I hope you have all survived the winter in New England. Although I did not experience the frigid cold, the weather in Florida was not as warm as usual.

I have just returned from an interesting NGC Winter Board Meeting in Palm Springs, where it rained at least three inches every day. So much for the desert! I left that meeting with a number of items to share. For example, have you ever thought of a virtual garden club—one that meets electronically and works on projects without attending any meetings? Think about it. Members could receive all information electronically, attend your schools and pay dues. It would appeal to those whose schedules preclude them from being members of traditional clubs. We understand that there may be an interest for this type of club and will continue to pursue the possibilities.

We also discussed changing the Awards Dinner at the NGC Annual Meeting and inviting the Awards of Excellence winners to one of the lunches where they would be given more time to discuss their projects.

I am so proud that Maine has agreed to host the 2016 NGC Fall Board Meeting in Portland, Maine. I have no doubt they will do a terrific job.

I also want to remind you that we have had great success with our Twitter and Facebook accounts. If you want to brag to the world about an event or project, have it linked so that anyone can find you. This may be a way to increase your membership. Send all information and your website to Mike at molfamily@earthlink.net . The more we send him, the more exposure we receive. Create your own Facebook account and see how many garden club friends are out there.

Please continue to support all National Garden Club projects and take pictures of the Sea of Yellow from all the many daffodils you planted last fall.

Remember our Annual Meeting “Go Green” will be held October 18-19 at the Stratton Mountain Club in Vermont. A Standard Flower Show, “Recycle,” will be held in conjunction with that meeting. Schedules will be available at the 2010 Symposium.

I also urge you all to attend the Flower Show School Symposium in Kennebunkport, Maine on May 19-21. If you do not need to refresh, you can come to just learn more about judging horticulture and design. We never know too much. Please check out the NER website for registration information: www.NGCNER.org .

Again, it is a pleasure to serve you, and I hope to see you as I travel the states. I also invite you to join me at the National Garden Clubs meeting in Atlanta, the New England Region Symposium in Maine, and the NER meeting in Vermont.

“This Glorious Earth” World Flower Show to be held in Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center, June 15-19, 2011, welcomes your participation. Registration forms along with the schedule are available on the website www.wafausa.org (World Association of Flower Arrangers).

Kathy M Thomas, NER Director, 7 Norfolk Lane, Holliston, Ma 01746. Email: kathymthomas@aol.com

$145 for full course with exam; includes 1 dinner (Wednesday) and 2 lunches _____

$145 for full course audit for credit; includes 1 dinner (Wednesday) and 2 lunches _____

$140 for full course with no credit; includes 1 dinner (Wednesday) and 2 lunches _____

Wednesday, May 19 Dinner: Grilled salmon___ Chicken Wellington___ Vegetarian Lasagna___

$80 for Thurs. May 20 Horticulture includes 1 lunch___ $80 for Fri. May 21 Design includes 1 lunch ___

Judges must submit Date of Current Certificate or Good Standing _______________________________

Any food allergies must be submitted to the committee at the time of registration.

All room reservations must be made directly with the hotel. Register with the registration code “New England Regional Symposium” for group rate of $139 plus 7% tax for double or single occupancy. Rate includes free parking and breakfast buffet. Hotel reservation deadline is May 13, 2010.

The Symposium is open to all garden club members and the public. For more information contact Linda Frinsko at LFrinsko@maine.rr.com or Nancy Atwell at aswelln@aol.com.

DIRECTIONS: Interstate 95 to Maine Turnpike. Take Exit 25 for the Kennebunks. Take a left onto Route 35 about six miles. Take a left on Route 9 and cross the bridge into Kennebunkport. Take a right on Ocan Avenue and go one mile. Take a left onto King;s Highway. Take a right into The Colony Hotel parking lot.

A big THANK YOU to all who have planted your daffodils and are now waiting patiently for this unusually cold and snowy winter to pass. Spring can’t be too far away, and we will soon see the green leaves poking through the ground.

