Landscape/Greenhouse Meeting Minutes for June/July 2008

Please note that we had previously decided that we would meet as a joint committee every third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM in the community room. That way anyone who is interested can plan ahead and attend. We look forward to seeing you there! P.S. No one showed up for the July meeting. The next meeting will be Wednesday, August 20, 2008.

There is no provision for planting flowers in the pots in front of each building in the contract with our landscaper. We can decide whether to pay the landscaper extra to do this or, if someone in each building is interested, they can do it themselves. We decided to pay the landscaper this time just to get it done. A decision will need to be made for future plantings. Congratulations to those buildings who have gotten creative with their flower pots!

In June, Engle replaced 15 of the low bushes in front of units 304 and 306 but by July most of them have died. Engle did not water the bushes when they were planted  which means water did not get to the roots of the plants. 

Extra hose is available outside of the greenhouse for watering. Everyone is encouraged to water the trees and bushes around their building and elsewhere  around the community. Your help is needed! We have many new trees and bushes that will not make it through the summer months if they don’t get enough water. Gator bags have been placed around the new trees to help with the watering and they can easily be filled using the hoses.

In May Don Betz got proposals from multiple contractors to replace 32 trees that had died, spreading of wood chips on the trail and restoration to grass areas in front of 307-305 and in the center plaza area. E-Landscaping was given a contract in June to replace 40-50 trees and bushes in our community. They also used existing mulch to do the trail through the preserve but needed about 30 yards of mulch to finish the job. They have met their obligation for their current contract and the check has been issued. We will contract with someone to complete mulching the trail in July.

A donation of additional woodchips for the trail through the preserve was aranged by Dave, who is working on improving the Wyndham Tollgate Preserve. We have been working with him to get all of the trails in good shape and mulched. We needed an additional 30 yeards of mulch. We may need to adjust the budget to cover the cost of mulching the trail each year now that we have a better idea of how much it will cost to do this. The previous amount was only an estimate put into place by the developer.

We need to make arrangements with the landscaper to do something with the downspouts in some locations (307 is an example) to allow the water to flow away from the building.

We decided to close the greenhouse checking account since  the bank was going to start charging us to have it. Frani Wartow, our treasurer, will keep a cash box and an accounting of our funds. Don Betz will give Frani a list of the greenhouse members and she will send out a bill for this years’ fee. Frani reports that we have $187.26 in our account.

A lawn/garden sprinkler system was installed at the entry to the property in 2005. The system was never connected to a water supply and set into service. Don Betz worked with Engle to complete the system and as of July it is working! A company is meeting with 3 board members on Friday, July 1st to demonstrate how the sprinkler system works and advise us on the maintenance of the system. Dale Russell will attempt to get a contract with them for maintaining the system which includes preparing it for the winter months.

The roundabout gardens on S. Tollgate are a TAG responsibility. Last year Engle and Wyndham Commons both paid for occasional maintenance of these circle gardens but we had decided we would not pay to have that done that any longer. One landscape company has offered to maintain the front roundabout garden since they feel it is the gateway to our community. We have also heard that the new Rite Aid might be responsible for some of the garden maintenance.

At the July Board meeting, concern was expressed about watering the newly planted trees and bushes. Lots of people have been pitching in. Ron took pictures of 2 trees that look shocked by transport and will show them to Eric so they can be replaced if necessary. There is one tree that didn’t make it which will need to be replaced. All replacements will take place in the fall. Ron Konkus brought 7 more gator bags we can use for the trees. They are stored in the greenhouse for now. He also donated 100 feet of hose.

 

Meeting Minutes for January 31, 2008

Thursday night we had a very productive half hour meeting of the greenhouse committee. Those present for the meeting were Frani Wartow, Don Betz and Ellen Ward.

