****Summer 2013****
July 1, 2013
*****
President’s
Message
June 21,
the longest day of the year, makes us realize how fleeting the summer is. Each day, imperceptibly, our days grow
shorter, our nights longer.
Our
gardens, both public and private are looking beautiful. The bandstand has an old fashioned air and the
circle is bright and color coordinated to name just two. Throughout the town and the village there are
gardens of flowers and greenery thanks to the hard work of our members.
These
are the months to invite friends to our homes to show off and enjoy the work we
have put into our gardens this spring.
Our July meeting will find us visiting members’ gardens and staying for
a coffee hour at the home of Sally Mattausch.
In
August we will visit a beautiful and very varied garden in Cold Spring,
Stonecrop, supported by private funds.
We’ll have a guided tour and a light lunch in the garden. There is a
shop with plants and garden objects as well.
As
gardeners we know how to seize the summer.
Jayne
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*****
Community
Gardens
May and June found Cornwall Garden Club members hard
at work preparing, planting and tending our community garden projects. The fruits of our labors are now evident as
flowers bloom at the Bandstand, Chadeayne Circle, Munger Cottage, Sands Ring
and on Main Street. Well done to all and
keep up with the good work.
*****
Cicadas
Cicadas, alternatively spelled as Cicala, or Cicale, are insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Cicadas are in the superfamily Cicadoidea. Their eyes are prominent and set wide apart. Cicadas are often called locusts, although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are related to grasshoppers. Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs.
They
are everywhere! Over the past 6 weeks or
so we've been subject to the constant din of cicadas. There are many different types of cicadas that emerge in different
years in different parts of the country.
The ones we are seeing this year are Magicicada Brood II, and they
emerge from May through June all along the eastern United States from Connecticut
to Virginia every 17 years. When the
soil temperature reaches 64° F one foot deep, the cicadas are warmed up enough
to emerge and become active.
Cicadas, alternatively spelled as Cicala, or Cicale, are insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Cicadas are in the superfamily Cicadoidea. Their eyes are prominent and set wide apart. Cicadas are often called locusts, although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are related to grasshoppers. Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs.
Cicadas
are harmless to humans and do not bite or sting. They may mistake a person's arm for a tree or
plant limb and attempt to feed. Cicadas
have a long proboscis that they insert into plant stems in order to feed on the
tree's sap. Cicadas can cause damage to
several cultivated crops, shrubs, and trees, mainly in the form of scarring
left on tree branches when the females lay their eggs deep in branches. So you may see the tips of some tree branches
that have recently turned brown. This
would be due to the cicadas; but, unless the tree was already weakened, should
not be significant enough to cause serious harm.
You
may have noticed birds regaling on the cicadas - a tasty treat high in
protein. Many peoples around the world
regularly eat cicadas. They are known to
have been eaten in Ancient Greece as well as China, Malaysia, Burma, parts of
Latin America, and the Congo. Female
cicadas are prized for being meatier.
Not surprisingly, shells of cicadas are used in Chinese Traditional
Medicine.
Eye
Color - Most 17 year cicadas have red eyes, but they can also have white, gray,
blue, yellow, brown, or multi-colored eyes.
There
are 13 year cicadas too! Magicicada
tredecim, Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada
tredecula. Broods XIX, XXII and XXIII
feature these cicadas.
They’ll
land on you if you’re using a power tool or lawn mower. Cicadas think the sounds made by power tools
and lawn maintenance equipment are made by other cicadas. They get confused and will land on the people
using the equipment. Pro tip: cut your
lawn in the early morning or near dusk when the cicadas are less active.
Cicadas
have five eyes - Cicadas have two, obvious, large, compound eyes, and three
ocelli. Ocelli are three jewel-like eyes
situated between the two main, compound eyes.
We believe ocelli are used to detect light and darkness. Ocelli means little eyes in Latin.
Animals
eat them. Dogs will gorge themselves
until they choke. Squirrels will eat
them like corn on the cob. Wild turkeys
will grow fat and juicy on the cicada feast.
Fish go crazy for them too - you can use them as bait, or use lures that
mimic them.
