​On Tuesday, Sept. 28th, the Garden Club re-moved the flower baskets in DeRivera Park and adjusted the brackets to an even height.
 
A big thank you to Todd Blumensaadt for the use of his lift and to the flower basket take down crew.  The  crew,  organized  by  Kathy  Schrader,  consisted of our favorite lift driver, Bob Hilt, Tom Thanasiu  lowering  the  basket  brackets,  and  the  ground crew of Jean Hilt, Kathi and Jack Spayde, Jody  and  Bob  Frimel,  Peggy  and  John  Leopold,  Sally  Stuckey,  Art  Otermat  and  Bill  Boag.    Ev-eryone took a task and went for it and the job was completed in under 2 hours.
 
As my final article of the President of the PIB  Garden  club,  I  would  like  to  take  a  mo-ment to thank all the numerous folks that helped with  Garden  Club  projects  over  the  last  3  years.  Adopting  the  care  of  gardens  in  the  park,  fund-raising  events,  the  wonderful  monthly  programs  and  more.    Also,  thanks  to  Barb  Chrysler,  CC  Wisniewski  and  the  PIB  Yacht  Club  for  provid-ing  the  meeting  space  over  the  years.  A  special  thanks goes to the Board for the tremendous sup-port! Thank you ALL! Best wishes to next year’s President Kathry Schrader and VP Sheri Murphy!

​A Big thanks to The Goat, Anchor Inn, PIB Winery and The Getaway Inn for hosting the Garden Club Wine & Roses garden tour.  It was a beautiful day of viewing some spectacular gardens.  And, a big thanks also to Barb Hunter at The Goat, Joey Wolf at the Anchor Inn, Jody Frimel at the PIB winery and Danny Drake at the Getaway Inn for presenting information about the gardens and what it takes to make them so beautiful!
 
Wednesday, August 11th, will be the next Garden Club program, Pruning Shrubs and Dead Heading Flowers, at 5 p.m. at the PIBYC.  This will be a short talk inside, and then move outside to do hands-on instruction.  On Thursday, July 22nd and Wednesday, July 28th, members of the Garden Club participated in a Bathing Beach clean-up.  With the high water over the last few years, the beach has taken a real beating during nor’easters.  Thanks Jody Frimel for your continued work on the beach.  Also, thanks to Village Administrator Anne Auger for arranging clean ups with equipment from the mainland.
 
The last Garden Club meeting of the year will be the annual meeting and social at PI-BYC, on Wednesday, September 15th, at 5:30 p.m.  Please join us for a fun evening.

​This year’s first program of the PIB Garden Club, herb container gardens and herb pairings, was held on June 8th, with a turnout of near 30 people. Thanks to Jody Frimel for the program and the raffle items! Also, a big thanks to our new members and for the donations we received. And, as always, thank you to the Yacht Club for the use of their facility.
 
The next program will be the Put-in-Bay Garden Club’s fundraiser, Wine & Roses Tour, on Weds. July 14th, from 3 to 6 p.m.  Local businesses, The Goat, The Anchor Inn, Put in Bay Winery and The Getaway Inn will host Garden Club members and community guests.  Libations and small appetizers will be served, and each business will provide tips on how they keep their grounds and gardens looking spectacular throughout the summer season.  Attendance is limited to 30 individuals with a cost of $15 for members, $20 for non-members.  At this time there are still a few tickets left. Contact Sheri Murphy for availability @ (419) 348-0383. With limited parking at some sites, also consider sharing rides on golf carts.
 
On Wednesday, August 11th, the Garden Club program will be on Pruning and dead-heading flowers, presented by Susan Hildebrandt, at the PIBYC, at 5:00 p.m.

​On  May  18th,  an  absolutely  beautiful  island  morning,  PIB Garden Club planted 42 hanging baskets  for  the  lamp  posts  in  DeRivera  Park.    Another  team  of  volunteers  then  hung  the  baskets  by  lift  the  next day.  Thank you to all of our wonderful members for continuing to make this a successful event!  And, an especially big thank you to Mike McCabe for the use  of  his  lift  and  continued  support  of  the  Garden  Club.
 
