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Garden Tales Volume 7 Issue 5 December 2015 Newsletter www.pggc.org

Dear Transformers,

I just left Cookies and Conversation, a new gathering to welcome, engage and educate the newest members of our club. It was held right in the middle of our fair city at the Woman’s Club and Friendship Garden. We thank Struss Shirk for heading up the committee that planned this event, linking new members with more veteran members, in a supportive mentorship relationship. It’s another one of our endeavors in support of our theme – Together in Harmony- Learning and Growing. Leaving this gathering, I strolled down our central business district and witnessed a transformation. Build-ings, palms, street lamps, etc. were festooned with garlands, decorated wreaths, ribbons and twinkling lights. Christmas trees, large and small, have been placed and decorated on corners and in small parks. The city of Punta Gorda has been transformed, all dressed up, ready and waiting with a magical anticipation. Not unlike Santa’s elves or the Chamber of Commerce or our City workers, our Garden Club members work furiously to gather fresh greens, flowers, trees, yard trash, leaves and vines of every sort. We transform these plant materials into unique designs and creations, festive decorations for our four Holly Day Home Tour houses. The home owners, community, friends and family alike, wait with excited anticipation to expe-rience Sparkling Christmas Memories. Our team leaders, designers, Master Gardeners and, those of us that

are “just worker bees”, share in transforming each home to be toured into something special and magi-

cal, worthy of anticipation and enjoyment. For many, it has become a local tradition to tour and participate in the twenty-second PGGC Holly Days Home Tour. We will not disappoint! Don’t forget to sit back and enjoy the dynamics of each home, select your fresh poinsettia, taste a home-made cookie, and let the sparkle and wonder seep in. Take time to savor your own memories. Take a mo-ment to contact a friend. Write a note of cheer. Be present in the moment and enjoy the transformation of the season. Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday season, Pat

December Christmas Luncheon

December is a lovely holiday luncheon at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club starting at 11:00 on December 9. Make your reservation before December 5. Don’t forget to bring to the luncheon a garden related book-mark, either one (or more than one) that you make or a favorite of yours. Prizes will be awarded for best bookmarks. The bookmarks will be taken to the library where we will use them to decorate a Christmas tree. Let’s make a good showing on this effort; we want the public to see how much we love our gardens and how creative we are. Time to shine, Ladies. This is a simple task; we need your participation.

See you at the luncheon. Elaine LaWell, Program Chairman

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December 9, 2015 Luncheon Committee

Chair: Anne Simpson Elizabeth Lambert

Carol Remen Cheri Smith

Kathy Sutton Mercy Triana

Marion Wester

Celebrating you all month long

Mercy Triana 12/4 Louise DiNino 12/5 Bonnie Rehling 12/9 Carole Biggs 12/23 Connie Melton 12/25 Carol Remen 12/28 Vinita Jones 12/30 Zena Wotitzky 12/30

December Birthdays

A Merry Christmas

Luncheon

Wednesday December 9, 2015 Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club

4400 Lister St, Port Charlotte Reservation deadline December 5

Cost--$24.00

11:00 am—Gathering and fellowship 12:00 Noon—Lunch

Cash bar available

Menu Truffle Roasted ½ chicken served over bar-ley cauliflower and a pasta burrata salad

~ Open faced flank steak served

on Texas garlic toast, prosciutto-mushroom beurre rouge sauce and

mashed potatoes ~

Spanakopita -Spinach and feta pie in a phyllo served with a Greek salad

~ Rolls with butter, Coffee, tea and non

flavored iced tea ~

Dessert- Pina Colada Coconut Custard Pie

Dietary selections are available Your payment is your reservation. Please indicate menu choice on your check. Mail your check to: Anne Simpson, 911 Fran-cesca Ct. Punta Gorda, Florida 33950 be-fore December 5, 2015.

Holly Days Home Tour Sparkling Christmas Memories

December 4 – 5, 2015 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Home Tour is almost here. Everyone is busy putting the finishing touches on the homes.~Carol Moore, Home Tour Chair Tickets: Please turn in your ticket money to treasurer Karen Noonan before December 3, or on December 3 between 1-4 p.m. at Fellowship Hall. Poinsettias: You can purchase your poinsettias and drop off your baked goods all in one trip between 1-4 p.m. ~ Louise DiNino, Chair ldinino@comcast.net or 941-575-6354. Refreshments: Please bake your favorite cookies, bars, brownies, or quick breads and plan to donate at least six dozen homemade items. Please bring your baked goods to Fellowship Hall at the church on Thursday December 3rd be-tween 1 and 4 p.m. You may also deliver your baked goods Friday morning December 4th before the Home Tour begins. Should you have any questions, please contact Joyce Tilden at jltilden@comcast.net or 941 575-1568. Thank you for your help in this very important area.

Dates to Remember 12/1-7 Founder’s Day Week 12/3 Turn in ticket money, buy

poinsettias, deliver baked goods. 1-4 p.m.

12/4-5 Holly Days Home Tour 12/5 Deadline for luncheon reser-

vation 12/9 Christmas Luncheon

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New Members

Please welcome the new members that

joined at the November meeting.

