ASHLAND — The Art of Gardening Club will host a Royal Ladies’ Tea May 10 at the Freer Home at Freer Field which is part of the Historical Society.
The Mother-Daughter Tea fundraiser is open to the public at $20 per person. The Historical Society has 24 teacups and saucers.
Members should be on the lookout for additional teacups and saucers. Heading the fundraiser is member Sue Kelley. Committees for food and serving are needed.
Peggy Stover and Kathy Bargar offered to fold napkins.
Vice President Pat Edwards announced that the club donated $100 to Friends of Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, at the March 5 meeting at Peace Lutheran Church.
Secrest sent Rosemary Caster, treasurer, a thank you for the club’s donation. Membership benefits include a 10-percent discount off plant sales.
The club has a field trip to Secrest May 7.
A thank you was received from Michael Harris Jackson, child of deceased member Helen Harris, for flowers, visits and friendships showered on her mother.
The Valentine thank you was addressed to former member Georgia Bonecutter who forwarded it to the club. Harris enjoyed her membership in the club.
A check for $250 was enclosed to benefit the garden club in any way that would bring smiles or ease a tight budget.
Art of Gardening members Skip Cather and Faith McKinley presented a program on
“Garden Preservation.”
Cather said her “freezers are full.” Her 1⁄4-acre plot of land has cherry and pear trees. She spoke of frozen blackberries in the middle of winter and the lettuce she slices up for soup.
She described the process of packing in sandwich bags when freezing all kinds of fruit including rhubarb. In addition to green beans, broccoli and squash, she said she freezes zucchini.
“I freeze tomatoes. We don’t do lima beans.”
With her display of canning apparatus and accessories McKinley discussed the canning aspect of food preparation. She cans green beans, tomatoes, peaches, pears and salsa.
Her mom canned instilling the desire in McKinley to learn canning at an early age. “You can can potatoes.”
Cather piped in, “You can freeze sweet potatoes.”
The gardeners praised their helpful preservation guides.
At their fingertips are the “Blue Book Guide to Preserving,” “Home Canning Cook Book” (Canning Techniques, Freezing Know-How, Jellies & Jams, Pickles & Relishes), and “Mrs. Wages Home Canning Guide & Recipes Section 2 Fruits.”
Brad Hamilton, owner of Zenith Farms, Lexington, will speak on the topic of Fig Trees following the April 2 business meeting. Edwards said she will open the invitation not only to other fig growers but also to plant enthusiasts.
The program will start at 10:30 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church.