The Petunia Garden Club held their first meeting of the new year on Jan. 10, hosted by Betty McMurphy and co-host Joanne Price in the Fireside Room at the Cherokee Strip Museum. Vice-President Marilyn Davison presided at the meeting. Secretary Barbara Case called roll with the following members present: Janet Wanger, Wanda Cox, Barbara Faulkner, Davison, Case, Price and McMurphy answered by naming something they learned working in their yard. Various answers were “patience,” “not to do it all in one day,” “applying mulch,” “planting perennials,” and “using beer to rid of slugs.”

Barbara Faulkner presented the program of Favorite Vegetables – tomatoes, yellow squash, green peppers, cucumbers and watermelons were mentioned. Insects go elsewhere when repelled by smell. She recommended planting many marigolds in one's garden as their smell repels; another recommendation was planting rue on garden borders and also sweet basil. Using tansy as a mulch is good for repelling ants, squash bugs and beetles.

Other planting suggestions were mentioned such as mixing vegetables with flowers and onions with carrots. Petunias keep bugs and beetles away and planting nasturtiums will repel aphids. Save used coffee grounds as they, too, may also be used to deter insects.

Faulkner listed many flowers best for cutting, such as annuals snapdragon, marigold, China aster, coreopsis, cosmos, salvia, zinnia, yarrow, dianthus, chrysanthemum, purple cornflower and galardia.

The minutes of the December Christmas luncheon meeting were read and approved. Treasurer McMurphy presented her report. The Petunia Club gave a $100 donation to the Wesleyan Church Food Bank and received a nice donation towards supplies for the Christmas tray ornament favors project that members hand-crafted from pine cones for residents of Beadles Nursing Home and Share Convalescent Home.

VP Davison read a note from President Koontz reporting that she had invited NWOSU Professor Steve Thompson for a tour of the church area north of the museum. The club's project will be to assist with new plantings around the church area. Koontz reminded members of the NW District Garden Club Meeting in Guymon on March 24.

The meeting was adjourned to meet at the home of Sandra Schubert on Feb. 14 with Eleanor Ring as co-host. “The Language of Flowers” will be the lesson.

Joanne Price awarded the Gardener's Gift to Barbara Faulkner.