DALTON — The Gurley-Dalton Garden Club met at the Dalton Fire Hall for their April meeting. Hostess was Lenore Winkelman.
Lenore and her husband Harold (Wink), gave each attending member a flower bulb to plant. The mystery gift was won by Sharon Cape.
A comprehensive lesson was given by Ardis Smith about companion planting in a vegetable garden; i.e., which vegetables (growing side by side) make good neighbors with each other.
Plant corn, beans, and squash in one hill. Planting these Three Sisters together would consist of corn with pole beans. The corn provides a trellis for the bean.
Plant a squash or pumpkin at the base of the corn to act as mulch to keep moisture available for the corn.
Beans like peas, radishes and cucumbers.
Cucumbers don’t mind shade. It is wise to plant radish seed with the cucumbers to protect against the Cucumber Beetle. Raccoons like cucumbers. Voles like squash and cucumbers.
Onions like tomatoes and all from the cabbage family. Plant onions throughout the garden.
Eggplant is a lure to the Colorado Beetle.
A safe way to kill the Colo. Beetle is by putting cooking oil with a little water in a shallow dish and sitting it around the eggplant.
Plant dill and marigold near tomatoes. You can plant tomatoes in the same spot every year.
Carrots like lime. They don’t like cabbage, dill or tomatoes.
Plant anything in the cabbage family with onions to get rid of rabbits. Rabbits will also shun blood meal.
Ardis also gave the hint of boiling rhubarb leaves in water and spray among roses to combat green fly and black spot. Remember that rhubarb leaves are poisonous.
Cindy Phillips gave a mini lesson on building blocks of a better vegetable garden by growing the vegetables on a trellis. This will increase the yield per square foot, while making it easier to monitor and control pests.
Bamboo teepees are sturdy and available in gardening markets, also mentioning the Three Sister planting of corn, beans and pumpkin.
Janet Waite gave the National Gardener Report. Arbor Day will be celebrated the last Friday of April.
It’s time to decide on what kind of tree and where to plant it. She also reported on the Blue Star Memorial.
The Nations Garden Clubs are responsible for organizing these gardens in 1944 to honor WWII veterans. It has now expanded to honor all Armed Forces.
Dress Down Day Money was received from the Cheyenne County Ladies Chamber. These monies will be deposited in the Garden Club’s account for use in the Gurley and the Dalton community flower gardens.
The clean up day for the community’s two flower gardens has been tabled until next month.
They also finished up things they are responsible for at the State meeting which is being held in Kimball the end of this month.
Decisions were made on the napkin fabric, and the centerpieces were made.
Favors for the banquet had been made at the March workshop.
All these items will be used at the Life Member banquet being held on Friday the 29th.
They also gathered door prizes and put together two baskets that will be auctioned off at the meeting.
Driftwood to be used for flower arranging competitions was available for those who are participating.
Several members registered for the flower arranging contest.
The next meeting will be held on May 3, the hostess is Ardis Smith.