Do you want to join the Niguel Shores Garden Club? If you are interested in becoming a member of the Garden Club, the process is simple. Go to the office and ask the staff for an application which is stored in the Garden Club file. Please fill out all the information on the application and have it put back into the club file. An officer of the club will contact you.
For current members: We will not be meeting in August. At our September meeting we will distribute a new club directory that will show what exciting events and speakers we have planned for the coming year. In the meantime, have an enjoyable summer.
—Karl Kuhn
Garden Tips for Summer
Nature’s florals and greenery are at their brightest and most colorful during the summer, drawing us out into our gardens. When caring for plants or doing other gardening work, remember these health and safety tips from the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov: Avoid Tetanus infections.
■ Tetanus lives in the soil and enters the body through breaks in the skin, especially when using sharp tools, digging in the dirt, or handling plants with sharp points.
■ Make sure your tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccination is up-to-date.
■ Have a good set of gardening gloves to lower the risk for skin irritations and cuts. Dress to protect.
■ Wear safety goggles, sturdy shoes, and long pants when using power tools and equipment.
■ Protect your hearing with ear plugs or headphones when using garden machinery.
■ Wear gloves to avoid skin irritations, cuts, and contaminants.
■ Use insect repellent containing DEET to ward off mosquitoes and ticks. Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pants into your socks. High rubber boots discourage ticks, which usually are close to the ground.
■ Lower sunburn and skin cancer risk by wearing long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, sun shades, and sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher. Put safety first.
■ Follow instructions and warning labels on garden chemicals and equipment.
■ Make sure equipment works properly.
■ Sharpen tools carefully.
■ Keep harmful chemicals, tools, and equipment out of children’s reach. Know your limits in the heat.
■ Drink more fluids.
■ Avoid alcohol or liquids with large amounts of sugar.
■ Take breaks often in shaded areas so your body’s thermostat has a chance to recover.
■ Stop working if you experience breathlessness or muscle soreness.
■ Heed signs of heat-related illness (extremely high body temperature, headache, rapid pulse, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or unconsciousness).
■ Watch those at risk for heat-related illness (infants and children; the elderly; those doing physical labor; those who are physically ill or taking certain medications).
■ Eat healthy foods to help keep energized.
■ Listen to your body. Monitor your heart rate, level of fatigue, and physical discomfort.
■ Call 911 if you are injured, experience chest and arm pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, or heat-related illness. Enjoy the physical activity of gardening.
■ Gardening is an excellent physical activity that encourages movement, raises breathing and heart rates, stretches and strengthens muscles.
■ Vary your gardening activities to keep your interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
—Bill Walkup
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