1. We decided to merge the Greenhouse and Landscape committees since we share a lot of the same committee members.
2. Frani is the treasurer for the greenhouse committee and she now has ownership of the checkbook. I will ask Dale to have the bank statement sent directly to her so she can keep track of our balance.
3. The wrought iron table and chairs have been placed in the greenhouse and look great and are just the right size. Please check it out if you haven’t already done so! Don offered to paint them in the spring and Frani suggested we buy nice cushions for the seats.
4. Don also talked about moving the water faucet from its location under the shelving and up to a location that’s easier to reach. We might also consider putting a faucet through to the outside for watering trees and plants outside the greenhouse. We didn’t get enough rain last year and lost a lot of plants. We can save some in the future if we are able to water them ourselves.
5. We will be placing a notice in the next TAG newsletter inviting anyone from TAG to join the greenhouse. They would pay the startup fee like any of the Wyndham Commons residents.
6. Since we need to replace some of the trees that have died, it would be nice to replace some of them with flowering trees (dogwoods, etc) and shrubs. Don suggested if the community purchases the trees and shrubs, he and his son would be available to plant them, saving the community a lot of money. He says that Carroll Gardens has the best prices around. Frani suggested we pay someone to remove the dead trees rather than try to do it ourselves.
7. We decided to have a regularly scheduled meeting for the next 6 months so that everyone knows to plan to be there. The regular meeting will be the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM in the community room. These meetings will not be used for speakers and more general membership issues; they are for planning. Larger meetings can be planned for the general membership and people from the community where we might invite speakers or have activities.
8. We mentioned using a part of the greenhouse for starting plants for the community.
9. Agenda Building
   • What do we want to accomplish this spring
     • Do we want to start some flowers in the greenhouse for planting around Wyndham Commons? Do we want to grow tomato plants for everyone to share?
   • Plan programs 
   • How do we get money for future projects?

Current Greenhouse and Landscape Committee members are: Frani Wartow, Roxanne Brewster, Don Betz, Juanita Bellamy, Bessie Stewart, Harriet Leder, George Esposito, Ron Konkus, and Ellen Ward. Please let me know if there are any corrections

 

Seasonal & Indoor Plants – November 2007

Please Note: This information comes from the University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center.

Be careful not to over-water houseplants.  Potting soil should be allowed to dry out between watering.  Unless your indoor plants are growing under optimum, high light conditions do not fertilize them during the winter months.

If your African violet has become leggy cut the rosette off, leaving a 2-3 inch stem.  Repot into clean, moist potting soil, cover with a plastic bag sealed at the top and place the pot in diffused light.  In about six weeks, new roots will form.

You may notice spider mite problems on houseplants that spent their summer outdoors.  Apply a labeled houseplant insecticide to control spider mites.  Rinsing the dust off houseplants with tap water periodically will help reduce the incidence of spider mites. 

Monitor houseplants for mealy bug, spider mites, aphids, whitefly and thrips.  Discard any plants that are heavily infested with pests.

 

Greenhouse Notes for October 31, 2007

1) At the request of some of the Greenhouse members, we’re going to hold a demo about how the greenhouse works, how to use the hose, rolling up the blinds, etc. on Sunday, November 11, 2007. Meet in the greenhouse at 2:00 PM.

2) Please hang a sign or something to indicate your area and plants in the greenhouse. If you want other people to water for you, please indicate that on your sign.

3) As you bring plants into the greenhouse which have been sitting outside on your patios this summer, please check them for insects and othe problems. also remember that the greenhouse temperature during the colder months can get as low as 45 degrees. The greenhouse actually may NOT be the best place for some of your plants! You may need to do some research on your plant types and see what temperature ranges are appropriate.

4) Dale Russell, Tidewater Management, has provided us with copies of a DVD on how to garden in a greenhouse! If anyone would like to borrow a copy of this DVD, please let me know by sending an email request to me and (my yahoo account is ellen.ward) put “Greenhouse Video” in the subject line of your email.

5) If you see someone new using the greenhouse, take a few minutes to tell them about membership, how to sign up, that they can give their check to me (307 J Wyndham Circle), and the advantages of being a member. If they’re new residents they may not know about membership. If they are NOT members yet, they should not be using the member tools or the potting soil that were purchased with your startup fees.

6) Since we’re starting to get more plants in the greenhouse, we’re going to mark off the 2′ by 3′ sections with a painted line. Don has offered to do that for us. We may not have to stick to those limits yet but the time may be coming!

I’m looking forward to seeing you on November 11th (if not before) at the greenhouse!

