I always look forward to my lace leaf maple producing spectacular fall colors of yellows speckled with reds. Despite the chillier temperatures and a few torrential rains, we’ve had a few nice sunny days to enjoy the changes in our gardens and complete some necessary tasks before winter. Here’s a few tasks that I’m currently working on…

Plant those bulbs! It’s your last chance to get them in the ground in order to enjoy those spring flowers. This year, I planted a few varieties of fritillaria in deer territory and a light pink variety of tulip named ‘Dreamy’ behind the protection of my fence. Of course, I planted my five ‘Dutch Master’ daffodil bulbs in support of Project Blossom. I hope you all had a chance to pick your bulbs up and find them the perfect place in your garden as well!

Empty out your clay pots to avoid tears and cracking during winter. Additionally, bring inside any ceramic planters that are not rated cold hearty. Moreover, time to get all those plastic pots cleaned, sterilized and organized so you can use them again and again over the years. It won’t be long until I begin seed starting!

MULCH! Take the time to protect your garden. Mulch is so important to help insulate roots, retain moisture and keep down the weeds.

Wander through your garden. While strolling, contemplate areas in need of interest and consider incorporating plants that bloom during all times of the year. Help those pollinators that need food year-round. Typically, our falls begin quite mild, and it has been this year so if you’re quick, you can still divide and plant many things before winter sets in.

For dahlia lovers, it’s time to think about whether to lift them or not. More and more folks I talk with are leaving them in the ground, but I find the size of the mound of tubers overwhelming so I just get to it. There are many ways to preserve your dahlia bulbs. I generally follow Floret’s sage advice; Use a pitchfork to lift each tuber clump, wash the mud away thoroughly, identify the “eyes” and carefully cut each tuber away from the stem. Don’t forget to label varieties, dry them for a day, and then store in “lasagna” fashion in a bed of coco coir. I am always amazed at the size of the tubers I uncover. I’ve tried many mediums to store but coco coir continues to be my favorite and is also sustainable.

Lastly, check out your bookshelf! Do you have any gardening books or magazines that you’ve been pining to read? Now’s the time to dive in. Take advantage of those stormy and chilly days, pour a cup of tea and give yourself the gift of knowledge and inspiration.

Lots to do! Wishing you all a very nice Thanksgiving holiday. I am so grateful for all of you and this amazing club of ours!

Laura

Orcas Island Garden Club

presents

Russel Barsh

Native Bees and Hoverflies in Our Gardens

at the Orcas Center

Will you be the lucky door prize winner at our November 13th meeting at the Orcas Center?!

Join us and other community members to watch the presentation and find out!

Home Composting Class

Be part of the solution and join the Orcas Island Exchange by signing up for a home composting class! Prevent climate changing methane at the landfill. Compost your kitchen, yard, and garden waste at home to enrich our soils!

Join the Exchange on one of the following dates:

• Friday, November 15th from 5 – 6:30 pm or
• Sunday, November 17th from 2 – 3:30 pm

Learn how to compost at home using a clean, varmint-free compost bin. Everyone who purchases a ticket will go home with their own FreeGarden EARTH composter bin (limited to one per household).

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

by Helen Huber

It was Thanksgiving in the early 1960s, and the last thing my mother wanted as she prepped and cooked our holiday feast were her helpful husband and children underfoot. And so, for many years, my sister and I were whisked off to Manhattan for a brief get-away with Dad. Our dad was a children’s clothing sales representative, a very important job! He carried five lines of children’s clothing manufacturers in all five boroughs of New York City. One of the lines was Jewel Togs, outdoor wear including coats, jackets, and snowsuits for babies and young children. The clothing was designed and manufactured in the Garment District of New York, centrally located in midtown Manhattan. Jewel Togs also happened to be located along the parade route for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Project Blossom Status:

Un-BUD-lievable Success!

A huge Thank You to everyone who supported our citizen science project, Project Blossom. We truly could not have done it without you!

Read on to check out some pictures from the event, accomplishments from the community, and words of appreciation from volunteers and leaders.

Robin's Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Yum! Give Robin's Chocolate Banana Bread recipe a try and let us know what you think!

Mason Bee Cocoon Fun Continues

by Perri Gibbons

After attending the OIGC Mason Bee Workshop, I wanted to share what I learned with my grandson.

First, we gathered the supplies. Next, we opened the tubes and harvested the cocoons. Then, we washed the cocoons. Finally, we put them to bed in a cool place.

Sleep well until spring!

"When we tug at a single thing in nature,

we find it attached to the rest of the world."



John Muir

Summer Memories and Stump Planters: How We're Growing (and Rocking) Our Orcas Garden

by Suzette Lamb

Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday we were happily planting, weeding, and tending our summer gardens? Granted, we’ve only fired up our woodstove twice at the time of this writing (late October) but the warm sunny days seem a distant memory. So I had to peruse photos from July and August to find the illustrations for this column which continues to chronicle our adventures in novice gardening. This was our fourth summer as Orcas residents and each year we’ve found new places on the property to add our own touches, take advantage of great light, and try our hands with new plants and gardening ideas.

Welcome to our nature studio where each month, the Orcas Island Garden Club will feature a different artist who has created diverse, beautiful artwork.

This month, we are featuring Suzanne Lamb!

