Celebrating a Norchester Garden Club 1950 Themed Christmas

Lovely ladies of the Norchester Garden had a joyous time celebrating a 1950 Themed Christmas.  Our pictures from the 1950's were shared. We had fun identifying our youthful friends. We also made and shared a family favorite recipe, dressed in 1950's attire or wore our mother's 1950 apron.  Meda provided decorations, Cathy oversaw the hosting. We had a Christmas sock exchange. I believe that is Mrs. Santa! Everyone took home a poinsettia.  Email me if you want to know more about our club. We would love to have you come.  As you can see we have a lot of fun.

Norchester Garden Club Member Stella shares her beautiful Angel Trumpet

FOR high drama in the garden, there's nothing quite like a brugmansia in full bloom. Known as the angel's trumpet, this show-stopper has 6" to 10" blooms that dangle from sturdy branches. In one season, these shrubby, subtropical plants can easily reach 6'. A plant that's been saved from season to season will grow even taller, producing flushes of bloom that can include dozens of flowers.

If you grow the plant in a container and fertilize regularly. Because these plants are thirsty.

If you had plants planted in the ground, in the fall they can be cut back to the soil level to create multiple cuttings or can be dug up and potted to overwinter. The cut-off plants can sometimes be stored over the winter in a cool, dark room where they might produce roots and can then be potted up when they begin producing leaves the next spring.

Here is the link to our Horticulture Report on this plant
http://bit.ly/16-04Trumpets

Garden Club's Jennifer shares some of garden pictures

Mexican Butterfly Vine
 Callaeum macropterum syn. Mascagnia macroptera. 

Hailing from Baja, California and Mexico, 

this plant is also sometimes called butterfly pea vine, yellow orchid vine, or gallinita.

The tag on the pot when I bought it at The Bluebonnet House in Chappell Hill said Mexican Butterfly Vine.  

The first year we had it I kept wondering why it had the name Butterfly Vine when the flowers didn’t look at all like butterflies.

Then this year some seed pods appeared. 

It’s doing well in a pot on the north side of our house.  Gets lots of sun.

Butterflies and hummingbirds like it and the little yellow flowers are cheerful.

The seed pods which resemble butterflies first appear a chartreuse green and then turn brown.

The second photo shows the seed pods.

Clerodendrum Bungei

I think the leaves are attractive and the smell of almond. The plant can get about 6 feet.

The blooms also have a pleasant scent and the butterflies love them!  Especially the swallowtails.

The leaves wilt in the heat until you think the plant’s a goner, but I don’t think anything can kill it.

Norchester Garden Club Ladies know how to Party

What a fun Garden Party despite it being 88 degrees!  Organizers Kathleen, Jennifer, and Shirley did a great job.  Meda, who is so talented with her garden decorations, picture frame, hat contest and Butterfly presentation.

We dedicated the beautiful Butterfly Bench to Carol Westmoreland who provided the bench and has passed away recently.  The county has done a great job of securing the bench.  It is worth a look and sit at the Matzke Butterfly Garden.

Ladies shared their acquiring and making of their butterfly hats.

Carol gave a presentation on the history of Matzke Butterfly Garden.

Finally, we found a cool breezy site under some trees and enjoyed our lunch from Panera's.

The next club meeting will be at the Norchester Activity Center on November 7th on Ferns.

Garden Club Member Stella shares pictures

Our very own Norchester Garden Club member Stella has some beautiful pictures from her garden to share with us. Thank you.

Blooming Sansevieria

Blooming Clematis

Watering Issues

Watering Issues is the topic in this month's horticulture report from the Norchester Garden Club.  

You may view the two page report at this link:   http://bit.ly/19-09WateringIssues

By the way... Links to all of the past several year's monthly reports are listed 
here:   Just click on the link of the desired report....
              http://bit.ly/2ReportsMenu

Here is a sample of the latest report

Some plants are described as easy care or impossible to kill, but one can still have issues with them… “watering issues.” While it may be tempting to give your plant a ton to drink, too much water is the leading cause of early plant death. The great thing about plants, however; is that they show us early warning signs when they are not being treated properly.  This report highlights some of the warning signs of under or over watering and what you can do to avoid it.

 

Crotons looking very good this time of year

Here are a few of my Crotons.  Stay tuned as I will have to bring them inside in November. If you want more information on growing Crotons check out the Nov. 2013 Norchester Horticulture Report. http://bit.ly/13-11Crotons.