November 12 Westminster Woods Community Hydroponics Garden

November 12 Westminster Woods Community Hydroponics Garden:  Master Gardener, Jerrel Powell, has taken some of the strain out of vegetable gardening.  He'll make a presentation on hydroponic gardening then take us to the Community Garden to see his state-of-the-art vertical growing system that he and residents at Westminster Woods are using to grow vegetables hydroponically.   Maps and schedule information are below.

We'll meet at the new Southwood Village Clubhouse at 10.  After the business meeting, Mr. Powell will make his presentation.  At its Visitor parking spaces are noted on the map of the Southwood clubhouse, but please allow extra time to find a space and walk to the clubhouse.  There is one handicap parking space.  Garden parking is limited, but should be sufficient if we carpool.  There is a sidewalk next to the garden for easy access.
conclusion, we'll carpool to the community gardens (1/3 of a mile away).  Click the links below to open the driving maps to the Southwood clubhouse and to the community gardens. 

• Directions to Southwood Clubhouse at Westminster Woods

• Carpool Directions to Community Gardens

Hittin' the Road October and November

We'll be taking a few field trips in October and November, and enjoying a District IV meeting, the Old Settlers Reunion, and GardenFest in between.  See the Garden Club of Switzerland's Calendar for dates and times:

October 8 Saturiwa:  We'll be visiting the award-winning tree farm, Saturiwa (Adobe PDF), owned and managed by Mike Adams.  Adams, who won the 2009 Landowner of the Year Forest Stewardship Award (Adobe PDF) from the Florida Division of Forestry, is restoring the endangered long-leaf pine to our native forests using an ecologically responsible foresting and firewise conservation management program.  With the return of this beautiful pine, other species of flora and fauna are also finding restored habitat to support their own life cycle.  See the slideshow highlighting the tour some of our club members took last year.




Mr. Adams has partnered with our garden club to reestablish native aquatic milkweed on his property.  It is hoped that the milkweed will provide sustenance to our dwindling population of monarch butterflies.  Saturiwa is not only about conservation and renewal, but also serves as an educational model.  Saturiwa is located at 2425 CR 13.  Please contact him to enjoy your own tour of this southwest St. Johns County gem!

October 10 District IV Meeting.  The meeting takes place at the Ribault Garden Club 9AM - 3PM.  There will be a presentation,“Where have all the butterflies gone?” by Jaret Daniels, PHD. Director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History, preceeded by a business meeting.  Pre-registration is required.  See the Meeting Announcement at the District IV, FFGC website.

October 17, Old Settlers Reunion - Alpine Groves Park is the scene of the annual Old Settlers Reunion from 10AM-3PM.  Join the Garden Club of Switzerland as we celebrate this historic landmark and beautiful park.  The event is free and open to the public, hosted by The Friends of Alpine Groves.

October 24, GardenFest - FFGC members are invited to register and attend this year's GardenFest at the St. Johns County Extension Center.    GardenFest is hosted by District IV, FFGC; see the Announcement page at the District IV website for details and to complete the required pre-registration form.

November 12 Westminster Woods Community Hydroponics Garden:  Master Gardener, Jerrel Powell, has taken some of the strain out of vegetable gardening.  He'll show our garden club his state-of-the-art vertical growing system that he and residents at Westminster Woods are using to grow vegetables hydroponically.    

NABA Butterfly Count 6/2

Alpine Groves Park will be the site of our first NABA Butterfly Count at the newly-established Bartram Trail Butterfly Circle.  Our garden club members and persons from the public will be able to assist the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) with its long-term data collection about butterfly species, population counts, and locations.  The data provides useful information on species that are or are becoming threatened or endangered, for science-based policy decisions, and just adds to the general store of knowledge about butterflies.  Plus it's fun and an opportunity to socialize with like-minded persons (note, this is not a kid-friendly event).  See the NABA FAQ page for more information.

If you are interested in joining us for the count, please email switzerlandgc@gmail.com for information.  The event is weather-dependent (because butterflies don't fly in the rain), so check the weather conditions in the area that morning.  To defray the costs of collecting the data NABA charges $3 per person, so please bring cash or check to The Garden Club of Switzerland.

We'll update you after the event is over!

Happy Birthday Bash for William Bartram

The Garden Club of Switzerland was well represented at the 11th Annual Bartram Bash at Alpine Groves Park on 4/18.  We had several tables of crafts for and about birds and conservation information highlighting the decline of the monarch and the need to plant native milkweed.  We were treated to a stellar performance of, "William Bartram Speaks," featuring Mike Adams, owner of Saturiwa Tree Farm  and Conservation homestead, as William Bartram and his Indian guide and friend (shown in photo along with Beverly Fleming and a member of the Friends of Alpine Groves).   The day was splendid, and the highlight of it was being able to watch our own Beverly Fleming receive the Fellow Man and Mother Earth award for 2015 from the Stetson Kennedy Foundation.  Well-deserved!  

