Du Quoin Garden Club hosts August meeting

DU QUOIN - Du Quoin Garden Club of District VII, Garden Clubs of Illinois hosted its August meeting at the home of Peg Pursell.

Roll Call was answered by naming a favorite annual flower.

It was announced that the fall GCI District VII meeting will be hosted by the Evergreen Garden Club of Carbondale on Thursday, Oct. 24. GCI has a Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster contest for K-5 students and poetry contest for students police dog. The deadline to enter is Jan. 15.

The Horticulture Minute was shared by Mary Jane Field with the question, Do you talk and sing to your plants?

The program was presented on "Backyard Birding" by Jean Bullock with some hints for attracting birds to your gardens: Provide food and water; clean feeders often, using hot soapy water and even some bleach if needed; provide shelter and trees for nesting nearby and a little distance from windows.

Choose the right feed, such as Black Oil Sunflower seed, Nyjer seed, suet and peanut butter and do not feed bread to birds. Use binoculars and a field guide to identify the birds that visit your area. Birdseed ornaments and instructions were handed out for members to feed the birds in their yards. Co-hostesses Betty Eastman and Julie Wilson served brownies and ice cream to the gardeners present.