Certificates of Appreciation and Participation will be issued to each who submits a one-page summary of their project to the NER Regional Chairmen. You may include no more than three photos on the one-page summary. One page only!

A special deadline date of March 15, 2010 has been designated for this project for entries this year. They will then be submitted to the National Chairman by April 1, 2010. This is a two-year project, so you may apply for this award again next year or participate with a two-year project next year.

Send your summaries to: De Feldman, Co-Chair, 9 Bluff Road, Barrington, RI 02806.

2010 New England Region Annual Meeting October 18-19

From Sue Robinson, NER 2010 Annual Meeting Chair

The 2010 NER Annual Meeting “Going Green” will be held in Vermont on October 18^th and 19^th at Stratton Mountain in southeastern Vermont. The meetings, a small standard flower show, vendors, and meals will all take place at the Stratton Mountain Club, an upscale private club at the base of the mountain. We know you’ll enjoy the warm atmosphere and lovely surroundings, inside and out! Overnight accommodations will be at the Inn at Stratton Mountain, where you may make your own reservations. Watch for more information in the coming months, but put the dates in your calendar today! Watch the website for registration information www.NGCNER.org .

NER Standard Flower Show “Recycle” will be staged at the Stratton Mountain Club and offered free to visitors October 18^th, 3 PM – 8 PM and October 19^th, 10 AM-2 PM. The schedule will be released at the May New England Region Symposium in Maine and on the NER website at that time (www.NGCNER.org ). The schedule features majestic arboreal branches with beautiful seasonal foliage and berries, exciting floral designs including popular petite designs, and imaginative educational exhibits from each of the six New England states. Exhibitors will compete for prestigious NGC Top Exhibitor awards. Look for the schedule, consider entering an exhibit, and encourage your garden club friends to do the same.

Flower show chairman is Elaine Dates, elainedates@comcast.net

See you in Vermont!

Lawn and landscape maintenance becomes a definite hardship when a family’s major breadwinner is on active duty away from home. GreenCare for Troops is a nationwide outreach program that connects local landscape professionals with men and women serving our country in the armed forces away from home. To date, GreenCare for Troops has helped more than 2,400 volunteers provide free lawn and landscape services to thousands of military families nationwide.

To get started, log onto the website www.projectevergreen.com , then click at the top How Can I Help? This will take you to GreenCare for Troops. Under Volunteers, click Individuals. There fill out an application. On the side is a Volunteer FAQ (frequently asked questions) to help if you have any questions. (You may also e-mail Wendy Cote at kennebus@comcast.net .)

In Maine, President Becky Linney presented this program to the Maine Nurserymen’s Association in the hope that the nurserymen would come on board and join with garden club volunteers to help these service families. Other New England states might like to try this, too.

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Vision of Beauty Photo Shoot from Dee Mozzochi, NER Vision of Beauty Calendar Chair

For the second year, the New England Region is sponsoring a photo shoot for design entries for the Vision of Beauty Calendar with photographer Cheryl Collins. Cost per design is a real bargain at only $20. It’s fun, it,s easy, and you don’t even need to bring a background! So round up your best designs, or do a fantastic new one and ENTER. We are still waiting to hear from the NGC Calendar Committee about the outcome of the 30 designs we sent in last September.

WED. AUGUST 4^th , 10AM-2PM in Massachusetts: 1112 School St. (off Rte. 140), Mansfield, MA 02048 at Cheryl’s studio

WED. AUGUST 18^th, 10AM-2PM in Connecticut: Connecticut Agricultural Station, 123 Huntington St., New Haven, CT

More info and registration forms will be sent to the state Judges Council chairmen in June. Or you may contact Dee at deezerm@aol.com

October 18-19 NER “Recycle” Standard Flower Show at the NER Annual Meeting Stratton, VT

3-8PM on 18^th, 10AM-2PM on 19^th Schedule available at May Symposium Contact: elainedates@comcast.net

April 28 Connecticut Annual Meeting with Ellen Avellino at Aqua Turf Southington, CT May 26 Massachusetts Annual Meeting Holiday Inn Mansfield, MA

