PILCHUCK

May Meeting:

Wayne McPherson

Presents a slide show

of his Garden

Refreshments for the Evening

If your last name begins with U thru Z, please bring treats to the meeting.

Meeting Minutes

April 3^rd 2003

Old Business

Evergreen Cemetery Plant Identification Project
Bob Overstreet described the scope of the task and asked for member participation. There are more than 100 older rhododendron plants and some trees that need to be identified. The cemetery is open during daylight hours. Bob said bloom time usually begins in late May or early June and he will inform us of the start of bloom.

He has been offered assistance with identities from people on the East Coast and in England, via the Internet. Loyd Newcomb will take digital photos of those we can’t identify for further research. A consistent labeling system will be used.

Rhododendron Show
The Show has been changed to May 16^th through May 18^th because of a scheduling problem at the Mall.

New Business
Kevin Jones brought a beautiful assortment of blooming zonal and ivy geraniums for the plant raffle. He owns the Jordan Nursery in Stanwood and sells fuchsias, geraniums and mixed annuals in hanging baskets, as well as individually.

Program
Ann Tanner presented the program about the technique of using fuchsias in bonsai. Because fuchsias are inclined to be brittle, they require pruning rather than wiring when shaping. She demonstrated the creation of a bonsai plant using a nursery-grown potted fuchsia. She brought several examples of her bonsai plants in bloom.

Ann gave some tips for those wanting to create their own fuchsia bonsai:

Select a front and back of the plant. Use a deeper container dish than for other bonsai. Strive for the upside down diamond general shape. Over-winter the plants in a greenhouse or garage window. Root prune and re-pot every 2 years. Mist with foliar fertilizer.

She shared cuttings from her collection of fuchsias.

The raffle and auction followed.

The Voice of Experience

By Loyd Newcomb

Rhododendrons are one of the easiest plants to grow in the Pacific Northwest if given half a chance and if the hardier cultivars are selected. One should be aware however, that there are certain maladies that can be devastating for rhododendrons if allowed to go unchecked.

One of the more serious is rhododendron mildew. You should act immediately to get it under control before the new foliage appears in the spring. If you haven’t time for that, you could always take the extreme method, destroy the plant and start over with a more mildew-resistant variety. Most plants have varying degrees of resistance that can be enhanced by providing good air circulation around the plant. Check with our local nurseryman, Dave Hammond for his "Clint Smith eco-safe spray" recipe.

If you prefer other measures, there is always the option of chemical warfare, although most growers prefer to try a few alternative treatments first.

Then we have serious insect problems. The rhododendron lace bug can attack a group of plants growing in a sunny location and in three years, they can be devastated. The ever present root weevil will chew notches in the leaves and its larvae chews on the root system and cambium layer of the roots and trunk. This can girdle the plant completely and cause it to die. Read more about these critters in the next newsletter. Stay tuned.

Picnic with Komo Kulshan!

On May 15^th will be the combined Komo Kulshan and Pilchuck picnic. It will take place at the home of John Atkinson and Dick Mathis, 21877 Little Mountain Rd., Mount Vernon. Dinner will be at 6 pm. Come earlier to view the garden.

Komo Kulshan Chapter will provide fried chicken. Members are asked to bring a potluck dish/salad, dessert, hot casserole, bread or anything good!

Directions: From I-5, take exit 226 (Kincaid) in Mount Vernon. For those coming from the north, turn left on Kincaid at the end of the exit and go east under the freeway and up the hill. For those coming from the south, turn right on Kincaid and go east up the hill. Kincaid turns into Broad at the curve up the hill. Follow Broad to 13th St and turn right on 13th. Go about 7 blocks to Blackburn and turn left. Go about 10 blocks (almost 1 mile) on Blackburn to a Y and take Little Mountain Rd. to the right. Follow Little Mountain Rd. for two miles. Our hosts are the 4^th driveway on the left past Lange Horse & Pony Farm. There is a post with the street number (21877). Follow the long driveway to the garden.

Calendar

April 30 – May 4	ARS Annual Rhododendron Convention in Olympia.
May 1	Chapter meeting. Program TBA
May 9 – 11	Seattle Chapter May Show at the Donald Graham Visitors Center, U. of W. Arboretum.
May 10	Pilchuck Chapter Annual Bus Tour.
May 11	Meerkerk: Mother’s Day Concert on the Lawn. Noon – 4 PM
May 15	Combined Annual Picnic with Komo Kulshan Chapter at Floral Park, Burlington, WA.
May 16-18	Pilchuck Chapter Rhododendron Show at Everett Mall.
June 5	Chapter meeting. Program TBA
July 19	Hammond's annual picnic at Humptulips.

Pilchuck Chapter Officers

Pres	Barbara Blankenship	(360) 435-8264
VP	Wayne McPherson	(360) 435-5672
Treas	Wayne Lawson	(360) 659-9218
Sec	Edna Newcomb	(360) 668-6146
Board	George Vaughn	(425) 778-0533
Board	Chuck Blankenship	(360) 474-0512
Board	Fredrick Kirby	(360) 435-9713

PILCHUCK

CHAPTER

Volume XI No. 8

American Rhododendron Society