Joanne Fritz 571 Macedonia Dr. PG, 33950-8005 941-639-3529 cell 908-310-7097 Email: joanne.fritz@comcast..net Kathryn Manczak 835 Via Esplanade PG, 33950-6443 954-729-4021 katdshore@aol.com Sandi Reichling 832 Calamondin Ct. N. Ft. Myers 33917-2960 239-321-3467 sandireichling@hotmail.com Deborah Poloson 2937 Indian Hollow San Antonio, TX 78261-2015 210-288-8789 dpoloson@gvtc.com Deborah is Anne Simpson’s sister and is rejoining us. Yearbook correction: Pg. 9 FFGC Head-quarters telephone number: 407-647-7016

Monthly Garden Workdays

1st Monday-History Park: Carol Moore Chair 2nd Monday-PG Library: Elaine LaWell Chair 3rd Monday-Laishley Park: Suzanne McCormick Chair 4th Monday-Woman’s Club: Carol Moore Chair We are starting at 9 a.m. for the winter months.

Inspiration, Motivation, Celebration

“There is only one real deprivation, I decided this

morning, and that is not to be able to give one’s gifts to

those one loves most.” May Sarton

In Our Thoughts and Prayers Cards Sent Struss Shirk—Get Well Pat Grulke-Sympathy Carolyn Honour-Sympathy June Walter-Thinking of you Malinda Gordy-Sunshine

Charlotte County Master Gardeners Help for your landscape

Charlotte County Extension Service offers help and sugges-tions for maintaining beautiful, healthy landscaping. If you have questions, contact a Master Gardener on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:00 to 4:00 pm by phone at 941-764-4340 or in person, 25550 Harbor View Road, Suite 3, Port Charlotte, FL 33980-2503. Bring samples of problem plants! Preferably in a baggie, especially if your problem is bugs.

Nine Principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping

Right Plant, Right Place Water Efficiently Fertilize Appropriately Mulch Attract Wildlife Manage Yard Pests Responsibly Recycle Reduce Stormwater Runoff Protect the Waterfront

Source: http://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu

Mary Yeomans, Environmental Chair

Home Tour House Chairs Cathy Russo and Lynda Cedrone along with Paula Jenkins work on decorations for the Home Tour

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Did you know that the beautiful plant

we place in our homes every December was once used as a fever cure by the Aztecs? The poinsettia, a native plant of Mexico, originated in a region near present day Taxco. The Aztecs found it blooming during the short days of win-ter and began using it for medicinal purposes and as a dye for clothing. Fortunately for us, our first US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Rob-erts Poinsett, while traveling in Taxco in 1828, saw this brilliant red leaved plant growing in the wild. So enchanted was Poinsett with this plant, that he immediately sent some home to his plantation in South Carolina. A good friend of Poinsetts, Robert Buist, a fellow botanist and plantsman, sold the plant as ' Euphorbia pul-cherrima, Willd.' (which means most beautiful Euphorbia). However the common name, poinsettia, has been used since the 1830's in honor of the man who brought them from Mexico. As the poinsettia is found to naturally bloom for only a short period of time around our shortest days at Christmas, it has become our "Christmas Poinsettia." The poinsettia, whether red, white or pink, remains one of our most popular and widespread Christmas deco-rations. How to care for your poinsettia: place your plant in bright, indirect light; water when the soil is dry to the touch, but be sure to provide adequate drainage; and if you want to extend the life of your plant, after the holi-days, use a complete houseplant fertilizer. Enjoy the season with your poinsettia! Pat Juliano, Horticulture Chair

The Christmas Poinsettia Did You Know…………..About the National

Garden Club Blue Star Marker Program?

The Blue Star Memorial Highway program began in 1945 to honor the servicemen and women of World War II by the garden club of New Jersey. It was ex-panded in 1951 when national garden club adopted the program. Today the memorial markers include all men and women who have served, are serving, or will serve in the armed forces of United States of America. Have you seen the marker located in the triangle where north and south route 41 meet? Punta Gorda Garden Club originally dedicated the Punta Gorda marker in 1969 on grounds located at the south end of the Gilchrist bridge, at that time the only bridge across the Peace River. With the construction of the new bridges the marker was moved and repainted. With time the surface deteriorated it had to be repainted. When it was repaired, with the help of the City, it was moved to its present location. Rededication of the marker was held February 2004. Hurricane Charley did some dam-age to the marker. The City repaired it, but you’ll notice another remembrance of Charley, it isn’t exactly straight. It is one of hundreds on the highways in every state of the union. If you go to this website: http://www.gardenclub.org/projects/ongoing-projects/blue-star-memorials and click on locations you can see where the markers in the United States are located.

A fragrant Native. If you love the smell of lilacs and you have room for a small tree or medium shrub, in your yard, Fiddlewood might be right for you. It can be maintained as a large bush or allowed to grow 15 feet as a tree. Its growth rate is slow to moderate but will provide you with glossy dark green leaves year round and small, delicately fragrant white flowers, spring through fall. Flowers give way to clusters of green ber-ries that turn orange and red. These flowers and ber-ries are a feast for our bees, butterflies, and birds. Fid-dlewood fits well in natural landscapes and in mixed informal gardens. Fiddlewood is generally available in native nurseries. The following links give more de-tailed information-http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu -Pat Juliano, Horticulture Chair

Fiddlewood Citharexylum fruticosum

Growing Vegetables

December is the month to plant many favor-ite vegetables, so plan to put some of the following in your garden for a high yield in months to come: Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Greens(all types), Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Lima Beans, On-ions, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Radishes, Spinach, Strawberries and Tomatoes. Mary Yeomans, Environment Chair