June 7 Vermont Annual Meeting; Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruise Lake Champlain, VT

June 8-10 Maine “Leaving a Greener Footprint” Annual Meeting at Meadowmere Resort Ogunquit, ME

June 23 New Hampshire Advisory Board Meeting at Enfield Shaker Village Enfield, NH Tour herb and flower gardens and historic Great Stone Dwelling with Horticulturalist Happy Griffith Contact Sandy Gove at slgove@aol.com

Flower Shows, Fairs, and Garden Tours

February 28-March 7 Philadelphia Flower Show Philadelphia, PA

March 10-14 Maine Portland Flower Show Portland, ME

March 24-28 Massachusetts Boston Flower and Garden Show, Seaport World Trade Center Boston, MA

March Maine Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens free admission before April 1 Boothbay, ME

9AM-5PM daily year-round on Barters Island Road; www.MaineGardens.org

May 1-2 Rhode Island “Fractured Fairy Tales” flower show Portsmouth, NH

10AM-4PM At Atria Aquidneck Place, 125 Quaker Hill Lane

June 9 Rhode Island “Bays, Beaches and Bouquets” Standard Flower Show Barrington, RI

10AM-4PM Plus House Tour For tickets & info contact: SueRedden@verizon.net

June 16-18 Maine “Books & Blooms” Standard Flower Show at Bangor Public Library Bangor, ME

Contact: luvs2garden2@aol.com or newcombpam@gmail.com on Harlow Street

June 25-27 Rhode Island Newport Flower Show Newport, RI

July 14-16 Maine “The Premier Decorator Showhouse” tour, preview party, twilight night tour Camden, ME

Sponsored by Maine Home + Design magazine, PHI Home Designs, Cellardoor Winery, Jaret&Cohn

Contact: www.camdengardenclub.com ; 207-236-8946

July 15 Maine House & Garden Tour Contact: www.camdengardenclub.com ; 207-236-8946 Camden, ME

August 20-21 New Hampshire “This Place Is A Zoo!” Standard Flower Show Concord, NH

At NH Audubon Center, 84 Silk Farm Road Contact: meedsienkiewicz@netzero.net

October 2-11 Massachusetts Topsfield Fair Topsfield, MA

October 21-24 Massachusetts Tower Hill Flower Show

Environmental Study School

September 7-9 Maine Course III Contact: bushcyndy@aol.com at Village by the Sea Wells, ME

Design and Flower Show Procedure with Barbara May; Horticulture with Cathy Felton

Landscape Design Study School

March 30-April 1 Connecticut Course IV at Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station New Haven, CT

Jones Auditorium, 123 Huntington St. Contact: jianny@aol.com

October 7-8 Maine Course IV Contact: bettyw@wildblue.net Portland, ME

October 26 Maine Refresher Lewiston, ME

Special Programs

March 7 Connecticut Documentary film “A Chemical Reaction” on pesticide hazards Hartford, CT

2 PM Cinestudio, 300 Summit St., 06106 ( Trinity University); $10 donation suggested

1 PM Wine and hors d’eouvres reception before the film

March 12 Connecticut University of Connecticut Garden Conference at the university Storrs, CT

All-day conference with national speakers and local experts

Program and registration at www.hort.uconn.edu/2010garden

March 16 Rhode Island “The Healing Power of Plants and Nature” Barrington, RI

Noon refreshments; 12:30PM meeting With Horticultural Therapist Mary Beth Miller

At Barrington Public Library. Guest fee $5. Contact Darcy at 401-245-3976.

April 13 Maine “Preserving Petals” A Silver Tea with Cathy Miller Portland, ME

1 PM Miller is author of “Harvesting, Preserving and Arranging Dried Flowers”

At Woodfords Congregational Church-Memorial Hall, 202 Woodford Street

For tickets ($10) email LongfellowGardenClub@gmail.com

April 17 Rhode Island “The Little Black Dress” with Bill Graham Cumberland, RI

1 PM Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St. 02864

Tickets ($20) and info -– call Arlene at 401-334-0739.