Reminder to join us for our first GC meeting on June 9th, at 5 p.m., at the PIBYC. The topic will  be Herbs and cover container gardens and the herbs that do  well  together,  along  with  other  plants  you  can  add  for  color  and  function.  There  will  be  herb  combo  groups  available  for  sale.  More  programs  will  be  published here, or can be found on PIB YC Facebook page or our website at www.putinbaygardenclub.com.
 
Mark your calendars now for Put-in-Bay Garden Club’s  fundraiser,  Wine  &  Roses  Tour,  on  Wednesday, July 14th, from 3 to 6 p.m. Local businesses The Goat,  The  Anchor  Inn,  Put-in-Bay  Winery  and  The  Getaway Inn will graciously open their doors to host Garden Club members and community guests. Libations  and  small  appetizers  will  be  served  and  each  business  will  provide  tips  on  how  they  keep  their  grounds  and  gardens  looking  spectacular  throughout  the summer season. Attendance will be limited to 30 individuals with a cost of $15 for members, $20 for non-members.  Tickets  will  be  available  beginning  June  12th.  Contact  Sheri  Murphy  for  availability  at  (419) 348-0383.  Please consider joining us for a fun-filled afternoon...rain or shine! With limited parking at some sites, also consider sharing rides on golf carts.

The first Garden Club program for 2021 will take place at the PIB Yacht Club on June 9th at 5 p.m.  The topic will  be Herbs and cover container gardens and the herbs that do well together, along with other  plants you can add for color and function.  There will be herb combo  groups available for sale.    More  programs will be published here, or can be found on the PIBYC Facebook page or the garden club’s  website at  https://www.putinbaygar-denclub.com/  
 
Yardworks has been contracted to do spring cleanup,  mulching and feeding for the gardens in   DeRivera  Park.   We do still need some volunteer help for light maintenance of the gardens through the summer.  Please consider joining a team this summer.   Contact Jean Hilt, or any of the Garden Club officers for more information.
 
The DeRivera Park basket planting will be Tuesday May 19th.  If you can help, please reach out to Val Chornyak at 419-285-4030,  who  is  coordinating the planting, so she can get you on a team.

Just a reminder that September’s membership meeting, including the potluck, has been cancelled.   We will be   removing  the DeRivera Park hanging baskets on Thu., Oct. 15th.  Check the October Gazette, our website or Facebook page for more details.
 
As  autumn approaches, here’s a quick tip for perennial gardens.  Fall is a great time to divide and transplant  perennials.  Each division and  transplant should  be treated as a new planting, and a root booster/stimulator should be applied to boost the root system over the winter, for a strong start in the spring. Other perennials do not need to be fertilized in the fall if they are done with their blooming/growing  season.  If  they are plants still  actively  growing in the fall  such as mums, anemones, asters, these can  be  fertilized in early  fall.  Then, apply fertilizer to perennials in the early spring and early summer.

​Early July saw the end of May Fly season, and the Garden Club removal of the may fly nets that were covering the  hanging baskets in DeRivera park.  A BIG thanks to Donna D’amico, Kathy Schrader and Bob Hilt, who ran the lift.    Thanks also goes out to Mike McCabe for the use of his lift.
 
After having to cancel our July program, the Garden Club Board has decided to cancel the programs on August  13th, as well as the season-end potluck dinner, on September 10th.    The Garden club has continued the daily watering of the hanging  baskets, and the upkeep of the six  gardens around DeRivera Park.  Please consider volunteering for projects, committee chair positions, or as an officer for the 2021 season.  Contact any of the GC current officers for details.