Ellen

 

Building a Raised Bed

A great fall activity for anyone interested in easier, more accessible gardening is building a raised bed. The American Horticultural Therapy Association has instructions for making one of these more accessible gardens that allow an individual to garden from a seated position.

The American Horticultural Therapy Association is the only organization in the U.S. actively promoting the benefits of gardening as a therapeutic intervention. People find comfort, hope and community in sowing seeds, nurturing plants and sharing their success.

Build a Raised Bed –

 

Digging Into Retirement

NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal Employees) published an article “Digging Into Retirement” in April 2007. Among the many things mentioned it stated that for many gardeners, the satisfaction of growing plants is even more rewarding when it’s shared with others. According to the article “Retirement is one of the rewards you get after years of work. ‘Digging in’ your garden is a way of rewarding yourself every day for the rest of your life. Working with plants stimulates all of your senses, from the fragrance of a gardenia blossom to the melody of frogs singing around a garden pond. The sweet taste of strawberries picked from your own bed, the sight of an arrangement made of flowers cut from your own garden, and the feel of rich soil between your fingers are just a few of the ways you’ll be rewarded for the time you spend “digging in” during retirement.

 

Wyndham Commons Greenhouse Member Meeting Minutes for October 23, 2007

On Tuesday evening some of the members of the greenhouse met to do some more learning and planning. We now have 11 units represented in our membership. We are asking everyone to re-sign the membership agreement so that it covers some additional wording requested by our insurance representative. We collected membership checks from 4 families and those checks have been mailed to Tidewater Management who will set up the checking account for us under the name of “Wyndham Commons Greenhouse”. We still need to collect checks from 7 members.

NOTE: I purchased a bag of potting soil, a rake for the stones (thanks to George for the suggestion) and a nice large Boston Fern for the greenhouse. The Boston Fern is for everyone to enjoy in the greenhouse. Some other gardening tools were donated by Engle Builders and can be found in the potting bench cabinet. These items are for the benefit of all greenhouse members.

At the request of some of the members, we’re going to hold a demo for greenhouse members about how the greenhouse works, how to use the hose, rolling up the blinds, etc. on Sunday November 11, 2007. Meet in the greenhouse at 2:00 PM.

Members will be allocated a space of at least 2 feet by 3 feet, depending on the number of members we have. We’d like to keep some of the space available for group projects. Don talked about being able to mark off the spaces with paint. We also talked about posting your name at your area. If you’d like someone to water for you, please put up a note to that effect. At this time of year, plants in the greenhouse need to be watered every 3rd or 4th day.

Everyone copied down the address of this blog. Please feel free to comment on the posts. If you are interested in becoming an author for the greenhouse blog, please add a comment to this post to that effect and I’ll be in touch!

We’re running a “cool greenhouse”. A cool greenhouse allows us to grow plants all year round without being overly expensive. The heater will need to run during the cooler months and will keep the greenhouse at a minimum temperature of 45 degrees F. The overall benefits of a cool greenhouse are that plants are protected from wind, rain, snow, and frost. Growth is approximately 3-4 weeks ahead of “cold greenhouse” plants. The minimum temperature is just high enough to support plant growth. [Information obtained from “The Greenhouse Expert” by Dr. D. G. Hessayon.]

A handout was provided with a list of things you can do in the greenhouse in November and December. Copies are available in the greenhouse now.

We talked briefly about becoming a certified wildlife habitat. We also talked about having a bird feeder. Don mentioned that he might be able to get his son to come talk to us about local birds and some of his birding experience. [This presentation has been confirmed for November 20th at 7 PM and will be open to all residents of Wyndham Commons.  I’m hoping to get the Social Committee to help us provide refreshments and to turn this into a nice evening for our residents.]

Mrs. Darrell mentioned that she arranges bus trips and has a trip planned for March 2008 to the Philadelphia Flower Show. She’ll make this available to Wyndham Commons residents.

 

Wyndham Commons Greenhouse Committee Minutes September 11, 2007

Discussed and revised the membership agreement. The $25 start-up contribution will include the $5 yearly fee and will go towards the group purchase of soil, fertilizers, gardening equipment, bulbs, herbs, etc. This cost should easily be less than the members would pay to purchase these materials on their own. The membership agreement is now ready for submission to the board for approval.  