AWARD #1--Sears Civic Beautification Bowl to The Garden Club of Avon for their redesign and expansion of the perennial garden at the Avon Town Complex, their club’s 60^th anniversary project.

AWARD #2—The Laura Wetmore Conservation Bowl to The Milford Garden Club for their excellent promotion of conservation and environmental awareness through their community outreach programs featured at their green May Market.

AWARD #4—The Marie E Lewis Conservation of Natural Resources Tray to The Pomperaug Valley Garden Club of Woodbury for their restoration of the Botany Trail at the Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury, including the removal of invasive plants and guided Wildflower Walks for the community.

AWARD # 21—The Maureen Colton Award blue rosette and check for $50 to The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.

AWARD #22—The Pamela C Hebert Garden of Youth Award and $50 check to The Danbury Garden Club for work with local youth including civic beautification, floral design, horticulture, garden therapy, the environment, and conservation.

2^nd Place Daytime Gardeners (small club) Cheshire Garden Club (medium club)

AWARD #5—The Cornelia Williamson Watson Award for Historic Preservation to Bath Garden Club for their restoration of the Woolwich History Museum gardens in cooperation with the Woolwich Historical Society. Old gardens were excavated, walkways uncovered, and native plants placed with an emphasis on low maintenance. The gardens will re-open to the public in celebration of the Town of Woolrich’s 250^th anniversary.

AWARD #10—The Mary Stone Garden Therapy Awardto Boothbay Region Garden Club for their monthly garden therapy programs at three separate healthcare units at the St. Andrews Retirement Center in Boothbay Harbor, involving a significant number of residents and high membership participation.

2^nd Place Kennebec Garden Club (medium club) Camden Garden Club (large club)

AWARD #3—The Evelyn R Cole National Gardener Tray to The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts for the greatest increase (9%) in paid subscribers to the National Gardener.

AWARD #7—Helen Hussey Champlin Bowl to The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts for the largest number of new members (801).

AWARD #17—The Jeanne-Marie Parkesa Award to The Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford for their educational exhibit “Taming the Wild to Enhance the Upper Charles Trail,” at the Central North and Central South Standard Flower Show held at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. Several hundred attendees benefited from this display of natural habitats and environmental concerns on the 3.4 mile public bike trail.

2^nd Place Attleboro Gardeners (medium club) Acton Garden Club (large club)

AWARD #8—The Mildred Black Petti Award to New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs for largest percentage increase in new members (9.5%)

AWARD #12—The Mary Louise Marks Smith Flower Show Award and $25 check to The Ashland Garden Club for “A Floral Fashion Schedule.”

AWARD #13—The Virginia F Thurston Landscape Design Award and $100 to The Old Homestead Garden Club of Center Swanzey for their extensive 5-year landscape project including an outdoor classroom at the Keene Public Library.

AWARD #19—The Lina F Wagner Perennial Garden award and $100 to The Bow Garden Club and their nominee Alice Jorda for the design, planting and maintenance of “Tempie’s Garden,” a semi-circular perennial garden surrounding the street sides of the town gazebo, in memory of the garden club’s founder Tempie F Dahlgren.

1^st Place Atkinson Garden Club (medium club) Mountain Garden Club (large club)

AWARD #15—The Virginia Kenney/Maureen Colton Award and $25 to The Sundial Garden Club for the best horticulture division in a standard flower show.

AWARD #20—The Deanna j mozzochi Creative Design Award and $50 to Candace Morgenstern of the Tiverton Garden Club for the best creative design by NGC member at a standard or small-standard flower show.

2^nd Place Sogkonate Garden Club (medium club) Barrington Garden Club (large club)

AWARD #14—The Sue Saul Award and $25 to Burlington Garden Club for planning, planting and maintenance of the landscape surrounding City Hall.

