York.  It will be at the Northville Public Library in the upstairs meeting room at 1:30 p.m.  Our club will be having a short meeting prior to the talk and you are welcome to sit in if you wish. 

You can contact us at POBox 675, Northville, NY 12134 and lastly, remember the words of Abba Goold Woolson ‘and since all this loveliness cannot be Heaven, I know in my heart it is June’.