Mystery Mail

The club's treasurer, Shirley Knightly, received an unsealed envelope in the USPS mail on June 24 with nothing in it and no return address. It was address to Shirley Knightly, Zone 6 Treasurer. Does anyone know what this mail is suppose to be? Was someone trying to mail in dues? If you can solve the mystery mail, send your replies to pittsburg_gardeners@hotmail.com

 

Thank you!

Over 400 take part in Pittsburg Garden Tour

By NIKKI PATRICK
The Morning Sun

PITTSBURG — There were some surprises Saturday at the Pittsburg Garden Tour, sponsored from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. by the Zone 6 Garden Club.

“I didn’t realize so many people came out to these things,” said Kathleen Nichols, 413 W. Adams, as she greeted visitors to her garden. “They’ve been lining up here since 8 a.m.”

That’s not quite accurate, according to Maxine Conrad, 415 W. Adams, neighbor and fellow gardener.
“They actually started here around 20 minutes before 8,” she said.

Around 500 garden tour tickets were sold in advance, but planners thought that some went to people who wanted to support the club’s projects but would probably not take the tour.
That may not be accurate either.

“There have been at least 400 people here so far this morning,” said Norma Gilmore, who displayed pages of signatures in a guest book at the West Adams tour site. “Some people didn’t sign, so there have probably been more.”

Included in the guest book were signatures by visitors from Branson, Mo., Kansas City, Oswego and Lawrence. “The woman from Lawrence told me she comes to every one of these tours,” Gilmore said.

Donna Bauer came from Fort Scott to the tour. “I think every one of the seven gardens on the tour has been unique,” she said. “Probably each gardener’s personality comes out in their garden.”

Bauer is a gardener herself.

“I should be at home working in my garden now,” she said. “But not today.

Stephen Crosetto, Pittsburg, was impressed by all the hard work the gardeners did to get ready for the tour. “I work eight hours a day in my garden, but I think it would drive me crazy to get it ready for a tour.”

“It’s been interesting getting ready for the tour,” said Tom Spurgeon, 215 S. Dittman. “Last night we were dog tired, but my wife, Judy, decided she needed to make cookies for the visitors.”

Her homemade sugar cookies went so fast Saturday morning, he said, that she sent him to the store to get some packaged cookies.

The Spurgeons and their neighbors, Bill and Vicki Moody, 213 S. Dittman, feature in-ground swimming pools and outdoor living areas in their gardens.

“Both areas are quite different, but both are totally conducive to entertaining,” said Diana Kerle, tour visitor.Having family and friends enjoy the pool and yard is the main emphasis for the Spurgeons.

“I’m a people watcher, and we usually have around five teachers and 15 kids out here every day during the summer,” Mrs. Spurgeon said. “It’s just been a pleasure seeing everybody walk through our garden,” her husband added.

Other gardens included those of Andra and Brad Stefanoni, 137 Westfield Road, Patty Horgan, 1511 Woodland Drive, and JD and Shirley Messenger, 2811 California.

The tour also included a gardeners’ market at the Pritchett Pavilion in Immigrant Park. “It was especially nice to have it here, because we’re right across the street from the Farmers’ Market,” said Judi Campbell, who sold plants at the market.

Proceeds from the tour help support and fund community garden — related projects, education programs and city beautification efforts.

Gardening Buddies

By NIKKI PATRICK
The Morning Sun

PITTSBURG — It’s really nice when neighbors share an interest in gardening.

Neighbors Kathleen Nichols, 413 W. Adams, and Maxine Conrad, 415 W. Adams, have two of the seven gardens to be featured Saturday during the Pittsburg Garden Tour. Held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event has been coordinated by the Zone 6 Garden Club of Pittsburg.

“We encourage each other a lot, and give suggestions,” said Nichols, a Pittsburg State University English professor. “It’s nice to have a resource right next door.”

“Kathy is my resource,” said Conrad, who retired this year from USD 250. “Most of my friends aren’t gardeners.”

“If one of us gets a new plant, the other will be just as excited about it,” Nichols said. “That won’t be the case with our families or other friends.”

The two have been neighbors since Conrad moved in 17 years ago. She said she had no previous gardening experience. “My garden started with friends giving me starts of plants,” Conrad said. “I started small, kept expanding and now I wonder why. I can’t say I prefer or specialize in anything — I just keep adding.”

She started working with the front of her house nine years ago, and has been working with the back yard for six years.

“One unique thing is that Maxine incorporates her craft projects into her garden,” Nichols said.

“It’s just old bits and pieces of gates and things,” Conrad said. Also amongst the flowers are a child’s wagon, bicycle and old chairs.

Nichols said she has been gardening since childhood, when she stole a wild violet from a neighbor’s yard, planted it by her swing, and it lived.

She moved into her current home around 1984, and for many years worked on perennials — particular spring favorites are her pink Oriental poppies, pink and white peonies and blue or purple iris.However, about five years ago, Nichols was seized by a desire to grow roses, and now has 63 of them, including hybrid tea roses, which she describes as “divas,” along with lots of shrub roses, hybrid musks, climber roses and mini-roses.

“I get online and order them from all over the country,” she said. “I’m in an online rose forum, and some people there have 300 or 800 roses. I think one person has 1,200 of them.”Nichols said she is somewhat particular about which roses she allows in her garden. “There are thousands of beautiful roses out there, but they can’t come into my garden if they don’t have some kind of disease resistance,” Nichols said.

“But even if they say the roses are disease-resistant, they aren’t always,” Conrad added.Conditions this spring haven’t been that good for their gardens.

“About half of my roses are in bloom, and the other half took a rest during the rain and gloom,” Nichols said. “I come out every day and talk to them and encourage them.”A large branch also fell on one of her rose bushes last week. “I had to cut it back, but it will survive,” she said.“The weather has been so lousy that we’re lucky to get one day a week when we can get out and work,” Conrad said. “The way this weather has been, it’s amazing to look out and see all this color.”

Both are hoping for good weather on Saturday. “There’s such a variety of gardens on the tour that I know everybody will find something to enjoy,” Conrad said.

Other gardens on the tour will include Wood’s Edge, the garden of Brad and Andra Stefanoni, 37n Westfield; the gardens of Shirley and J.D. Messenger, 2611 California; Patty Horgan, 4151 Woodland Drive; Bill and Vicki Moody, 213 S. Dittman, Frontenac; and Tom and Judy Spurgeon, 215 S. Dittman, Frontenac.

This will be a self - guided tour, with garden owners and club members at each site to answer questions and to highlight interesting elements within the gardens. In addition to the gardens themselves, there will be a Gardener’s Market with plants and garden related items for sale from a variety of vendors from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pritchett Pavilion, Immigrant Park. Ticket may be purchased in advance for $6 at New Life Antiques, 108 W. Third, Pittsburg; Carla’s Country Gardens, 212 S. Pesavento Ave., Chicopee; In the Garden, 719 S. Broadway, Pittsburg; Seasons Garden Center, Opolis; VanBecelaere Greenhouses, 2513 E. Fourth, and from members of Zone 6 Garden Club. Tickets may be purchased for $7 the day of the tour at Pritchett Pavilion. Children 12 and under are free.Proceeds help support and fund community garden — related projects, education programs and city beautification efforts.

Southeast Kansas Living

The Pittsburg Garden Tour was featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Southeast Kansas Living Magazine. Request your copy here: http://www.southeastkansasliving.com/

Garden Party Pictures - May 19

The club "went to a garden party" at Betty Scripsick's garden and enjoyed several themed tablescapes and refreshments. Click here to view pictures.