AWARD #16—The Nancy H Atwell Trophy to The Springfield Garden Club for excellent publicity of their National Garden Week celebration and club programs and activities, promoting the objectives of NGC and state and local garden clubs.

Since launching a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service in 2004, National Garden Clubs (NGC) and its affiliates have collected more than $75,000 for the Forest Service’s Penny Pines program, dedicated to replanting damaged forests in 80 national forests in 42 states. “Deforestation through natural disasters or human activities remains a major concern to National Garden Clubs’ membership,” says NGC President Renee D. Blaschke of Smithville, Texas. “The loss of trees is not only an aesthetic blight but also an environmental threat.”

Donations to the NGC Penny Pines effort can be designated for a specific state or national forest. Contributions may be made individually, or through a school, organization or club fundraiser. NGC requests that donations be made in multiples of $68, which was the cost of planting 10 acres when the program was initially started in California in 1941. According to NGC Penny Pines Chairman Art Loesch, $68 now covers the cost to plant approximately 350 seedlings over about one acre. Personalized certificates are issued to recognize donors or their honorees.

Connecticut’s suggestions to implement its 2009-2011 theme “Nourish the Earth – Garden with Mother Nature” include reducing the size of your lawn, using natural pest and weed controls, and establishing organic garden and lawn care practices. Pesticide use is harming children, pets and wildlife such as birds.

The documentary film “A Chemical Reaction” offers inspiration for ridding pesticides from lawns. The film was funded by Safelawns.org, a non-profit 501©(3) organization founded by Paul Tukey in 2006 to promote environmentally friendly lawn care. The 80-minute film will be shown on Saturday, March 7^th, 2 PM at Cinestudio, 300 Summit Street, Hartford 06106 on Trinity University campus. The event includes a 1 PM Mix and Mingle reception with hors d’oeuvres and wine. $10 donation is suggested. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The film ties into the New England Region Unified Project “New England Growing Naturally. Colchester, CT resident Scott Reil, who has worked with Paul Tukey to bring “A Chemical Reaction” to Connecticut, will be meeting with NER Director Kathy Thomas.

Connecticut looks forward to greeting our New England Region director on April 28^th at our Annual Meeting. Some of the NER state presidents will also be attending. The Meeting will feature a Design Program by Ellen Avellino, a newly accredited NGC Flower Show Instructor.

The closing of the 2009 gardening year for Maine, after a challenging growing season, found many of our clubs gathering a meager harvest of fall crops and preparing our landscapes for the winter ahead. Several of our clubs are celebrating anniversaries, milestones of accomplishments, and are busy with their local community projects. The GCFM support of “Golden Days” planting of bulbs will blossom next spring with 7,000 nodding daffodils.

One of the many changes for Maine this past year found all of us gathering for a statewide Fall Conference in Lewiston, ME for one packed day, rather than a two-day conference. Due to changing times, the economy, respect for our membership’s available time, expertise and support, this was a jamor step into the next generation of working with our active membership. This change, along with new communication technologies, is a challenging learning curve that finds all of us on a new collaborative adventure.

The respective Landscape Design, Gardening Study, and Flower Show Show schools were held and well received by the students attending. The NER Symposium is scheduled for this spring, and we are eager to welcome all of you to Kennebunkport, May 19-21, 2010. Our state convention “Leaving a Greener Footprint” will assemble in Ogunquit, June 8-10, when we will greet our NGC President Renee Blaschke and other dignified guests to our “beautiful plac e by the sea.”

GCFMA has joined with Massachusetts Horticultural Society to help with their portion of the spring flower show “Blooms” by doing the Design Division I “The Time of Your Life,” as part of the Boston Flower & Garden Show March 24-28 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

The Federation has also scheduled several workshops to help its clubs with their project:

--In March, a Civic Development Workshop, “Tough Plants for Tough Places: Beautifying Your Community.” Adrianna O’Sullivan will help make civic projects easier by explaining better choices in plants and plantings.

--a Flower Show workshop to give the nitty-gritty of putting a flower show together from the backroom to classification and all the other details.

