Terrific line-up of speakers at Muskogee Garden Club 2014-15

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Muskogee Garden Club meets from September through May each year with speakers coming to share their wisdom, experience and ideas on a wide range of topics.
Each meeting that has a speaker begins with coffee and snacks. The January meeting is a round-table discussion during which members and guests talk about plants, soil, houseplants and any other topic that arises.
Two meetings are purely social: The December meeting is a holiday brunch, and the May meeting is an evening picnic at Honor Heights Park.
Everyone is invited to attend the meetings and social events. Membership in Muskogee Garden Club costs $20 per year. Its Facebook page is found at this linkhttp://hort.li/1xz0
Members bring plants they have divided or are ready to pass along, plus seeds, containers, books and other plant- and flower-related items to share. There is also a raffle at each meeting, with prizes provided by the club president. Everyone signs in to enter the raffle; there is no cost.
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Here is the schedule of meetings for the 2014-15 membership year.
• Sept. 18 — Kathy Reid, owner of Pryor Creek Nursery, will speak on “Container Gardening” at the Kiwanis Senior Center, 119 Spaulding Drive. Coffee is at 9:30 a.m., a short business meeting is at 9:45 a.m. and the speaker begins at 10 a.m. Meetings end by 11 a.m. 


• Oct. 16 — Clark Shilling, Rogers County master gardener, will speaking on how we can help the environment through our gardening methods. His topic is “Support Diversity: The Importance of Native Plants.” The meeting is at the Kiwanis Senior Center, 119 Spaulding Drive. Coffee is at 9:30 a.m., and the speaker is at 10 a.m.
• Nov. 20 — Pat Gwin, the director of the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank and Native Plant Center, will share his wisdom about “Cherokee Ethnobiology: Agricultural Practices.” The meeting is at the Kiwanis Senior Center, 119 Spaulding Drive, with coffee and snacks at 9:30 a.m. and the speaker at 10 a.m.
• Jan. 15 — The “Plant Talk” Round Table Discussion at the Kiwanis Senior Center starts at 9:30 a.m. Members bring their questions, talk about their successes and failures and give tips about all things plants. It is always a lively discussion, and the time flies by.
• Feb. 19 — Andy Qualls, the director of the Muskogee County Conservation District, is one of the most knowledgeable professionals in the area who can talk about “Conservation, organic methods and cover crops in home gardens.” The meeting is at the Kiwanis Senior Center, 119 Spaulding Drive. Coffee starts at 9:30 a.m. and the speaker at 10 a.m.
• March 19 — Matthew Weatherbee, owner of Blossoms Nursery, always shares his thoughts about “What’s New” for the garden year ahead. This is an evening meeting at Blossoms Garden Center, 3012 E. Hancock St. (near York Street). Refreshments begin at 6 p.m. and the speaker at 6:30 p.m.
• April 16 — Russell Studebaker, horticulturist and garden writer, is from Texas and knows a lot about his topic, “Poke: Native Spring Greens or Garden Pariah?” This meeting is at the Kiwanis Senior Center, 119 Spaulding Drive. Coffee is at 9:30 a.m., and the speaker starts at 10 a.m.
• May 21 — Club Picnic and membership drive at 6. Members are encouraged to bring guests. The club provides fried chicken and beverages, and club members bring side dishes and desserts.
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Attending garden club meetings is a great way to learn which plants succeed in our area, find out which nurseries and seed sources to use, and how to best control insects and diseases.
Garden club members are generous with their knowledge, advice, resources and plants. In addition to the beautification of our neighborhoods, growing our own healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs is a big part of gardening.
If you would like more information, email mollyday1@gmail.com or call club President Susan Asquith at (918) 869-7401.

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