Cicadas
“eat” tree fluids. Cicadas don’t eat
solid foods — instead they use their slender, straw-like mouth parts to drink
tree fluids.
Cicadas
pee: Yes cicadas pee, so wear a hat when
walking under trees. People call it
“honey dew” or “cicada rain."
That
cicada sound: Only male cicadas make the
sound they’re famous for. Males have
organs on their abdomen called tymbals.
Muscles pop the tymbals in and out, which creates the sound we
hear. Males make different calls for
different reasons, and each species has a unique sound. Females can make sound too — they flick their
wings to respond to males.
There
are billions of them: there are literally billions of 17 year cicadas. Why? One theory suggests that the large
number of cicadas overwhelms predators, so predators are never able to eat them
all, and many always survive to mate.
This is a survival strategy called “predator satiation.”
They
damage wimpy trees: The biggest concern
about 17 year cicadas is their potential to damage young trees. The truth is they will damage limbs on the
weakest of trees. You can try hosing
them off with water, placing insect barrier tape around the trunk of the trees,
or picking them off like grapes. Cicadas
actually benefit the health of trees by aerating the soil around the roots, and
trimming the weak or damaged limbs.
Stragglers:
Periodical cicadas that emerge in years before they are supposed to emerge are
called stragglers.
Seventeen
and thirteen are prime numbers.
Scientists speculate that one reason why these cicadas emerge in 17 or
13 year cycles is because those are prime numbers. The fact that 17 and13 are relatively large*
prime numbers makes it difficult for predators to synchronize with them. (*Relative to the average lifespan of an
animal.) Annual cicadas (cicadas that
arrive every year) often have wasps specialized to prey on them; periodical
cicadas have no such wasp because no wasp synchs with it.
They
use their color to warm up: Cicadas need
to be warm to sing and fly around, but they’re cold blooded. Their dark exterior absorbs the heat of the
sun, which helps to warm them up.
Seventeen
and thirteen year broods co-emerge every 221 years. Cicada broods usually don’t overlap
geographically, and it is very rare when they emerge in the same year. The next time Brood II (the brood emerging
this year) will co-emerge with another brood will be in 2115 when it co-emerges
with Brood XIX.
Elizabeth
Heath
*****
A Summer Road
Trip Idea
As
summer comes, road trips are often a less exciting part of the vacation
process. Highway rest stops are
particularly uninspiring. When I have
time on my side, I try to time my stops for more pleasant resting points with
easy highway access and more inspiring views.
Heading East on Route 84, Elizabeth Park, in
Hartford, is just 1.5 hours from home and is the oldest rose garden in the
country. It also has a lovely tulip
garden, a shade garden, a little café, a peaceful pond and a scenic view over
the city. For a 10 minute break or an
hour’s rest, it’s a great alternative to the side of the highway.
Directions are simple: exit 44 off Route 84 toward Prospect Avenue. Take a slight left onto Caya Avenue and then the 1st left onto Prospect. It is about .4 miles past Fern Street. .http://www.elizabethpark.org/ http://westhartford.patch.com/listings/elizabeth-park-3
   |
Directions:
Route 84 West to 81S. Moosic Street exit
exit 184. Turn right onto Moosic, right
onto Harrison, and right onto Mulberry.
The entrance is at Mulberry and Arthur Avenues. http://www.nayaugpark.org/ http://www.scrantonpa.gov/nayaug_park.html
Dawn
Vacek
*****
District
X News
District X, Federated Garden Clubs of New York
State, Inc., held its annual Spring Board Meeting and Luncheon on April
10. The event was held at the West Hills
Country Club in Middletown and was sponsored by the Community Garden Club of
Pine Bush.
The day began with the annual district meeting that
was followed by the luncheon. District X
was honored to have FGCNYS president Gail McGee (above left with Margaret Vatter and Sally Mattausch) conduct the installation of
officers for 2013-2015. Cornwall Garden
Club member Michele Farr is one of the new assistant directors. State treasurer Charlotte Spiers also
attended.