Our Annual Meeting on May 26^th at the Holiday Inn in Mansfield will feature a Judges Council Standard Flower Show and focus on floral design.

We will end the year by holding our Ruth Wallack floral design lecture at Regis College. Rene van Rems, an international designer, lecturer and teacher, will delight the audience with his spectacular designs.

Diane J. McMillen, President of New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs www.nhfgc.org

New Hampshire is excited to be presenting its first statewide Standard Flower Show in over fifteen years.. “This Place is a ZOO!” will be held at the NH Audubon Center in Concord, NH. The design classes are named for animals, and the horticulture sections named for zoos around the world. Our members are planning to WOW all the visitors with their creativity and horticultural prowess. Everyone is invited to join us on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21. Further information will be available on our website or by contacting Flower Show Chairman Mary Ellen Seinkiewicz at meedsienkiewicz@netzero.net .

NHFGC will hold its 2010 Advisory Board Meeting on June 23, 2010 at the Enfield Shaker Village. Members and guests will learn about this historic site with its Great Stone Dwelling, the largest Shaker dwelling ever constructed. This was once the largest commercial seed grower in the U.S.. Horticulturalist Happy Griffith will talk about the Shaker legacy and lead a tour through the herb and flower gardens. We invite you to join us for an enjoyable learning opportunity. Contact Sandy Gove at slgove@aol.com if you would like to join us.

Our 2009 Advisory Board Meeting was held at the Great Bay Discovery Center, with our featured topic “Water, Water Everywhere.” Kyle Ball, New Hampshire’s NGC Scholarship winner, told of his summer in Peru and the condition of water quality and scarcity in that country. University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension educator Margaret Hagen presented “The Water’s Edge,” about conservation practices for preserving our lakes and waterways. Susan and Martha Zimmerman, NHFGC Water Quality and Conservation Chairmen, offered resources for learning more about conserving New Hampshire’s water.

Our members more than doubled the number of PJ’s and nature books that they collected compared to the previous year for the Pajama Program, providing warm pajamas to children in need.

We have been very busy and engaged within our communities.

Since its organization in 1930, the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs has worked diligently to encourage interaction between its clubs and nearby areas to improve the environment, beautify our surroundings, educate the public, and preserve the beauty of our state. Our garden clubs cover almost every town, village and hamlet within Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. We maintain historic gardens; have plantings around municipal buildings; have garden therapy programs with both the elderly and the youth; landscape Habitat for Humanity homes; work with the Rhode Island Tree Council to plant trees, encourage reforestation and observe Arbor Day. We also award several scholarships to college students in environmental sciences.

We are no longer the old-time garden club ladies who sit around wearing hats and gloves drinking tea. We have taken off our formal gloves and hats and rolled up our sleeves to work on problems that affect our everyday living habits. Many of these problems are the same ones that we faced and worked to improve 80 years ago.Today, however, these problems are more complex and the need more urgent.

In lieu of the need for more immediate action, we have developed a comprehensive six-year plan looking ahead at membership, growth, education and conservation. We are challenging ourselves and our clubs to grow in new directions. One of our goals is to increase the number of clubs in RIFGC by two per year for the next six years. We are asking clubs to increase our visibility within the state. Clubs are asked to share meetings with neighboring clubs and participate in a plant share program. To honor our 80^th anniversary, we have planned an Educational Day and Afternoon Tea to promote and celebrate our long history of programs, projects and achievements.

“Wyoming Wildfire!” grown by American Daylily & Perennial Company is a beautiful disease resistant Canna with red to red/orange blooms with dark purple/black foliage and a height of 3 ½ feet. It was named by the Wyoming Federation of Garden Clubs, winner of the 2008-2009 NGC Membership Contest. Cost is $14 each including shipping and handling. After April 20^th, there will be an additional shipping and handling charge. Send order with payment (and name, address, email, phone, quantity, date of order) to: American Daylily and Perennials, P.O. Box 210, Grain Valley, MO 64029. Phone: 800-770-2777.

