Gardeners grown mushrooms and buy plants

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Hillsboro Garden Club President Nancy Baldwin called the club’s most recent meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. with members standing for the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of “God Bless America” led by Ed Davis.

Prior to the business portion, the meeting was turned over to Rose Marie Cowdrey for introduction of her guest speaker, Terry Quenneville. His business, Southern Edge Glass & Rock, specializes in creative laser etching, but he was there to explain his hobby of growing mushrooms. What an interesting program.

Quenneville explained and demonstrated the entire process and even brought actual inoculated logs to purchase. He really held the club’s attention throughout. Brief and very simplified directions for growing mushrooms follow: You need a newly cut piece of log (hardwood) about 3 foot long and 4 to 6 inches in diameter. It needs to be newly cut to ensure it has moisture in it for the spore to live on and grow. Then holes are drilled, spore plugs inserted, the area is sealed with bees wax or cheese wax, lay or stand up in a nice shady spot in your yard or woods, and wait for the spawn run to complete, which may take 6 to 12 months. Now the fun begins. When white fibers have run through the log and show on the ends of the log, they are ready for fruiting. Soak the log in ice water for 24 hours (keeping underwater), remove, give it a whack on one end with a rubber mallet, stand it on end in a cool shady area or unheated garage, and fruiting should begin in four to 10 days. It is important to keep the log moistened by spraying occasionally with water.

Shiitake mushrooms for the dinner table. And the log will produce fruits for as long as two and a half years. Of course, club memberts purchased some and can’t wait to see how successful they are. A great program and Terry would be happy to assist anyone interested in giving it a try. He can be reached at [email protected].

Refreshments were served by Beryl Gruelle and Ruth Anna Duff before continuing on with the abbreviated business meeting. Roll call was answered by 19 members. One was absent, their was one guest, Mary Helen West, the mother of Jennifer West. Kay Neugebauer’s arrangement for the month consisted of a colorful assortment of Astralomaria stems arranged in a tall crystal vase she received last Christmas.

Items on the agenda discussed were the upcoming OAGC Region 16 Fall Meeting on Oct. 13; information gathered at the Exhibitors & Judges School classes on Sept. 12-13 covering many of the creative designs, growing chrysanthemums, orchids and bromeliads, dish and fairy gardens; and holiday decorating at Deer Creek State Park and The Highland House Museum. Being no further business to be discussed, the meeting was adjourned and the club proceeded with its annual Fall Plant Auction.

Auctioneer Larry Moore and his trusty assistants, Dianna Baker and Nancy Baldwin, sailed through the many plants and garden-related items offered for bid. Potted indoor plants as well as many, many starts of perennials, shrubs, and trees were scooped up and given new homes. It’s always a fun, profitable and worthwhile event. As always, the public is welcome to attend and bid at our next sale on April 25, 2017.

Submitted by Carol Gorby, Hillsboro Garden Club secretary.

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