Newsletter 05/13

The Connecticut Dahlia Society

May 2013 Newsletter

Date: Sunday, May 19, 2013
Place: Thomaston Savings Bank, 985 Watertown Avenue, Waterbury
Time: 1:00 pm, New Member’s Program: Planting, fertilizing and caring for your dahlias
      2:00 pm, Regular Business Meeting

President’s Message:

Our Root Sale had a large turnout of members eager to buy tubers to enhance their gardens. This large turnout brought an early sell out of the stock, so that we were unable to satisfy the public that came in hopes of buying at noon. Because we could not provide for the public we will need to work on a way of obtaining tubers from other sources to allow us to have enough stock to sell next year. We will begin the planning of this long before next years’ sale.

At this meeting we will continue our classes for new members and our topic for this month will be on the initial planting process to include: staking your garden so that adequate support is provided for your plants, planting, fertilizing, removing extra shoots growing from the tubers and spraying as your plants develop. It is difficult to help new members without a hands-on type of training, so if you are really interested in getting off to a good start we hope that you will come to this meeting.

Also, “welcome to our new members”! We hope that you will become active members so that we can share our knowledge for growing dahlias with you. A new membership list will be sent out to all members in June.

In addition, if anyone has any extra tubers to donate for a sale at this meeting, we will set them at an affordable price, so please bring them along.

Happy Gardening!

Donna Paternostro

Elizabeth Park Display Garden:

CDS will once again plant and maintain the dahlia display garden in Elizabeth Park for the 2013 growing season. We will be preparing and planting the garden around mid-May with the actual timing dependent on the weather. If you wish to volunteer, please contact Jesse for details prior to that date. We will work with anyone wishing to volunteer at the display garden and train on the various tasks involved with maintaining the garden during the season. Volunteers will be notified of updated garden activities via email.

Jesse Peterson, Display Garden Coordinator

In Memoriam: Sophie A. Kieffer

Sophie Kieffer, Life Member of the CDS passed away on May 7, 2013 at the age of 88, in Chemung, NY. Sophie and her husband, Art Kieffer were long time supporters of our shows. In the ‘70’s and 80’s, they traveled each year, a five hour drive from their home in Elmira, NY, to our shows with a station wagon full of prize winning dahlias. Sophie was always willing to help new exhibitors with their staging and I learned a lot from her. Sophie was an Accredited Dahlia Judge, member of the ADS and the Southern Tier Dahlia Society. Many year’s ago we honored Sophie and Art with Life Membership in the CDS in appreciation for their many years of beautifying our shows. I am honored to have known both Sophie and Art and we send our condolences to Art and his family on her passing.

Marge Schnerr

2013 Meeting Dates:

(All Meetings are at the Thomaston Bank unless otherwise noted). The programs for new members are open to any members who are interested.

(By Default the calendar below may only show dates 2 months out. If you wish to see later dates please click “Look for more”)

Marge Schnerr, Editor