I had hoped to have our online Chapter Web site and Forum up and running by now, but some how life keeps getting in the way. We broke for the holidays and we haven’t had a meeting since late Fall. I apologize for the lack of leadership. As I type this newsletter there is a blizzard blowing outside. My primula are fortunately tucked under growing mounds of snow. Hopefully the old saying March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb will prevail this year! Spring will come, albeit early or late, and with it the promise of another planting season and the hopes of getting all those gardening projects completed (or ignored) for yet another season.

With Spring comes yet another Primrose Show and plant sale as we come together for another spring to share and enjoy our pursuit. This year the Juneau Chapter will host the National American Primrose Society Show May 19th. We have invited the Master Gardeners, The Juneau Garden Club, The 4H Group, and The Community Garden to join us at St. Paul’s in the valley for this year’s plant sale, to be held in conjunction with our show. The nineteenth of May is one week later than the day we have traditionally come together for the plant sale at the Safeway lot. Given the winter we are experiencing, having our sale in May could turn out to be a blessing! Ed Buyarski will be the show chair this year, Pam Finney and Janis Buyarski will coordinate garden tours Sunday, the day after the show. From talking with Ed it appears we are thinking of a potluck type banquet. We may have a few hams, turkey or roasts cooked and brought in while asking everyone to bring side dishes. There is a kitchen in the Parish hall and we anticipate asking some of the church youth groups to assist in setting up tables and cleaning up at the end of the night (for a fee).

Vice President Pam Finney has put forth the following agenda item for this Saturday’s Chapter meeting. I move the Chapter seta maximum budget for this spring show, awards, speakers, gar-den tours and plant sale of $3250. On the subject of the Sunday garden tours, please consider 3 items before deciding to add this aspect to the National Show and plant sale: 1. To be successful we will need at least four gardens to show in more than one geographic location such as the valley or north Douglas Island.2. This will occur after the National Show and likely awards dinner so remember how much we each push ourselves to get ready for the annual sale and triple that for when we host the show too. Do our members have the energy for the Sunday tours? Consider the tasks of getting gardens ready for tours, hosting 20-40 visitors per garden for several hours, selling tickets, publicity, interviews about your garden to create tour booklet and publicity, etc. 3. Estimate $300-400 for producing publicity, signs, tickets, and printing of Tour Garden Guide as part of the $3250 budget if it is decided to do garden tours.

The Juneau Chapter of the American Primrose Society “Official” website and community forum will be launched soon, perhaps as early as the end of March. The main sections of the site will be: A calendar for all our events. I intend to utilize Google Calendars right into the site so anyone can see all Chapter events with ease. Twelve or so of the articles from the 60th Edition of Primroses; other “How To” articles; a Photo Gallery broken down into three sections: Alaska Native Primroses, Primrose Garden Photos and Other Species of Primroses Grown in Alaska; Primula in Alaska featuring Alaska Growers, Hybridizers and Nurseries, and of course the PrimulaAlaskana Community Forum. The forum will have following sections: Beginners Plot; General Discussion sections for both Southeast and Southcentral Alaska; Landscaping and Garden Design, Primula Identification; Primula Literature Art& History; Seed Propagation; Soils and Fertilizers; The Show Bench and “We Grow Auricula” (but of course). I have asked a few of our local members to moderate the various forums. Details will be forthcoming on the particulars of the forum once it is launched, such as signing up and what not. One of the goals of the site is to extend the reach of the Chapter, and thus the Society, to the more remote areas of the state as well as provide a collection and clearing point for growing primula in Alaska. I think you will enjoy it!

Elections are going to be postponed until May. Ed Buyarski has agreed to be nominated for President of the Juneau Chapter. Pam will remain VP. BobbyLee has agreed to take on the responsibility of Treasurer. I am going to be a nominee for Treasurer of National APS, a job Julia has done an outstanding job with for years. I will remain as webmaster for the Chapter and running the PrimulaAlaskana Forum. All of the National APS positions roll over during the business meeting of the show here in Juneau come May. It just makes sense to do the same. We are still in need of a Secretary if you are interested. The job involves taking the minutes and scheduling meeting space for Chapter business meetings monthly. We are hopeful of constructing a draft Constitution and By-law document in the foreseeable future to assist in the governance of the Chapter for member review and approval. We seem to have survived quite well without one, but it should be done at some point in time. In conjunction with the launch of the website and forum we hope to host a few of the brown bag lunches with the Master Gardeners over the next two months. It may also be useful to run a few ads locally to promote both the National Show and the new website and community forum. We can decide that after it’s launched and see what people think. Winter will end, I promise. You WILL see dirt at some point in time! Your primula will start to poke their heads through the surface not too long from now. Hopefully these nice pictures will remind you of these facts. If I ever get my garage cleaned and the plant light stand up I can get seeds going for plants to kill in the seasons to come. Please join us Saturday or give me a call or an email and let us know your still interested in growing Primula!!

Robert Tonkin
Chapter President