November 2014
"Christmas With Amber": Amber Elliott from Amber's in New Liskeard, ON
July 2014
"Annual BBQ and Fun Auction": Home of First Vice-President, Carrie Anne Field
About 35 members and guests enjoyed a wonderful barbeque on Wednesday, July 16th at the home of First Vice President, Carrie Anne Field. Hot dogs and hamburgers were supplied by the Society (lovingly prepared by "significant other", Ron) while luscious desserts and salads were contributed by those attending. A raucous round of live auctioning followed led by auctioneer Past President, Eileen Fisher. Items were graciously donated by Directors and several members and raised over $330 to continue our work in the community. Members and guests enjoyed the many floral displays in Carrie Anne's gardens. (Photos by R. Heaslip)
June 2014
"Preparing Cut Flower Exhibits for the Flower Show: Carrie Anne Field
Carrie Anne Field demonstrated and led a discussion on preparing cut flower exhibits for show. Members had a beautiful evening in the gardens of Bonnie Warner on First St. (Click on pictures to enlarge. Photos by R. Heaslip)
May 2014
"Tower Gardening: Vertical Aeroponics": Karen Watchorn
On Wednesday, May 21, members car-pooled from the meeting place at the Anglican Church to the home of Karen Watchorn. There, Karen demonstrated how the Tower Garden continuously cycles water and nutrients through the Tower, showering the plants' roots. Tower Garden is versatile enough to grow almost any fruit or vegetable that doesn't grow on a tree (such as apples) or in the soil (like potatoes), as well as a variety of herbs and flowers.
The following is a partial list of plants that may be successfully grown in this system: Beans, broccoli, chard, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, lavender, lemon grass, mint, oregano, leafy parsley, rosemary, marigolds, sunflowers, etc.
See more ideas at TowerGarden.com or visit Karen's website at www.kwatchorn.towergarden.ca
The following is a partial list of plants that may be successfully grown in this system: Beans, broccoli, chard, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, lavender, lemon grass, mint, oregano, leafy parsley, rosemary, marigolds, sunflowers, etc.
See more ideas at TowerGarden.com or visit Karen's website at www.kwatchorn.towergarden.ca
April 2014
"What's New at Aidie Creek Gardens for 2014": Carrie Anne Field
On Wednesday, April 16, Carrie Anne Field presented a whole line-up of planters and plants that will be available at Aidie Creek Gardens this Spring.
- Many of the geraniums from the past are disappearing or have disappeared and will be replaced by new varieties such as "Caliente Coral", "Patriot Salmon", "Master Idol's Purple", "Maestro Violascious", "Rocky Mountain Deep Rose" (as well as White and Magenta) and "Calliope".
- "Santa Cruz" is a variety of begonia that is great for hanging baskets since it cascades and trails. "Dragonwing" Begonias are easy and versatile and good for hanging baskets as well; they are drought tolerant, grow large and are covered with blooms.
- A new Sweet Potato Vine has appeared this year: "Sweet Georgia Bullfrog" which is a mix of green and purple.
- "Fireworks" is a new grass that reaches 24 - 30 ", good for planters and pots in rose, purple and green.
- "Hell's Bells" is a new orange petunia and "Hell's Glow" is in the scarlet/orange colour range.
- A new rose in the Canadian Artist series is a single yellow rose called "Bill Reed". Another variety in this series, called "Campfire", has colour variations on the same shrub and is named after a painting by Tom Thompson.
- A new floribunda rose, "White Licorice", is perfumed like licorice.
March 2014
"Photographing Nature": Mike Werner
On Wednesday, March 19, Mike Werner spoke to a very interested group of horticulturalists. He used his own photos which were displayed on a large screen tv and critiqued the pictures according to lighting, focus, background, and more. He also took photos in the hall and demonstrated how changing shutter speed, aperture size, and lens can make a huge difference in a photograph.
Mike also concentrated on several main hints to help us improve our pictures. They are:
Mike also concentrated on several main hints to help us improve our pictures. They are:
- Think like a camera: our eyes have the ability to concentrate on a main subject and ignore many distracting details. A camera cannot do this, so Mike advised us to see a scene as a camera would, and make adjustments accordingly. Get rid of any distractions ahead of shooting if possible.
- Develop a sense of light awareness. Where is the light coming from? What is the light like on the subject? On the background? Is there too much shade? Is the subject backlit?
- Use tools to help adjust the light. (Mike uses a special tool called a photographic reflector to bounce light onto the subject, or into the background, depending on where he places it.) He also suggested that we can throw light onto a dark area in a scene by bouncing light off a piece of white Bristol board, or using an umbrella to produce some shade.
- Shoot from a variety of angles to avoid distractions and find the correct lighting. Perhaps changing a shot to a vertical orientation will help avoid too many distractions to the sides of the subject.
- Use a tripod. Using a tripod helps by almost giving you an extra hand to hold a reflector to aim light onto a subject. It also helps avoid camera shake.
- Try using a ‘Fill Flash’ technique. This means -try setting your flash to manual, so it will go off even in daylight. This may help fill in areas that are still in deep shadow.
- Try using a telephoto lens or set your digital to zoom to capture a subject while avoiding too much background. (Mike demonstrated this at the meeting, using his telephoto to take a photo of a flower with no distracting background.) He showed us how the telephoto lens has a much narrower angle behind the subject and how it can be changed simply by moving your body so a less distracting background is available.
- Play with the A or AV setting on your camera. The A stands for Aperture, which is the size of the opening being used to allow light in. When you adjust the aperture, you adjust the depth of field, or the amount of space you have in focus before and behind your subject. The larger the number you are using on your A setting, the smaller the opening is. Using a smaller the aperture means you should probably be using a tripod because the shutter on your camera stays open longer and any small movement will result in poor focus.
- Practice. Find a subject and practice shots changing angles, apertures, backgrounds, at different times of day, under a variety of light conditions (cloudy, sunny, etc.)
February 2014
"Free the Children - Kenya": Larissa Yantha
In February, 28 members of the Englehart and District Horticultural Society enjoyed a presentation by EHS student Larissa Yantha. Larissa spoke to the audience about her time spent in rural Kenya with the ‘Free the Children’ organization this past summer. After travelling for 42 hours from Englehart to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, Larissa and a group of 29 other students, mostly young Canadians, spent the summer months living in tents in the countryside, working on the construction of a school for young Kenyan girls. The students had only hand tools, such as pick axes and sledge hammers, which were used to construct the stone and cement foundations and walls. When not working on the school, the students worked building leadership skills, carrying water for miles, and interacting with the youth of the area. Larissa reported that she had received overwhelming support from her community in her endeavors, and plans to attend university this year, studying global studies.
If you are interested in learning more about Larissa’s experiences or about ‘Free The Children’, she asks that you contact her.
Larissa Yantha: [email protected]
If you are interested in learning more about Larissa’s experiences or about ‘Free The Children’, she asks that you contact her.
Larissa Yantha: [email protected]