John Armstong: Dahlia and Gladiola Expert

May's guest speaker will be John Armstrong
Growing  Dahlia Culture And Cultivation

Gardeners from many countries have chosen to grace their homes, landscapes, and garden plots with dahlias, one of the longest blooming flowers in cultivation. No doubt, many reasons exist for their choice. While many grow dahlias solely as a decorative planting, others are more interested in artistic arrangement and cut flowers. For decorative landscaping; they may use them as focal points in the home garden where they may select a plant that possesses a huge bloom, 12 inches or more in diameter, and thereby create a conversation piece. Still, others may concentrate on border plantings (12 inches or so in height) or mass planting of one variety for a special effect. Some find additional uses by using the dahlia for screens where the selected variety is crucial. The landscaping potential is great and the few above examples serve mainly to pique the imagination. In one home garden, the gardener has successfully groomed a small growing dahlia waterlily formation to cascade to the ground near his pool. The number of possibilities abounds including patio dahlias that are specially grown in ornamental troughs, pots, and tubs.

Also check out the The American Dahlia Society on web.

Glen Peters--- April's Guest Speaker

Some birds fly south in the winter but where do to the Fundy Gardeners Go ??

Some members go to Africa

Freeman Patterson

The attached photo was made in 2011 in a mountain desert wilderness in the extreme northwest corner of South Africa, close to where I was sleeping on a rock. I'll be going back there this year. The tree is a "kokerboom" or "quiver tree," Aloe Dichotoma, so called because the Bushmen used the rubber-like bark to make the quivers for their arrows. It's habitat is very restricted - just about 300 km. north and south of the Orange river, which forms the border between South Africa and Namibia. I made the photograph at sunrise, when the sun had just cleared the mountain range behind me and the first red rays of the sun were striking the mountainside to the west. You can see other quiver trees in the distance.

Some memmbers go to Flordia

Jackie and Brian Hudson

2012 03 03 Osceola Master gardeners visit to Melbourne Plant Show and Gardens



March's Guest Speaker

This months guest speaker will be Dr. Katherine A. Frego.Professor and 3M National Teaching Fellow,Dept. of Biology, University of New Brunswick.

Her topic will be on POSITIVE bug/plant interactions – basically roles bugs can play, including some that may be unexpected. 

February's Guest Speaker Jude Carson-Community Garden Project

Jude Carson is a retired writer and keen gardener.

 While she was writing, gardening was one of her main subjects. It was also during that time that she and other interested people conceived the idea of the Greater Saint John Community Garden. She'll tell us about the beginning days and the status of the Garden today, still thriving in its 13th year, and bring photos to show its progress.

What is the Community Garden Project The Greater Saint John Area Community Garden (G.S.J.C.G.) is a volunteer project working with the Leisure Services Department of the City of Saint John. It was established to provide an opportunity for citizens to have a place to garden. The Community Garden is located on the former site of the Rockwood Elementary School.

Meeting place is at regular meeting location - New Date Feb-8 

Seasons Greetings

Tony Rickett - Dunham's Wharf Vineyard -Nov's Guest Speaker

Tony Rickett has been developing Dunham's Wharf Vineyard for seven years located in Gorham's Bluff on the Kingston Pennsula. With five acres of land where 3,000 grape vines grow in rows. Rickett has spent seven years planting a variety of grape vines on his property and tending to them until they are ready to pick, crush and turn into wine he says tastes "absolutely fabulous.Grapes, some white, some purple, and some shades in between, drip in bunches off the vines and provide a lunch for the hungry birds that visit the property. A loud bird sounds in the background and Rickett explains that it is a sound-machine used to scare off the vultures. His love of fine wine inspired him to grow wine grapes - a challenge he says has been tackled by few, if any, on the Kingston Peninsula. "I hope people get encouraged to say it can be done and try it," Rickett said. He explained that the climate on the peninsula teeters on the edge of being suitable to grow wine grapes.  With the large amounts of rainfall, he said this summer has not been great for the crop. But the way his property gradually slopes towards the river helps fend off frost for one to two weeks longer than other areas of the peninsula. Seven years ago he planted his first vines and has grown the crop steadily each year. He said vines take about five years to produce grapes. Each of the five acres of vines on his property produces one to two tonnes of grapes, half of which he shared with the raccoons and birds in the area. The grapes he grew last year were used to make about 100 bottles of wine. Rickett is not licensed to sell the wine and he makes no money off his efforts. It is a project he says he does because he loves it.Two years ago Rickett decided to take on a new project - growing hops. He said hops grow on vines and produce bunches of small cones that hang off the plants that wrap around stakes on the edges of his property. He said it grew about six inches a day - so fast he could watch it. "When you cut it (the cone) open it looks like yellow traffic paint," Rickett said. "It is what gives beer the aroma it has"They are used to flavour beer and the ultimate test for a brew master is to use fresh hops to make a beer." Rickett said he passed the hops he grew this year on to brew master Wendy Papadopoulos. She used them to make a beer called Indian Beach Nut Brown Ale that is being sold at the Big Tide Brewing Company in Saint John.