September Update

 The Purple Martins have flown the coop and the crickets are cricketing, so it seems that fall is on its way.  But the season still has a few highlights and the Garden Club has many people to thank for the wonderful summer we shared!

The Garden Club raffle for a free garden consultation was won by Jean and Bob Hilt and Christie Ontko Fulton. Their gardens were the focus of our August meeting when Garden Expert Jody Frimel and her team presented design recommendations, as well as solutions to pest or disease problems on each property.  Meeting attendees were able to ask questions as well, so this was a wonderful learning experience for all who attended. Thank you so much, Jean and Bob and Christie, for opening your lovely gardens to us!

We would also like to thank Jen and Todd Blumensaadt for gifting the Garden Club the proceeds from the Soup and Wine-Tasting party held recently at The Fish Bowl.  There are so many ways that so many people have helped the Garden Club this year and we are so grateful for each individual. Please see the thank you page on our website, as well as the ad in this month’s Gazette entitled “It Takes a Village”. What a privilege it is to be a part of this great village.

Please join us on Thursday, September 11, for our annual meeting which will be held at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club at 5:30 p.m.  After the meeting, attendees will join Dustin Heineman at one of the Heineman’s  vineyards for an educational talk on grape growing and harvesting on the island.  The October program will focus on Monarch butterflies and their annual migration.

We invite you to go online to the “Contact Us” page of our website and fill out our Garden Club Survey. We sincerely desire your input regarding programs and beautification projects, as well as your preference for how you would like to become more involved in the Club’s efforts.  Kathi Spayde, our incredibly talented web master, continues to update the page daily and to post pictures of all Garden Club events.  The web address is putinbaygardenclub.com.

Beach clean-ups will continue on Thursday mornings from 10 to 12 through the end of September.  Come enjoy the comradery and see what a beautiful spot has been created as a result of these weekly efforts.  If you have time to water the plants in the park, please contact Peggy Leopold at (419) 285-0160 to volunteer.  Free coffee and goodies at the Bakery will be your reward!

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer.  September is a great month to plant bulbs and to divide and plant perennials.  If you have tomato plants growing, cut off the tops of the plants to prevent more fruit production. This will divert the energy to those already formed green tomatoes, which still may have time to ripen.  Enjoy the asters and sedum which are just beginning to bloom, as well as the Monarchs and the Hummingbirds now in our gardens.  Hope to see you at our next Garden Club function!

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