Marion Garden Club member Sonya Lallemand presented the program, "Organic Gardening: Ridding Yourself of Pesticides," during the March 15 club meeting at Heartland Christian Church.
Twenty-five members turned out for the meeting. As Lallemand pointed out, soil is a living system as opposed to dirt, which is dead. The main difference between organic and conventional gardening, she said, is this: Gardeners feed the soil and manage the pests with organic gardens, while gardeners feed the plants and just kill the pests with conventional gardening.
Organic gardens take advantage of natural systems, preserve the environment, use the least toxic chemicals and preserve genetic diversity in plants, she pointed out, and the effect of pest and disease will be muted by a strong, healthy plant.
Lallemand said gardeners should be looking for organic pesticides and oils made from naturally occurring materials.
The nominating committee for new officers proposed that the same board of officers be carried over to the next two-year term. This was approved by the club. Officers will be installed during next month's meeting at 17th Street Barbecue.
A conservation report was presented by Bryan Stearns about how wasteful paper towel usage can be. He told club members that there is a cloth made from bamboo that can be washed out and reused. Also, bamboo is a renewable resource.
Polly Williams shared information on edible greens that grow wild in urban and rural environments. She also had a recipe for dandelion salad.
District VII spring meeting will be Thursday, March 23, in Anna. Several members are planning to attend.
A youth program has been planned for April 19 and 21 at Marion Carnegie Library. This is always well attended. For more information, contact the library.
Information and pictures of past club activities can be found at mariongardenclubofillinois.weebly.com.
Also, Marion Garden Club members are starting to look for homes for the June garden tour. Suggestions would be welcomed.
