August-2015 Update

Hordes of Mayflies, two Nor’easters, and early algal blooms have not deterred the Garden Club from continuing its beautification efforts on the island. The flower baskets survived the onslaught of Mayflies, thanks to the efforts of John and Peggy Leopold and Jody Frimel. These brave souls climbed ladders to remove the insects from the baskets and also experimented with placing netting “cages” over the baskets to prevent the mayflies from smothering the flowers. This tactic seemed to work, and design improvements will continue for next year. If you have design suggestions or ideas to share on the matter, please contact John or Peggy Leopold at (419)285-0160.  

Storms in June and July ravaged the bathing beach, but thanks to clean-up efforts by the village and the Garden Club, the public is once again able to enjoy their picnics in view of the monument. The algae has arrived in force, however, and seems to favor that site, so we are grateful to the Village Council, who recently voted to hire an employee to remove the algae on a daily basis.  The Council also appropriated funds to rebuild the swale that was damaged in the storm.  The Garden Club wants to thank Jody Frimel, beach chairperson, for approaching the Council with regard to these issues, and for organizing Garden Club beach clean-ups throughout the summer. August cleanups are scheduled for 9 am on Saturdays, August 8th and August 22nd. Please join us for an hour of two of light clean-up work, weeding, and mulching.  We will reward you with good conversation, water, and snacks.

Garden Club meetings in June and July provided social gatherings at the Yacht Club, as well as good learning opportunities for those attending.  Master Gardeners Rosie Daniels and Susan Hildebrandt spoke on Shade Gardening Solutions in June, and Justin Chaffin, PhD from OSU Stone Lab, presented a very informative talk in July on the Lake Erie Algae Problem.  Both talks can be accessed on our website at putinbaygardenclub.com.  Thank you, Kathi Spayde, webmaster extraordinaire, for keeping us all educated and informed through the website.  

Please note a change in date for the next Garden Club meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, August 18th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Yacht Club. Jody Frimel will present an “Herb Primer” highlighting popular culinary herbs. If you have always wanted to grow an herb garden, this program will get you started!   Learn how to plant and care for your herbs; then learn how to bring their vibrant flavors into your kitchen. Enjoy a sampling of her herbal recipes at the meeting and receive a FREE herb plant. Hope to see you there!  

Please mark your calendars also for the “Behind the Scenes Tour of Cedar Point Gardens” which will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 10, at Cedar Point.  Members are asked to provide their own transportation to Sandusky and are welcome to bring guests to this private tour, led by Cedar Point landscape supervisor, Martha Beverick. Please contact a Garden Club Board member if you need help with transportation. We want to encourage everyone to take part in this very special opportunity.  

The final event of the summer will be the Garden Club’s annual meeting and pot luck dinner at the Yacht Club on September 16 at 5:30 p.m.  We look forward to seeing you soon!  

Susan Hildebrandt, Co-President, Put-in-Bay Garden Club