Editor: Mindy Delano mindyanddaisy@comcast.net

More info: www.gardenclubdearborn.org / president@gardenclubdearborn.org / Member of Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc & National Garden Clubs, Inc

Key Meeting Dates

Board Meeting on Wednesday,

March 4th @ 10:00 am at

McFadden Ross

General Meeting on Monday,

March 9th @ First Presbyterian

Church.

Noon: Carolyn Miller, Bota-

nist and Plant Recorder of

W.J. Beal Botanical Garden

Topic: Wildflowers

Hostesses: Sandy Bruce &

Elaine Trocino

Horticulture Therapy is on March 11th at 10 am at Oakwood Commons Assisted Living. The project will be led by Judy Henn.

“My soul can find no

staircase to Heaven

unless it be through

Earth’s loveliness.”

~~ Michelangelo

Garden Club of Dearborn Founded in 1915 March 2020

Garden Club Journal

President’s Message Hi Everyone! I spotted a low-growing shrub with stunning red branches along Hines Drive, and it’s been a couple years since I thought of it. I tried to identify it through other garden club members, but no clue. Then, upon our Taylor Garden Club Newsletter’s appearance in our email, the mystery was solved. Typically, there are 8 to 9 foot red twig dogwoods, but I wanted 4 small shrubs in the front porch area. I’m delighted to share this information on this newly bred shrub that has a great many qualities, including its small, multiple branching habit. Wayside Garden Catalog provides pricing and description. For today’s smaller gardens, here is Red-Twig Dogwood with more vivid color impact. Arctic Fire’s claim is due to breeding by plantsman, Michael Farrow, of Holly Hill Nursery. This dogwood’s characteristics can best be described as neat, compact, and greater branching. The fire red stems serve as bright winter interest in landscapes or containers. Another plus, is the shrub’s easy maintenance, needing far less pruning to maintain its striking shape. The red-twig is happy in sun or part shade, reaching 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with bright red stems giving the winter garden a warm red welcome. It compliments the “reds” of Christmas, and extends the Christmas season with pretty red branches. The red twigs are sought after since they make delightful holiday, floral arrangements. In spring, Arctic Fire shows off with a profusion of small, white, flat-topped bloom clusters. Later on, at summer’s end, there’s the appearance of white berries, a magnet for songbirds in the garden. During autumn, foliage turns an awesome reddish purple. Although pruning isn’t necessary, if you’d like to shape it or encourage new stems for the best winter color, make sure you prune it right after it flowers to allow buds to set for the next year. Zones 3-7 are successful sites for this shrub. We are zone 6 and qualify for ideal planting. Prices @ Wayside Garden are $23.95. If you buy in quantity, it is lower. 3+ shrubs = $20.95. See page 3 for pictures of this beauty. ~Mindy, President

Holly Berry Brunch Tips for Gifts!

Talbot’s has a 70% off sale with loads of pretty accessories, pretty

purses, and classic clothing. Pier 1 doesn’t have any more

reductions. They are still at 20% and 40% off. Rose Wiggle & her birds

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I feel taller than the trees!

The Potting Shed

By Mindy Delano

Submit mail, email, or phone info to Mindy by 20th of month! (313 565-1266) mindyanddaisy@comcast.net

“Spending time outdoors is rare nowadays” “With every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks,” said well-

known naturalist, John Muir. Sadly, research says spending time outdoors is no longer common. Modern man

stares mindlessly into a cell phone, ipad, laptop, computer, and television...often reclined. Of the devices mentioned, the cell phone allows you to exercise, reading while walking.

We are inundated with warnings about ticks, mosquitoes, sunburn and other downfalls in the big outdoors, however, on the reverse side, there’s danger in spending one’s life indoors.

If we venture out to get our “sun fix” at the beach or on a boat, we simply lay all day. Your exercise is reaching for the suntan lotion and applying in circles on your skin. Let’s get lazier still, and pop the lid and spray sunscreen on.

Weather permitting, spend time outdoors in some activity every week, such as gardening. Even as little as two hours weekly or twenty minutes each day will reap many healthful benefits.

“Being one with nature should be our motto” Gardeners have long known the advantages (physical, mental, and spiritual) of

spending time in the garden or with nature. Writers and poets, namely John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, William Blake, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning are famous for imparting wisdom of wonderful words on the benefits of being outdoors.