We’re ready for people to begin using the greenhouse now. Ellen will create a sign for the bulletin boards in each building announcing that the greenhouse is open to all and that anyone wishing to join should fill out the membership agreement and leave it for collection later. George will post the signs in each building and leave copies of the membership agreement in the greenhouse, along with a manila envelope for completed forms. This will allow us to get the contact information of all interested people and inform them of the rules we have set up for the use of the greenhouse. Someone should collect the membership forms periodically during the week. Ellen will ask Dale Russell to include in his next letter to the community that people who are interested in becoming a member of the greenhouse should bring their checkbooks to the condo meeting.

We have agreed to run what is called a “cool greenhouse”. The temperatures for a cool greenhouse can have a low of 45 degrees. Since orchids grown in a cool greenhouse require a temperature range of 50 -75 degrees, I propose that the temperature be set for that range. That will work best for other flowers, herbs and vegetables as well as orchids designed for growth in a cool greenhouse. [note that this was not discussed at the meeting but Ron asked for this information so he can set the equipment.]

Ron has agreed to purchase a bulletin board for the greenhouse. He is also going to create a drawing that will help with the allocation of spaces within the greenhouse. We will need to leave some space for projects that are being done in common for instance group planting of herbs, flowers and vegetables for common use of all members. Frani agreed to purchase a sprinkler wand for the greenhouse. 

Harriet has agreed to investigate and set up a bank account for the committee to use for the collection of membership fees and the purchase of items for the greenhouse and its members. Checks should require two signatures and the account would be set up so that all members of the committee (not the general membership) have signing ability. With the account set up, we’ll be ready to accept membership checks by the next condo meeting that is scheduled for Oct 2, 2007. Frani agreed to be the treasurer for the committee. 

We agreed that we are interested in working on some group projects. Some of the projects, like planting bulbs or flowers around the condo buildings, will possibly be in conjunction with the landscape committee.  

The next committee meeting date will be decided at the condo meeting where we can get input from new members.

 

Agenda for Meeting Sep 11, 2007

Wyndham Commons Greenhouse Committee Agenda
September 11, 2007; 7 PM in Community Room

1. Suggested “rules” for the use of the greenhouse to be submitted to the board for approval.
   • Make any necessary changes to the draft membership agreement
2. Are we ready for people to start using the greenhouse?
   • Can we use the DRAFT membership agreement until we get approval from the board?
   • If not, what do we need to do to get to that point?
   • If so, let’s pick a date for meeting with potential membership and prepare.
   • Someone make purchases and keep receipt for submission to Tidewater

   1. bulletin board
   2. stool for sitting while you work
   3. patio furniture for relaxing inside the greenhouse
   4. comfy chairs for outside the greenhouse?
   5. garbage can and bags
   6. bulbs for planting for indoor winter bloom
   7. Anything else?

   • Announcement on bulletin boards
   • Membership agreement or way of sharing our rules and of obtaining contact information for people using the greenhouse
   • Start-up fee; How do we handle the money?
3. Group projects
   • Purchase bulbs in bulk for:
     • Members to pot up for themselves for bloom this winter in their condos
     • Planting around the condo gardens
     • Planting around the greenhouse
   • Purchase perennials for planting in the greenhouse beds and/or around the condo gardens
   • Purchase orchids in bulk for those members interested in experimenting with orchids
   • Plant pots for fall display and include pumpkins after it gets cooler. Potted plants could be brought back to greenhouse for wintering over. Rotate displays each season. We could plant pots for the greenhouse only or for all buildings depending on how ambitious we are!
   • Put out a bird feeder near the greenhouse (I have a small one to donate and some feed)
   • Become a National Wildlife Foundation Certified Wildlife Habitat.
4. Pick next committee meeting date/time

 

Native Plant Sale & Nature Festival

Ladew Topiary Gardens
Sunday, September 23

Fall is planting time! Buy native Maryland plants, shrubs and trees as well as nature-inspired crafts. Experience a guided Nature Walk tour, learn about Bluebirds and participate in a Monarch butterfly release! Regular admission: Adults $10, Seniors/Students $8, Children (12 & under) $2, Members are free! 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.