From De Feldman and Candace Morgenstern, NGC President’s Project Co-Chairs

“Beautify Blight” has received a monetary contribution for awards to be given to the individual regions to promote community vegetable gardens throughout NGC’s eight regions and the international affiliates, the latter counting as one additional region. We hope this small incentive will encourage more clubs to participate within their communities. The award money is divided between two categories:

CATEGORY 1: “Beautify Blight”: A three-member team, composed of a garden club, a sponsored organization and a sponsored organized youth group, establishing a community vegetable garden on an unsightly piece of land. The objective is to supply soup kitchens or homeless shelter. Book of Evidence: A before and after set of photos, one or two page description of the project and those involved, and a statement about it being a one or two year endeavor. Award: A 1^st place award of $50 will be given in each of nine regions if warranted; ribbons will be awarded to 2^nd and 3^rd place winners. Deadline for Category 1 is December 15, 2010 to the regional chairperson. Entries must be sent to NGC Chairperson Jeanne T. Nelson by January 20, 2011.

Category 1 still has an additional year to complete a new community garden. Take photos and document your progress. We look forward to seeing your submissions.

CATEGORY 2: Existing “ Community Vegetable Garden,” the purpose of which has been to supply and provide for a homeless shelter and soup/church kitchen. This project has to have been place for a MINIMUM of the last three years. Book of Evidence: Garden clubs will provide photos of the progress of the project and a two-page description of how, when, where and who is involved and purpose of initiating the garden. Award: A 1^st place award of $35 will be given in each of the nine regions, if warranted; ribbons will be awarded to 2^nd and 3^rd place winners.

The New England Region is proud to have submitted entries for Category 2. These are truly worthwhile projects, and we thank all of those who have supported them and hope that you will continue your efforts to feed the hungry.

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Why do we grow gardens in containers? For some, because it gives us more places to grow than we have garden. For others, it’s to grow things we can’t grow in our dirt garden, or to have a portable garden. Whether your container garden is a gingle geranium or a grouping of large planters on your patio, the techniques for a success are the same. Growing plants in pots is always different than growing them in the ground. But it’s not where we grow plants that matters, but how we provide for their needs.

Once you decide to grow a plant in a container, you become responsible for all its needs—lights, water, food, air, and health care. In the ground, a plant’s fate is determined by the amount of sunlight it receives, rich or poor soil, bugs, diseases, and wildly changing temperatures (this is New England, after all). But not so the plant in the pot. Does it sit under a large tree getting little light or rain, or on a southern patio that is too hot and bright? Do we remember to water it regularly? Have we fed it, been award of wind and weather, watched for multi-legged invaders?

The first requirement of outdoor container gardens is the need for a container. Containers can be made of almost anything—as long as there is a drainage hole. Stones, charcoal, or anything else in the bottom of the pot cannot replace the need for water to run through and out of the po, which is how you know the soil is saturated and the plant is thoroughly watered. More importantly, this is how you insure that the roots of the plant are not sitting in waterlogged soil. Roots need oxygen in order to take in water and food. Only those plants that live underwater in ponds, swamps and oceans can survive without air in the soil.

Containers can be any material, but remember that unglazed clay dries quickly and needs more frequent watering, which is good for cacti but bad for petunias. Metal can be elegant, but it heatsup, loses water quickly, and can physically burn roots. Glazed ceramics are beautiful but fragile. Foam and plastic are lightweight and hold water, but high quality foam is expensive and plastics can break easily. Wood will in time rot. Stone or concrete are very hevy. Deciding what best suits your needs may take a little time.

When you water, follow a few simle rules. Always use tepid or room temperature water. Most annuals are tropicals and do not appreciate the chilly water that comes out of our taps. Allow chlorine in the water to evaporate before using it to water plants. Filling watering cans the night before and watering in the morning takes care of those rules. Rain is perfect for watering. Collect it during storms with a rain barrel if you can.