*****
April
Meeting
For our April meeting, Barbara Wexler-Hall, Master
Gardener and Cornwall Garden Club member, presented a program on spring
bulbs. Barbara explained the different
categories of bulbs and showed us examples of each along with planting
instructions and growing tips.
With daffodils becoming such an important part of our
gardens because of their deer resistance, her advice on daffodils was
especially interesting. Barbara said daffodils
should be deadheaded, and the entire flower stalk back to the base of the plant
should be removed. She also reminded us
that daffodil foliage should be allowed to ripen until it yellows. The leaves should not be braided or tied up
in any way. This allows the bulb to
store the maximum amount of energy for next year’s bloom.
Barbara concluded her presentation with slides taken
during her trip to the fabulous Keukenhof Bulb Gardens in the Netherlands. All attending were inspired by the fantastic
displays and the amazing fields of blooming bulbs.
The meeting included horticultural talks on kale and
air cleansing plants for the home and hellebore and daffodil exhibits by
several members. It ended with our April
business meeting.
*****
Arbor Day
Club
members and local community residents met at the Sands Ring Homestead on
Friday, April 29, to commemorate Arbor Day.
A hardworking crew from Randazzo's Landscaping and Nursery added the
final shovels of dirt to plant a beautiful magnolia tree.
The
tree is positioned on a slight knoll to the left of the Homestead and will be
highly visible to those driving along Hudson and Main Streets. In years to come, it will be a colorful
addition to the Cornwall spring landscape.
*****
Annual
Plant Sale
May 9 found us gathered at the Sands Ring Homestead
to prepare for our annual plant sale the next day. This year we stored our Friday plant
deliveries in a tent and on the porches of the Homestead, because of concerns
regarding the structural safety of the building. Fortunately we were able to use the kitchen,
bathroom, office and the general store areas.
The weather was threatening on the morning of the
sale, but the rains held off until the afternoon; and we were able to get
everything cleaned up before the downpour came.
Even with the marginal weather, we had a good community turnout and met
our financial goals. Club members and
guests met that evening at Beverly Abraham’s house for a celebratory pizza
party. Thanks to all for a successful
2013 Plant Sale.
*****
June
Meeting
Our June 6 meeting was open to the public as part of
the observances for National Garden Week.
Noted local photographer Tom Doyle spoke on “The Art of Garden
Photography.” Tom provided us with some
basic principles about image composition and the use of light in our
photographs. We learned about the
importance of having a focal point and the guideline of thirds.
A highlight of the presentation was Tom’s use of his own photographs to illustrate his points. We saw beautiful images of the Hudson River and other area sights.
A highlight of the presentation was Tom’s use of his own photographs to illustrate his points. We saw beautiful images of the Hudson River and other area sights.
The meeting included designs by club members using
the theme of “Art in Bloom.” Designers
used a work of art as inspiration for an exhibit. The designs were varied, with all creating
their own works of art. A brief business meeting concluded the evening’s
events.
*****
Upcoming Events
Mark
your calendar for the following Cornwall Garden Club events:
Thursday,
July 25
– July meeting. “Walking Tour of Members
Gardens.” Meet at the Quaker Avenue
Shopping Center parking lot at 6:00 p.m.
We will carpool for a tour of three members’ gardens, each highlighting
a different style of gardening. The
evening’s activities will conclude with light refreshments and a short business
meeting.
Thursday,
August 22
– August meeting. “Harvesting
Inspiration from the Stonecrop Gardens, Cold Spring, N.Y.” Club member will meet at the Cornwall Plaza
Shopping Center at 10 a.m. to carpool.
Entrance fee is $10 per person.
Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after our tour of the gardens by one of
the garden’s horticulturalists. Please
RSVP to Jayne Petersen.
Wednesday,
September 18
– September meeting. “Designs from the
Gardens’ Bounty.” Learn how to improve
your floral designs. National Flower
Club Flower Show judge Lynn Arnold will design several arrangements to
demonstrate the elements and principles of design. Munger
Cottage at 6:30 p.m.
And
for long range planning: The 2014 Annual Plant Sale will be on Saturday, May
10, 2014.
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