Master Gardener candidate Jane Janis at July SGC meeting

The Strathmore Garden Club met on Monday, July 23rd at Maggie's home. Our guest speaker was Jane Janis who recently completed coursework toward her Master Gardening credential. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Onondaga County sponsors the Master Gardener Volunteer program which “provides training to individuals, who, in turn, use their knowledge to educate others and help to beautify the community’s public areas” (website). Jane was one of thirty participants who attended classes for three hours every Tuesday night from February to June. Once participants finish the class work, they have three years to complete 150 hrs of volunteering in order to receive their Master Gardening credentials. Coursework addresses topics such as basic botany, soils, insects, disease control, organic lawn and gardening, pruning trees and shrubs, vegetables, perennials, composting, plant pathology, house plants, annual bedding plants, wild life control, and volunteering opportunities.

Thank you Jane, for taking the time to share your gardening wisdom with us!

Save the date: Monday, August 6th at 7:00 p.m. Pam Stewart will join us to discuss composting. Bring your compost and gardening questions.

Meeting highlights:

CCE has a staffed hotline you can consult if you have questions or concerns about your garden.

Pests: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a wonderful resource for problems that drive you buggy (beneficial bugs, too).

Mulch + Compost: For $15, households can purchase a membership with the Amboy Recycling Center and get up to 6 cubic yards of compost and mulch for your garden.

Mowing: Never cut your lawn shorter than 3”. Keep your lawn mower blade sharp! Sharpen your blade at least once a season so as not to shred your grass and to use less gas.

“Drought:” If you water your lawn water at least 1” to get to the roots (about one hour of watering…you can measure by placing a cup on the grass as you water). Otherwise, too little watering produces moisture that sits on top and can promote mold growth. Watering in the morning is best.

Hydrangeas: The warm spell in March cause the plants to leaf out but was followed by cold/frost which, for some, promoted the growth of woody spikes without buds. Hydrangeas will bloom on old wood and new wood. You can remove this year’s old wood. Hydrangeas love acidic soil and adapt well.

Roses love nutrients so feed them! If you are experiencing problems with your roses you can purchase a fertilizer-pesticide combo to add to the soil rather than spray.

Ground hogs: There’s a woodchuck invasion in Strathmore! Members are exasperated by these garden devils. Find information about rules and regulations governing removal here.
Find another resource on these furry beasts here:


OCRRA