Take care to make certain the plant needs water before you add it. Luckily we all have the perfect tool at our disposal. It’s a finger! Push it in the pot 1 or 2 inches (deeper for larger pots). Is the soil dry or moist? If you come out with dirt on your finger, only the most water-loving plant will need water that day. Remember to watch the weather. A rainy day may relieve you of watering chores, while a heat wave will dramatically increase them.

One reason you should always choose rainwater over tap water is chlorine, which is a salt. Salts, whether from water or fertilizers, are often a cause of plants performing poorly or even dying. That’s why you should water the plant until you see water comes through the bottom. The discolored water that appears will have picked up salts and excess fertilizer on the way through. Outdoors we can allow it to run off. Never let plants sit in saucers of excess water.

Speaking of fertilizer, plants cannot tell the difference between organic and inorganic fertilizers. In the ground, inorganic fertilizers can have a negative effect on the organisms that make soil more fertile and productive. In a container, there is less reason to be concerned.

Frequent light feedings are better than occasional heavy feedings. If you use a liquid fertilizer, dilute it to one-quarter the strength recommended on the box, and then use it every time you water. There are exceptions-- slow growing plants such as cacti and those that may be multi-year occupants of the pot, such as evergreens. For those, fertilize sparingly and only in early spring and summer.

On the other hand, if you are growing annuals or plants you do not wish to keep over the winter, you will want the plants to grow and flower rapidly. Keep feeding them until the last month you think you’ll have them. You are not worried about the long-term effects because for them there is no long-term. Slow release fertilizers can be a great time saver, but remember that if you plant the pot in May, most slow release fertilizers are gone by late July. Add more or start diluted watering of those plants you wish to push throughout the summer.

Plant health starts with the container you’ve chosen. New pots should be washed in clean water before being used the first time. Previously used pots should be thoroughly scrubbed to remove any old dirt and salts and then rinsed with a 10% bleach solution before reuse. This will eliminate problems you see and potential pests that you don’t. When using clay pots, soak them in a bucket of warm water for at least one hour or better overnight, so a dry pot will not absorb all the water you add after planting.

Never ever use soil from your garden in a container. It is too heavy, and it may contain insects, their eggs or disease pathogens. There are hundreds of recipes for creating your own potting mix, but commercial potting mixes are perfectly acceptable for growing most plants. They can be adapted to specific plant needs with a little sand or perlite (for succulents) or water retention crystals such as Soil Moist for plants that prefer more consistent moisture.

Successfully selecting plants means first being realistic in assessing the environment and your needs. How much sunlight will the plants be receiving? How often will you water? Are there frequent drying winds? Is the site hotter because of heat reflected from pavement or the house, or cooler because of shade trees?

Convincing yourself that the two hours of morning sun is enough to grow a sun lover like a geranium or gallardia is the path to sure-fire frustration. The plants may grow, but they will be leggy and stingy with flowers. Similarly, a hosta in a container is no happier with full, hot sun than one in the ground in similar environment. Choose your plants for the exposures you have, not the ones you wish you had. But there is one exception. Suppose you have a party planned for midsummer and you really want containers overflowing with verbena on a shady patio. The beauty of containers is that you can grow them in the sun and move them just for the party. Plants in pots can be used for temporary effect anywhere including in beds where one or more plants didn’t live up to your dreams.

Try different plants in containers each year. The variety of annuals available is constantly expanding. But don’t stop there. Plant perennials alongside annuals. Use small trees and shrubs to create instant height or separate areas. Introduce bold colors and patterns with tropical plants that could never grow in your permanent garden.

When choosing plants, also try to combine types. Something tall, something bushy, something trailing is the standard, but not ironclad rule. Try low-growing cacti in a tall, elegant container, topiaries in Italian terracotta, or a tumble of petunias and geraniums spilling from an old wooden bucket Just be certain the container is appropriate for the location.

Let the colors of foliage or glowers make a statement. Make certain that not all the foliage looks alike. A mixture of leaf types can add to the interest. Choose a color palette and keep to it within a container or group of containers. Experiment, and try something new and different and fun!