At risk are children who have been closed off from nature and instead, are wrapped up in “sofa surfing,” microwave meals, and structured, organized play. What ever happened to sitting in a tree, playing in mud puddles, hopscotch, catching fireflies in a jar, catching butterflies in a net, or even picking dandelions for mom?

“Better than a vitamin” Just a little time outdoors reaps major health benefits. Twenty minutes outside

is the energy equivalent of drinking a cup of coffee. Sunlight aids in pain reduction and boosts your immune system. Sunlight eases SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and helps depression. Gardeners have known all of this for as long as we’ve been playing in dirt in the garden.

But did you know that vision improves when you’re outside? Staring at devices all day leaves little time to focus upon something far away. The constant strain causes dry eye. We blink less! When outdoors, we can focus on clouds, trees, birds in flight, etc. We return to normal blinking, our eyes are hydrated, and we are feeling much better. Walking in the woods decreases blood pressure and reduces inflammation. Sunlight (vitamin D) stimulates bone growth in children & regulates the immune system Minutes outside can ward off colds, flu, & respiratory ailments

“Changing habits for more outdoor time” *Brown bag your lunch & eat outdoors *walk on your lunch break *get a hobby

like photography, bird-watching, reading in the garden *garden, plant, weed, dead-head, transplant, divide perennials, cut flowers for flower arranging *go to the park

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Happy St. Pat’s to all Garden Club Members!

12th Annual Growing Great Gardens: Saturday, March 14 8-4 pm @ Wayne Co Community College, 21000 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI Tom Bergschwenger Owner of Natural Approach Lawn & Tree “Mosquitos, Ticks, & Fleas, Oh My!” Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp of The Hoosier Gardener “Where the Wild Things Are” Eric Joy of Christensen Plant Center “Landscaping Fashion Cycles: What’s IN-What’s OUT” $60 or $75 w/lunch & learn; go register @ www.taylorconservatory.org

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HortiCulture Calendar

Here is Red-Twig Dogwood, Arctic Fire. Left is winter plant and right is summer plant.

Horticulture Therapy needs 17 soup cans each month and will be running out shortly. Please wash and save soup cans that are 10 1/2 oz. like Campbell's or other brands which use the 10 1/2 oz. size can. Bring them to Garden Club meetings and give them to Pat Knoop, Mary Bugeia, Laurine Griffin, or Judy Henn.

March Calendar at Dearborn Historical

Museum 4 Free Lecture “Haunting Metro” 14 Vintage Fashion Lecture & Afternoon Tea 1-3 pm 27 Free Lecture “Pre-Ford Landscape of Dearborn”

Birds & Branches February Workshop was attended by 7 members. At left, is Terri Bungee, who won a windchime. Christine Berryman is in background. At right is Keith Bankwitz. Fun time for all!

“Pussy Willows! Best cut flowers: Pink ‘Mt. Aso’ has “such a dense stem of flowers,” says Michael—some have 30 catkins along a space of 2 feet of stem. ‘Mt. Aso’ is a selection of the Asian species Salix chaenolmeloides, the giant pussy willow “which itself is just unbelieveable,” he adds, “and also has a lot of flowers–plus this species did well despite even in a dry year.” These start blooming in February, even in Michael’s northern Vermont location.” Michael owns Vermont Willow Nursery.

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Tips from Taunton’s Fine Gardening, passed on to you by Laurine Griffin

During spring cleaning there are things to save for future use… Clothes basket with broken rim… A broken rim on an old clothes basket makes it easy to squeeze into

an area where you are weeding, pruning or picking up sticks. It can also carry transplants.

Odds and ends of pressure-treated wood or other similar material… Make a crazy quilt path from

these odds and ends, recycle clay kitty litter around them and the clay will harden and hold the shapes

in place.

Old carpet strips Use old carpet under garden path mulch or stepping stones. Keeps path weed free.

Your favorite planter, broken… Wash, dry, glue together and bind the top tightly with 10-12 turns of

decorative twine just below the rim.

Large-bulb, outdoor Christmas lights… Keep lights strung in the garden all year. Plug them in when frost is

expected. They generate just enough heat to keep the air moving a bit and stave off frost damage.

