May 2017 Meeting: Tool Sharpening & Garden Visit - Rademaker Home Gardens

Our May meeting was jam packed! It included not only tool sharpening but also a tour of Carol and Dean Rademaker's wonderful gardens.

Then there were consultations to decipher the results of soil tests for those who had turned in their samples to Nina Cairns at last month's meeting.

Whew - a lot going on!

We divided into two groups for demonstrations and tours. Uplands Garden Club members John Sharp, Dean Rademaker and Bill Wisler demonstrated how to sharpen a variety of garden tools, John and Dean showing how to use power equipment and Bill concentrating on sharpening using only hand tools.

Club members each brought one tool to be sharpened. They could try their hand at it themselves or ask John, Dean and Bill to do it. Admittedly, most of us chose the latter option but we did go home with newfound knowledge of how to do it ourselves at home next time.

While one group was getting their tools sharpened, Carol led the other group on a tour of their wonderful country property, which includes extensive perennial gardens, rustic features that Carol has created, a huge rock garden, outbuildings, and a stream leading to a pond.

And, as if that wasn't plenty, Nina Cairns was on hand to interpret the soil analysis results from samples that members turned in at the April meeting.

Learning from one another is just one of the many pleasures of belonging to the garden club, as this meeting highlighted so well. A hearty THANK YOU to John, Dean, Bill and Nina for sharing their expertise and to Carol and Dean for their hospitality!