Beverly Fleming Receiving Fellow Man and Mother Earth Award

Janet, Mickey, Linda, and Sarah represented the club and encouraged visitors to enjoy bird-friendly crafts, such as making an owl photo out of pine cone scales or decorating a grapevine wreath with nesting materials so the birds could more easily build their nests.

The tables were busy all day with enthusiastic youngsters.

















The materials used were collected out of our gardens.  Here's an example of how a chickadee used some of those materials to build her nest from leaves, lichen, moss, and adding her own touch - animal fur and down.

Mickey had made a tri-fold display describing the monarch decline that many believe qualifies it to be put on the endangered species list.  Our Monarch Committee is encouraging the growth and planting of native milkweed.  Janet got busy in the kitchen and made the cutest butterfly brownies.  Good thing I got a photo before the event started.  They didn't last long...

 

We think William Bartram would have been delighted by the celebration of his birthday, and we were proud to play a part in the Bartram Birthday Bash.

Boondogglin' & Bashin'

Come on down for our annual Boondoggle on April 9 from 10AM - noon.  This is a chance to socialize and learn about the garden club.  We have a lot of new members and we are encouraging everyone (guests and visitors included) to drop in for the meet-and-greet.  Light refreshments will be served.  We'll be planning for the upcoming Bartram Bash too.  If the weather is nice we'll be over at Alpine Groves Park enjoying the butterfly garden.  Otherwise, we'll meet at the Bartram Trail Library.  Be sure to check our website www.switzerlandgc.org for updates, and feel free to contact us at switzerlandgc@gmail.com.  And check out the weather forecast if you are making a last-minute decision.

And don't forget the Bartram Bash on 4/18 10-3PM.  Stay tuned for more details!

It's a Double-Header!

OnThursday, March 12, Tim Armstrong from EatYourYardJax (formerly called Fruit Cove Cactus and Foliage) will be joining us to talk about succulents (and about his participation in the urban gardening and green building movement).  He'll have succulents to sell too! The meeting is at 10AM in the Bartram Trail Library.  Guests welcome.

That evening at 6:30 at Rivertown's community center the Bartram Scenic and Historic Highway Group is sponsoring a talk by the Northeast Florida Public Archeology Network on Archeology along the St. Johns River.  Free and open to the public.

Both groups will have tables at the April 18th Bartram Bash in Alpine Groves Park.  Visit the park that day and meet William Bartram, enjoy live music, exhibits (including the Friends of Alpine Park), kayaking on the St. Johns, tours of the Freedom Butterfly Garden, and, of course, the park, including the historic buildings and the St. Johns River.  Free and open to the public.  Subscribe to our website and we'll send you the latest as its posted on our calendar.

Spring Blitz

Master Gardener and Garden Club of Switzerland member, Dianne Battle will be giving a class on making hypertufa garden items at the Saturday, March 7^th annual ‘Gardening Blitz- an intensive day of gardening education’.  The event will be held at the St. Johns County Extension Office. Throughout the day concurrent classes will be conducted in the agriculture center auditorium. There will also be a Master Gardener plant sale during the hours of the event. The agenda is as follows:

9-10 Wildflower gardening or History of Gardening

10-11 Starting from seed or Hydroponics

11-12 Everything Orchids or Vegetable Gardening

12-1 Lunch Break & garden tours

1-2 Rain Barrels or Attracting birds for insect control

2-3 Composting or Making Hypertufa containers

The event is open to the public and participants can attend any single lecture for $5.00 or multiple sessions (or an entire day) for $10. Lunch is on your own but snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the day. The rain barrel and composting classes are ‘make and take’ classes. You can just attend the lecture but if you want to make a unit at either class the fees are as follows: composters- large $65 or small $60, rain barrel $40. The units are made from 30 or 55 food grade drums. Registration deadline is February 27^th. Call 209-0430 to register and indicate what classes you wish to attend and whether you want to make a unit in the rain barrel or composting class.  See the County Extension Center website for their location.

Blue Star Memorial Ceremony

District IV Garden Clubs was proud to unveil a Blue Star Memorial Marker at Jacksonville National Cemetery on January 24.  The marker honors all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Almost all the garden clubs in District IV were represented, including members of our garden club, Mickey Fraser, president, and Claire Fioriti, Recording Secretary.  See the slideshow at The Times Union article.

Arbor Day and Upcoming ESS Course

Our first meeting, January 8, 10AM at the Bartram Trail Library features Master Arborist, Chuck Lippi, who will talk about maintaining trees.  This is anticipation of Florida Arbor Day on Friday January 16, when members of our club who are also Master Gardeners will be giving away up to five free tree seedlings per person in front of the library from 8:30AM until they run out.  See my article in the St. Johns Sun, "Right Tree, Right Place, the Florida-Friendly Thing to Do."

We're proud to announce that Course 1, The Living Earth, in the National Garden Club's Environmental Studies School curriculum has been approved.  Registration deadline is 2/1.

Members of our club who are serving on the planning committee will meet at the St. Johns County Extension Center on 1/21 to plan the course, which will be given 2/24-2/25 at the same location.