March Birthdays Kathleen Gapa March 5 Otto Baumgart March 9 Terri Bungee March 17 Jennie Somers March 20 Eleanor Dolega March 27 Sharon Snider March 29

Gardeners ... Know The Best . . . Dirt

Local Cardiologist,

Rita Coram,

advises thirty

minutes of walking

daily for minimal

requirement for

optimal health.

“Cut out the carbs,

especially the

breads that turn to

sugar that turn to

belly fat.”

“Eat an avocado

every day...there’s

loads of vitamins

and minerals.”

We have all heard that keeping house plants has a lot of benefits. However, do you know what the benefits are and which plants do the most for us? House plants not only purify our air inside our homes but they have been mentioned in reducing stress. Caring for house plants and gardening has been proven to help lower blood pressure as well as reduce stress and helps to clean the air and adds oxygen. Following are some of the most popular houseplants that are good for you and clean the air. Peace Lily, Golden Pothos, Garden Mums,

English Ivy, Ferns, Bromliads, Philodendron, Snake Plant, Spider Plant, Bamboo, Aloe Vera

Submitted by Elena Lovelace

Clean up the air by choosing the right plants!

Zinfin Doll Hydrangea is white, and turns pick as the season marches on. PW plants are available, too.

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I began my succulent “addiction” about 3 1/2 yrs. ago. I had lost my beloved Airedale Terrier named Reagan. My grief was almost overwhelming. So to fill this big void in my life, I began collecting succulents. It has turned into one of my favorite and most rewarding hobbies. I belong to several succulent groups online, which I enjoy very much! Succulents are easy to care for, come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and most are very resilient.

In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word, “succulent,” comes from the Latin word sucks, meaning juice or sap. Submitted by Elaine Trocino

Some facts about succulents

• Succulents originate from dry, desert locations

• They get their name from their thick, sap filled leaves

• Approximately 60 different plant families contain succulents

• You can find them in just about every color of the rainbow

• Generally, succulents are pest resistant

• You can use succulent cuttings to grow new plants (which I like to do)

• Succulents are often confused for cacti...cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.

• Here’s my succulent-related art, below:

Elaine Trocino’s heartbreak leads to

happy hobby with succulents

This month is the perfect time to gather supplies to start seeds indoors for tomato, eggplant, pepper, herb and perennial flowers. Growing from seeds is inexpensive and rewarding. It also allows you more control over the growing process. Sow your seeds about six weeks before the estimated last date of frost in your area. But don’t start them too early. Outside, take advantage of any late winter mild and dry days. It is the perfect time to trim dead and diseased branches to keep trees healthy and thriving.

M A R C H T I P S

Elaine Trocino

O u r L o g o a n d a f f i l i a t i o n s

Page 6

Description: “Chocolate Mug Cake” by Cooking Classy, food blogger

Here is a simple recipe with ingredients usually on hand that makes a delish little dessert. Blogger tested recipe

15 times and arrived at the perfect chocolate fix!

Ingredients: 3 Tbsp flour, all-purpose

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 pinch baking soda

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise, Hellman’s

3 Tbsp whole milk (if using 2 or 1 %, add extra 1 tsp of

mayonnaise)

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 1. Mix dry ingredients in mug (large, at least 11 ounces) Whisk

flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda in LARGE microwaveable-safe

ceramic mug.

2. Add wet ingredients: Add in milk, vanilla, and mayo.

3. Blend, add chocolate chips: Stir well with a fork to combine,

while scraping along bottom & edges (especially bottom edges

if it’s not rounded). Sprinkle over chocolate chips.

4. Cook through microwave: heat mixture in microwave on high

power until just barely cooked through in the center, about 1

minute to 1 1/2 minutes. (1100 watt microwave, so adjust

accordingly) Let it cool for a minute or two as it will be hot.

5. Optionally top: vanilla or chocolate ice cream or whipped

cream & shaved chocolate. Or top with scoop of Nutella after

cooking; add fresh sliced strawberries or whole raspberries.

6. Be careful not to over-cook or mug cake will end up dry. No

greasing of mug. Be sure mug is large since you should have 1/3 of empty space for cake to expand.

Delicious “chocolate mug cake”