Magnolia Garden Club encourages spring clean up

The Magnolia Garden Club held its monthly meeting at the home of Lola Fontenot on Monday, February 10. Only two members were absent from the meeting conducted by President Hazel Fontenot.
The Magnolia Garden Club decided not to sponsore a Cleanest City Contest this year. The severe weather and the early date of March 1, makes it too difficult to have a thorough clean up. The time period was just too short. Instead, there will be a Spring Clean Up Campaign announced soon. All residents, businesses and governmental places are asked to clean up as soon as the weather permits.
The club will celebrate Arbor Day at the new ball park by planting a tree soon. The club purchased a balloon to honor those deceased from cancer for the Relay for Life to be held in April.
Lola Fontenot gave a program on agricultural hints. They included to clean clay pots, use equal parts water, alcohol and white vinegar. Let it soak for a while then scrub with a brush and wash. Place a small clay pot over a plant when a freeze is expected. To prevent the line on a trimmer from breaking too soon, coat it with vegetable oil. When steaming vegetables, cool the water and then water the plants. Add coffee grounds and tea leaves to acid-loving plants, such as azaleas. A quick way to dry herbs is to place on newspapers on car seats, close the windows and doors and leave the car in the sun for a few hours.
Geannie Ardoin obtained a paper on cold weather and protecting plants from Keith Fontenot with the LSU AgCenter. Before a freeze, bring plants into a building. Temperatures below 32 degrees will kill or damage plants. They could be grouped together on a covered patio and covered with plastic. Plants should be watered before covering. Those plants growing in the ground can be mulched for protection. After a freeze, check the water needs of the plants and vent plastic or remove to prevent excessive heat build up on sunny days. Delay hard pruning on woody stems until new growth begins to appear. Do not be in a hurry to dig up and remove plants that appear to be dead; some will resprout.