​The  month  of  May  was  a  busy  time  gardening,  and  that  included  Put-in-Bay  Garden  Club.  Thanks  to  Val  Chornyak for chairing the DeRivera hanging baskets committee and to her teams for all their hard work. Over two to three days Dianne and Bob Smith, Doug Mehling, Jan Anteau, Kevin Nose, Pam and Ali Rudolph,  Susan Hildebrandt,  Kathy  and  Larry  Schrader  and  Jean  and  Bob  Hilt  prepped,  unloaded  plants,  planted  and  hung  the  Park baskets. A special thank you to Mike McCabe and Richard Gump, and operator Nick Frisch, for the use of their lifts to hang the baskets.  The baskets are up and although they may look a little odd, with large black net shields, these have been installed and will remain up to help combat Mayfly season.  Even though the downtown merchants and Park maintenance try to keep the lights down, the Mayflies are still a problem for our baskets.  This is a new design created and made by Kathy Schrader and Donna D’Amico. It looks like it will do the trick!
 
Stop by the corner of Hartford and Delaware (across from the Boathouse) to see the new garden on the last empty corner of DeRivera Park. This garden was designed by and installed this past November by All Seasons Maintenance.  Thanks to the Village Council for their support and donation in making this garden possible.
 
As a reminder, the PIBGC Plant Exchange will be held June 4th, outside at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club, weath-er permitting, to accommodate social distancing.  Plants will be delivered between 2 and 4 p.m. on June 4th.  Each plant contribution will be exchanged for a new one.  Unclaimed plants will be available to Garden Club members after 4:30 p.m.  For those in need of pots, stop by Susan Hildebrandt’s on the West Shore.  The pots will be stacked just off the road, at the top of the driveway.  Any ques-tions  regarding  the  Plant  Exchange,  please  call  co-chairs  Susan  Hildebrandt  at 440-409-1958 or Dianne Smith at 440-537-9597.

Happy Spring and hope all are well and safe! This has certainly been an interesting and trying spring.
 
With social distancing in mind, we have come up with a new and different format for park basket planting.  We have set the tasks up in small teams to include team to move soil, baskets, etc. to the park on Monday morning May 11th, and a team to load the baskets with liners, soil, and diapers in the evening. Then on Tuesday in the late morning, we will have a team to meet the truck in the park and unload flowers, and a team to do the actual planting in the afternoon.  The baskets will be hung at later date. If you can help, please reach out to Val Chornyak at 419-285-4030, who is coordinating the planting.
 
Because  many  folks  will  be  returning  late  from  the  south  and  other  restrictions,  we  are  looking for volunteers to help out with weeding of the gardens in DeRivera Park.  Yard works will be doing the spring clean up and laying the mulch. Please contact Jean Hilt at 419-349-5501 if you can help us with some weeding.
 
The Garden Club will not be hosting a Home and Garden Tour this year, but hope to get back on schedule in 2021. We will be having 4 monthly programs starting in June, with all meetings, times and dates subject to change. All meetings will start at 4:30, with the exception of the Plant Exchange. This will be held June 4th, outside at the PIBYC, weather permitting, to accommodate social distancing.  Plants will be delivered between 2 and 4 p.m. on June 4th, and for each plant contribution, you will choose a new one.  Unclaimed plants will be available to GC members after 5 p.m. Now is the time to dig it up, pot it up to share, so that they will recover by  and look fresh for the Exchange.  For dividing tips,  see “Three Simple ways to Divide Plants” on the Garden Gate website at gardengatemagazine.com. (link on our website putinbaygardenclub.com)  Please attach a label indicating name, size, bloom color and time, and light requirements.  (link to labels also on our website)  Any Plant Exchange questions, please contact Program Chairs Susan Hildebrandt at 440-409-1958 or Dianne Smith at 440-537-9597. 
 
We look forward to seeing and sharing with you this season!
​
6/4    Plant Exchange at PIB Yacht Club  (see details above)
7/16  Members Island Tour - start location and time TBD
8/13  Pruning Shrubs and Dead Heading Perennials – PIBYC
9/10  Final Meeting with Potluck - location TBD

As the summer is coming to a close, I’d like to give thanks to all our volunteers who watered, weeded,  planted and participated throughout the year.  And especially to the various committee chairman that get it organized!  Thanks to the Island businesses the Village Council and the DeRivera Park employees for their support.
 
Our final task for this season will be to take down the flower baskets in the park on Tuesday, October 8th at 9:00 a.m. We are already busy making plans for next year’s planting and programs, so please plan  to join us.  And consider joining our army of beautification volunteers next year.