Mike Bernard Acadiana Chapter American Hibiscus Society www.

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1 Mike Bernard Acadiana Chapter American Hibiscus Society www. Join us Tuesday, April 4 th at 6:00 pm at the Ira Nelson Horticultural Center It s Spring! That means show time. All of us need to get ready to enter blooms at the other chapters shows as well as our own. At our meeting this month, Buddy and I will discuss and demonstrate what is necessary to get prepared and ready to show blooms. For those members that are pros at showing blooms, your input will be greatly welcomed. We will also have an update on Festival des Fleurs and a comment or two about our show on May 21 st. Don t forget about Name That Bloom. Remember, the one who gets the most blooms correct will win a hibiscus plant or hibiscus seeds. Birthdays! If you had a birthday this month, you may get a free plant. Hope to see you there. MBAC President, Sandy Scheuermann Calendar Photo Contest Congratulations to Ryan Perry with Evening Glow and Sandy Scheuermann with Chartreuse Rose, winners of the bloom photo contest at the March Meeting. Bring your 4x6 bloom photos to the meeting. Each member can enter two photos in the monthly contests. They do not have to be recent photos, but must be blooms you have grown. Reminder! Winning photos should be ed to Buddy (buddy@shortfinancialgroup.com) immediately after the meeting. Sandra Barr Kim Siefert-Guy Gary Shaffer Francis Rush Babette Werner

2 2017 Dues Renewal Your renewal dues for the year 2017 are now due. Renewal for Fulltime members is $35 and for Associates $10. Checks should be made out to MBAC and can be mailed to me at Buddy Short, 312 Vennard Ave., Lafayette, LA If you prefer to hand me a check or cash, I will also collect dues at our upcoming April 4 th and May 2 nd meetings as well as Festival Des Fleurs on April 1st and our show and sale on May 21st. Please respond according to one of those options as National Dues and rosters must be submitted the 1 st week of June each year. ***of special note: if you joined our chapter after January 1 st of this year (IE: Tucker Plaisance) then you are not required to pay your dues again. Thanks to everyone for your timely response Buddy Calendar of Events Saturday, April 1 st Tuesday, April 4 th Sunday, April 23 rd Sunday, April 23 rd Sunday, April 29 th Tuesday, May 2nd Sunday, May 7 th Sunday, May 13 th Saturday, May 20 th Saturday, May 20 th Sunday, May 21 st Tuesday, June 6 th June 22 nd 25 th Festival des Fleurs MBAC Chapter Meeting NOLA Hibiscus Show & Sale Lone Star Hibiscus Show & Sale Space City Hibiscus Show & Sale MBAC Chapter Meeting Red Stick Hibiscus Show & Sale Lone Star Hibiscus Show & Sale MBAC Show Setup Space City Hibiscus Show & Sale MBAC HIBISCUS SHOW & SALE MBAC Chapter Meeting AHS NATIONAL CONVENTION

3 Buddy s Blooms and Things The past 30 days have really kept me, hibiscus busy. With the mild and even warm temperatures, new growth and buds are forming on just about every plant in my collection. I m betting your plants are doing the same thing. It s time to Feed! At the last meeting we gave out (free) Space City water soluble fertilizer to everyone in attendance. We also give out 4 hibiscus plants each meeting. 4!! I hope you were there. It s just our little way of saying, welcome to a new hibiscus growing season. We ll be doing this again and again so don t miss out. April of each year kicks off our chapter show and sales starting with the show in New Orleans on Sunday April 23, followed by the Baton Rouge show on Sunday May 7, and our show on Sunday May 21. If you intend to participate in any of these 3 shows or even the ones in Houston my question to you is, have you exhibited before and if not, do you know how to prepare your blooms for their best presentation? Those of us that have displayed blooms before have our own methods and techniques and we re willing to share with you exactly what we do. Your job then becomes to take the technique that makes the most sense to you and try it. It s as easy as that and who knows, maybe you ll even get to experience the pleasure of having your bloom receive a gold ribbon or better yet, have it hit the Head Table. It s swell up time when it does! To prepare my plants for the coming show season I have been repotting and fertilizing on a weekly basis. I will continue that schedule until sometime around June 1. My plants have told me they are hungry and ole Buddy will do everything possible to satisfy their hunger and keep them smiling along the way. As a dessert, tomorrow I will take out my Epsom Salts and give every plant a good dose. I suggest you do the same thing and that you continue the Epsom Salts at least once monthly. There is nothing like beautiful dark green shiny leaves. Try it! Are you noticing any yellow leaves? The Handbook says that yellow leaves are typically caused by extremes. Translated that means to look at your procedure and do just the opposite. (IE: if your plant is too wet then let it dry out and see if that helps; if you fertilize too often or too much then back off and see if that improves their look, etc, etc.) Another cause of yellow leaves is insect issues and one of our main culprits in South Louisiana is spider mites. LEARN WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE AND IMMEDIATELY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM!!!! I can not stress this enough! For me the best method of mite control is to simply blast my plants often with the hose. I have been doing this for about 4 years and have totally controlled my mite issues. Try it, it really works. Recently I have gradually added a thin layer of Soil Conditioner (fine mulch) on the surface of my pots. That reduces weeds and keeps my plants cool. I like the results I m getting so I will continue this routine until my thinking changes. By now most of you should know that I am not afraid to try something new and neither should you. If you are not completely satisfied with your plant results then ask someone for advice and then do something about it. I continue to say that the real beauty of a club is that there are all kinds of experience to be shared, both Good and Bad. So I say and believe, Learn from the bad and share the good. We re a team...call on me or any of your teammates anytime Buddy

4 Festival des Fleurs de Louisiane Blackham Coliseum Saturday, April 1, :00am 4:00pm Come out and support your hibiscus chapter as well as the other garden clubs and the Ira Nelson Horticultural Center. Name That Bloom Can you name these blooms???? Make a list of the blooms and bring it to the meeting. We will identify the blooms and the member with the most correct will win the prize. There will be a drawing if there are multiple winners. Don t miss out on the fun! Congratulations to Ryan Perry, our March Name That Bloom winner! Orange Cappucino, Dark Star, White Pride of Hankins, Marianne Charleton, Gator Magic, Red Snapper

5 Member Corner. In Memory of Wally Barr On March 24 th, Wally Barr, Vice President of the New Orleans Chapter, MBAC Associate Member, and Red Stick Associate Member, left this life on his 73 rd birthday. Wally s enthusiasm and friendship will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sandra and the family. Hibiscus Presentation Buddy recently named one of his seedlings in honor of Mia Guidry. With much fanfare, Buddy and friends presented a photo of the seedling to Mia at the restaurant where she works. Have something you would like to share with the members in the newsletter? Submit it by the 15 th of the month to your Newsletter Editor, Ann ann@acadianahibiscus.com.

6 For your viewing pleasure. Cultivars from Jill Coryell at HibiscusLadyHawaii.com Sweet Sister Petit Fours Chiquita Bonita Straw Into Gold Kamehameha Waltz E Ku U Morning Dew 2017 MBAC Board President ~ Sandy Scheuermann ~ ~ sbs2948@gmail.com Vice President ~ Ryan Perry ~ ~ rperry123@gmail.com Secretary ~ Charlotte Lege ~ ~ petitema51@yahoo.com Treasurer ~ Buddy Short ~ ~ buddy@shortfinancialgroup.com Member Liaison Connie Chauvin sweetie4559@gmail.com Past President Ann Peltier ann@acadianahibiscus.com