3rd Annual MGC Plant Exchange

The Mandarin Garden Club's 3rd Annual Plant Exchange on July 20th, 2013 was a great success!  Members from all circles participated in 10 rounds of swapping plants and miscellaneous garden stuff.  Also invited were the Mandarin Demonstration Garden Master Gardeners & Jacksonville V.I.G’s (very important gardeners).  The V.I.G.’s are: 

• Linda Cunningham - local herb expert
• Linda Jones - local garden blogger of Southern Rural Route
• Janese Warner - local expert gardener
• Tatyana Vaynberg - retired from Trad’s Garden Center  

This event for MGC members and invited guests was a fantastic way to get new and interesting plants for free.  Garden books, magazines, tools, garden art, ceramic pots, etc., were also swapped.  Attendees enjoyed refreshments made with ingredients from the garden and recipes to take home (PDF available below).

For more photos from the 3rd Annual Plant Exchange, go to the Gallery.

Susan Westermann getting ready for the Plant Exchange.

Linda Jones, one of our invited guests to the 3rd Annual Plant Exchange. Linda is from Jacksonville and garden blogger of Southern Rural Route (http://SouthernRuralRoute.wordpress.com).

(L-R) Marina and Karen (MGC President) are both members of our Dogwood Circle.

These ladies are waiting in front of the plants they want to grasp when the first round of the exchange starts. Notice Sandie Ingram's hand (orange top); she's not letting anyone get her plant!

Recipes from 3rd Annual Plant Exchange

Download File

A New Leaf

The New Leaf Newsletter by the Duval County Extension office is now available for the July/August issue.  Find out what to plant, how to troubleshoot insects and diseases, upcoming programs, and more to help Jacksonville residents take care of their landscape.

MGC in the Mandarin Newsline

The Mandarin Garden Club is featured in the Mandarin Newsline's July 2013 issue!  If you're not a Mandarin resident or do not get the Mandarin Newsline in your mailbox, check out the digital edition here.

Picture source:  Mandarin Newsline July 2013 issue

Live Oak Circle - Summer Garden Pictures

While the Mandarin Garden Club is on summer hiatus to keep everyone in the gardening spirit, some of the Live Oak circle members are submitting their garden pictures and/or gardens that inspires them to Gretchen M.  All Circles are welcome to send their pictures to Gretchen via e-mail.  Pictures will be posted on the blog throughout the summer.

This post was provided by Susan W.

Hi Gretchen, 

Here are some pictures from my yard to share with the Live Oak Circle.  Good Gardening, Susan.

1.  Caladiums & ferns grow great under the shade of my giant live oak tree.  For years & years I included impatiens with the caladiums & ferns, but now they won’t grow because of the impatiens downy mildew epidemic.  I keep the invasive fern in control because it is planted in an old rusted out fire pit.  I’ts elevated just enough to keep the fern from spreading.

2.  Hydrangea, swamp hibiscus & white shrimp plant all growing under the live oak tree.  All of these were given to me by garden club members or I got them at our plant swaps.

3.  Mary C. from the Cherokee Rose Circle gave me a small rooted cutting of this outstanding red salvia a couple years ago.  It is about 5 feet tall now & never falls over.  It blooms from spring until we get freezing temperatures.  That area is also planted with black & blue salvia & pineapple sage, but the big red salvia towers over the other sage/salvias.  I have it planted so that I can see it from my kitchen sink window.  It makes doing the dishes much more pleasant when I often get to watch hummingbirds & butterflies on that big red salvia.

Good Gardening,
Susan

Live Oak Circle - Summer Garden Pictures

While the Mandarin Garden Club is on summer hiatus to keep everyone in the gardening spirit, some of the Live Oak circle members are submitting their garden pictures and/or gardens that inspires them to Gretchen M.  All Circles are welcome to send their pictures to Gretchen via e-mail.  Pictures will be posted on the blog throughout the summer.

This post was provided by Susan W.

Hi Gretchen,

Love the idea of sharing our garden pictures with our Live Oak Circle friends.  These pictures were taken in the Potager Garden at the Garden Club.  Becky B. & I tend this charming kitchen garden that provides vegetables, fruits, herbs & cutting flowers all together from one small space. Becky & I are standing behind the outstanding Alachua Red Rose, a.k.a Red Cascade.  Babies from this rose are usually available at the MGC Spring Plant Sale & Garden Festival.  I look forward to seeing pictures from other Live Oak members’ gardens.

Good Gardening, 
Susan W.

Organic Vegetable Gardening

Learn to grow delicious, nutrient-rich organic herbs and vegetables in your own backyard. Discover how to build, layer and create healthy soil without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Step-by-step techniques for planting and harvesting take the guesswork from getting the most from your garden. Month-by-month planning calendars keep your vegetables producing year round. Whether you are new to gardening or a seasoned gardener, expand your horticultural knowledge in organic fertilization and pest management and pick up the tricks and tips for creating a robust garden that thrives rather than just survives.

Call (904) 620-4200 or e-mail unfce@unf.edu for more info on this course.

Date:  Thursdays, June 27 through July 18, three sessions

Time:  6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location:  Adam W. Herbert University Center

Cost:  $79

Event information provided by Gretchen.  Photo source:  organic.about.com

Live Oak Circle - Summer Garden Pictures

While the Mandarin Garden Club is on summer hiatus to keep everyone in the gardening spirit, some of the Live Oak circle members are submitting their garden pictures and/or gardens that inspires them to Gretchen M.  All Circles are welcome to send their pictures to Gretchen via e-mail.  Pictures will be posted on the blog throughout the summer.

This post was provided by Lisa D.

From Lisa D.

My backyard is quite small and very shaded by large trees.  Through the years we learned, the expensive way, that we could not grow grass there, soooo after making our own concrete stepping stones with a mold, I planted miniature mondo grass to replace sod.  It has taken beautifully.  The orchid my husband gave me years ago for an anniversary has only bloomed  a few flowers a few times.  This year I was so excited to get 6 pairs of blooms!  Love my little frog pics.  They lived in the drip pan for months.