November Works of Art

About the Artist: Suzanne (or Sue) Subrin Lamb has lived on Orcas Island since 2000. She received her BA in art at San Jose State College in 1964. She has never stopped learning new skills from painting workshops, plein air painting and studio painting.

Secret Garden

"Painting an apple on a tree brings many surprises. Leaves with shadows, light rays and changing colors create an impressionist painting. Light rays become magical ferries. Little creatures hide amongst the foliage." Sue

Pinch Pot Hanging Planter

Sue enjoys creating delightful little hanging planters out of clay to display hanging plants. They greet you by her front door in a whimsical welcome.

Trillium

"I visited Barbara Trunke’s garden many years ago. She gifted me a trillium plant. I planted it in my garden. It established deep roots. Every summer the beautiful trillium blooms and I remember Barbara." Sue

Do you want to showcase your creative side? Is there someone in your life who has expressed great passion with art, nature, or gardening? We would love to showcase these talents in our newsletter!

Welcome to our brand new series of garden travels. Each month we will feature a garden visit shared by our garden club members. Walk with them as they discover hidden gems and get inspired to visit these treasured places.

This month, we are visiting London!

My Visit to the Kew Gardens

by Kate Yturri

In April of 2024, my husband and I met our son in London. We all three took a tour boat along the Thames to the Kew Gardens, which I would highly recommend for the many interesting cityscapes from the river and the stories the captain shared about them. We wandered through all the different gardens and were awed by almost everything, but especially the wild, natural vibe of many of the gardens and the conservation that was happening throughout the garden.

Dunvegan Castle Formal Garden Isle of Skye

OIGC Member: Nancy Shafer

by Laura Walker

Have you had a chance to meet Nancy Schafer? Just look for a member with a beaming smile, vibrant personality and most definitely dirt under her nails. It’s no secret that she enjoys playing with worms. In fact, she’s experimenting with eleven different worm bins and several compost bins right now and she’s quite passionate about it.

The History of the OIGC Logo

As you examine the Orcas Island Garden Club (shown left), what can you make out? Local graphic designer at Huberdesignwerks and club volunteer, Paul Huber, is the hidden hero and creator of the logo.

Continue reading to learn how the logo transpired!

Witch Hazel as Fall Color

by Laura Walker

Need some fall inspiration for your garden? Look no further than Witch Hazel. Read on to learn about the care that goes into growing these beautiful, sweet smelling, flowering shrubs!

Pumpkin Regatta

by Helen Huber

We can’t grow giant pumpkins here on Orcas Island. But we, along with thousands of others nationwide, can enjoy seeing them used in unexpected ways, in this case as boat-worthy “vehicles” for an end-of-season paddle of giant pumpkins.

Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds, and Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving

Author Frederique Lavoipierre

The birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects that inhabit our yards and gardens are overwhelmingly on our side—they are not our enemies, but instead our allies. They pollinate our flowers and vegetable crops, and they keep pests in check. In Garden Allies, Frédérique Lavoipierre shares fascinating portraits of these creatures, describing their life cycles and showing how they keep the garden’s ecology in balance. Also included is helpful information on how to nurture and welcome these valuable creatures into your garden. With beautiful pen-and-ink drawings by Craig Latker, Garden Allies invites you to make friends with the creatures that fill your garden—the reward is a renewed sense of nature’s beauty and a garden humming with life.

Pollinators of North America (Playing Cards)

by Mountaineers Books

This deck of 52 playing cards featuring brilliant colorful photography from across North America and encourages all ages to start learning about pollination and how we can help protect these critical species and encourage healthy populations to thrive throughout our natural world.

Congratulations to Keith and Ann Jones for winning the raffle!

Thank you to Darvill’s Bookstore for donating the book, "Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds, and Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving" by Frederique Lavoipierre!

Growing Native Wildflowers in the San Juan Islands

Teresa Webster, PhD, Bioinformatics Scientist, San Juan Islands WSU Master Gardener Intern provides a list of countless native plants to the San Juan Islands — check out which ones thrive!

Save the Date: December 11th

Members! Please help us by collecting clear glass containers large enough to place your hand in for our creative project — Terrariums! If you find them with lids it would be even better. Perhaps you have a special one you intend to bring to the event. Great! Please let us know so we can adjust how many we need to find.

Special thanks to Robin Sullivan, Perri Gibbons, Debra Nicols and the Exchange for collecting and donating clear glass containers for our project!

We want everyone to be able to take one home so please contact Laura with any glass containers you find.

Storage Space Needed

For many years, the Orcas Island Garden Club has rented a small storage space in the bottom of the old Windermere Building. We were recently notified we would not be able to continue to rent the space. We use the space for our tour signage and materials. In addition, we also need proper storage for the beautiful fourth of July parade props.

We are looking for a space of approximately 6 feet wide by 8 feet long to accommodate our requirements. We need help from our garden community in finding both temporary and affordable permanent storage. Please contact Lilian Bergsma-Lefever if you can help or are needing more information.

Calling All Garden Sleuths

As our gardens settle into rest with the arrival of fall weather, our Garden Tour planning committee is beginning its work to create a great garden tour for 2025. Each year, with the help of our Garden Club members, we search for lovely gardens to feature on our garden tour.  

We need your help to find some great gardens for our 2025 Garden Tour!

2024-2025 Membership to date: 156