President's
Newsletter
By Bev Youngs
Sault
Area Garden Club
April
2005
April
showers bring May flowers ...... and a new logo for the Sault
Area Garden Club.
Lupine
(Lupinus perennis), Leguminosae Family (pea or bean)
In
the Language of Flowers, lupine symbolizes "Imagination".
From
Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan Armitage:
Flowers more perfect than those of the lupine hybrids are
difficult to imagine. One of my most vivid memories is the Lupine
Garden at Chatsworth House, England. Great drifts of orange, blue,
white and purple assailed my senses as I neared the walled garden.
As each flower took shape, nowhere could I look without sucking
in my breath in utter delight.
From
Wildflowers of Michigan Field Guide by Stan Tekiela:
Stan's Notes: These pea-like flowers open under the weight
of an insect, revealing horned-shaped stamens that deposit pollen
on the visitor. This is the only host plant for the Karner Blue
butterfly caterpillar, a threatened species in Michigan.
From
Garden Flower Folklore by Laura C. Martin:
Because lupines originally grew in such poor soil, ancient
people believed that lupines destroyed the nutrients in the soil,
or "wolfed" them down. For this reason, they named the
plant after lupus, the wolf. Another common name is wolf‚s
bean. The shape of the blossoms suggested other names such as
old maid‚s bonnet or blue bonnet. Actually, like other members
of the bean family, lupines add nitrogen to the soil. Early Romans
and Egyptians used the plant for fertilizing the soil and as food
for themselves and their cattle. The seeds have been found to
contain a protein content 35 to 40 percent higher than that of
peas or beans and have a very low oil content. People in many
Mediterranean countries have eaten the seeds for centuries, soaking
them to remove the bitterness and then boiling them to a mush.
During Roman times the flat seeds were used in the theater as
stage money.
Also
in April:
Earth Day - April 22nd 2005 is the 35th celebration of
a day in honor of our blue planet. Remember to Recycle-Reuse-Reduce.
Arbor Day - April 29th is National Arbor Day. This event
was founded in 1872 and is celebrated the last Friday in April.
I wonder how many trees have been planted in the last 133 years
to honor this day?
The return of the soil tester - After it's winter rest, our soil
tester will be making an appearance at the April meeting ready
to visit your garden. Please put your name on the sign-up sheet
and keep the sheet with the tester as it moves along.
Coming in May:
The next regular meeting of the Sault Area Garden Club will be
May 16th, 7:00 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church. The Board will
meet at 6:00 p.m. This is the meeting we've all been waiting for
- the plant exchange! Bring in potted divisions of your perennials,
seedlings or even houseplants. For the first three rounds, members
who bring in plants will draw numbers and go in small groups to
choose from all the offerings. After that, everyone is welcome
to draw a number and join in the rounds of selection. It is great
fun and a sure way to add some new and different plants to your
garden. Please remember to add a label to your plants. It's not
as much fun as guessing, but speeds things up.
While the plant exchange is going on, there will be a wildflower
discussion. Bring in a picture of a wildflower and information
about its habitat. This is in preparation for our Wildflower Walk
with Dr. Steve Furr on May 21st. More information on that will
be presented at the meeting. Hostesses for May are Nancy Fenlon
and Kate Marshall. Raffle donations are from Carol Askwith.
Happy digging in the Earth!
