Tarrant County Master Gardeners

Transcription

1 Tarrant County Master Gardeners T E X A S A & M A G R I L I F E E X T E N S I O N S E R V I C E Volume 1 Issue 10 November 2017 The Three Sisters Garden at Durham Intermediate By Sian Rees On Sept 5, a companion vegetable garden was planted at Durham Intermediate. Known as a Three Sisters garden, aptly named by the Native American Indians, this traditional garden is made up of corn, beans and squash. This 400 year old concept is based on all three plants supporting each other as they grow. The corn is the big sister who acts as a support for the family (for the beans and squash to climb upon), the beans are the giving sister because they pull nitrogen from the air and pull it into the soil to share with the other plants and the squash is the protective sister because it shades all the roots and keeps out pests. Additionally all three plants provide a well rounded nutritional diet. It was a really great historical/horticultural lesson for our Junior Master Gardeners and I had the privilege of teaching it to 7 classes of 5th graders that day. Thank goodness the weather held out. Because we only teach, plant and harvest (potatoes) in the Spring at Durham we wanted to add a Fall planting and incorporate it into the Junior Master Gardener program. With a lot of vision on the part of Henry Cole and Caryn Hutchinson the idea turned into a plan. The three of us then calculated our space and the seeds needed. Then with the help of the great clients at STARS and Claire Alford, our seeds were planted and nurtured. These turned into 250 corn and squash plants. We then had to pick them up and load them into our cars and get them up to Durham in Southlake - what logistics! Thank you Eleanor Tuck for helping us! Once up there our corn and squash plants plus several hundred Triunfo Violetto bean seeds were slowly but surely planted into our 3 huge garden beds by over 350 5th grade students. Caryn and I had 6 extra volunteers to assist us out and because of that the day went smoothly. Thank you so much to everyone who helped out! We are pleased to report that our corn is happy, the squash is spreading and our beans popped out of the ground in only 5 days! We will keep you posted on the progress of our Three Sisters garden. In the meantime here are some pictures. If you have any questions about our project you can me at sianrees67@icloud.com.

2 Tarrant County Master Gardeners A Lovely Tribute to a Wonderful Master Gardener This memorial is located in the Butterfly Garden at the Bob Jones Nature Center. Thank you Patti Maness for contributing. Master Gardeners Out and About in the Community These charming photos were taken at a seedhead class that Robert Faires presented at the Viridian Community in Arlington. Page 2

3 Volume 1 Issue 10 Master Gardeners Out and About in the Community Robert Faires pictured with folks from the Viridian community in Arlington showing off the terrariums that they made. Above, Master Gardeners who worked with the children at Durham Intermediate to build the 3 sisters garden. Right, part of the 3 sisters garden after it was planted. Page 3

4 Garden Conservancy Tour Photos By Susan Houston Important Dates: Thursday, November 2 Master Gardener Meeting Pot Luck Vendors Pick up your trees & shrubs Hat Contest Vote on Master Gardener of the Year Saturday, November 4 Tarrant County Master Gardeners 30th Celebration Thursday, November 16 Board Meeting Thursday, November 23 Thanksgiving, office closed Friday, November 24 office closed Reminder from Judy...There will be a Hat Contest at the November 2nd Meeting. The three categories are Creative, Functional and Fun. The three winners will receive $25 Gift Cards from Home Depot. Page 4

5 Garden Conservancy Photos By Susan Houston Page 5

6 Garden Conservancy Tour Photos by Susan Houston Page 6

7 A Note from our President Thank you A nice weekend for the "Open Days Garden Tour". Thank you to all who shared their garden, those who coordinated the event, those who worked and those who took time to enjoy the beautiful gardens. Our educational classes are being held in many areas of the County. We are reaching so many folks, sharing information about plants, soil, water conservation, Farmer's Markets, Senior Education, on and on. I appreciate all of you who are making this happen. Please look around and note all the wonderful things we are doing as Master Gardener's. As I have the privilege to work with the S.T.A.R.S. {Skills Training Achieves Results} clients, I delight in their joy and laughter, see the excitement in faces and know what we are teaching is a move forward in many lives. This year we have been on many field trips, fun times shared with friends. We are so involved and the more we do, the more we want to do...thank you. Event Thirty year's ago, in 1987, a group of people met for classes at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, thus began the Tarrant County Master Gardener's Association. "Look how far we have come"!! On November 4th we will have a "BIG Celebration" at the Resource Connection. Project Displays at the Water Works Learning Center, BBQ in the garden and tours through the Demonstration Garden. I am hoping all of you will attend. We have invited City, County, State and U.S. officials to join us, as well as AgriLife instructor's, past presidents and past members. Our special guests are You and Your Family. This is a time to reflect on how far we have come in this program, who is no longer with us, and more importantly what the future holds for our Association. Please RSVP to Saturday, November 4, 2017, 12:00-3:00, 1801 Circle Drive... Sharing Recently, I invited my family out for a workday in my garden. They thought that I was kidding but the incentive was enough that nine of us enjoyed the day and it's amazing what can be accomplished in 6 hours. There is so much more to gardening than preparing the garden for Winter and next Springs planting. We enjoyed visiting and working together. It was a chore, but a nice day as we dug up plants to thin or clear out. Great fun as in terror and laughter I watched my 4 year old great granddaughter trim the iris with scissors, very much like "Edward Scissor Hands". We all had a good time. Some more than others enjoyed working in the yard, but maybe someday they will say, " Remember the workday at mom's" and smile. I think I always loved being in the garden, but as a young working mom, I did the housework and left most of the harder yard work to my husband. As I aged that changed. I love being outside, it's therapy, in my garden all's right with the world. I feel a gardener feels reverence for the soil upon which all life depends. I realize that I am working with life itself as I put the seeds, bulbs or roots in the earths breast and nurture the plants to maturity. A plant is much like a child and needs the same loving care. My garden is a peaceful place where I can stop, reflect and catch a glimpse of life's deeper meaning. For me, even though it can be hard work it's relaxing and rewarding. I am in the autumn of my life and I think I take it some what slower, savoring each day, feeling blessed by friends and family...just stopping to smell the roses. I urge each of you to do that. Enjoy the fall season and gardening in the soon to be cooler weather. Hugs, Judy

8 TCMGA Community and Demonstration Garden Project Chairs: Richard Kurth Contact: Robert Faires Work Day: Tuesdays 8:00-11:00 Master Gardener Projects - Other Gardens Common Ground NRH Community Gardens Project chairs: Dianne Spradling Contact: dianne@spradling.org Dick Pafford Contact: dpafford@tx.rr.com Work days: 3 rd Saturday of each month Work hours: 8:30-12 Grapevine Botanical Garden Docents Project chair: Pam Braak Contact: , (cel) P.Braak@verizon.net Work Days: Opportunities are ed Samaritan House Project chairs: John Pinkerton Contact: johnpinkerton@sbcglobal.net Hugh Lefler Contact: Work days: Tuesdays, 9:00-12 Thistle Hill Project chair: Keith Olmstead Contact: Keithdennyolm@gmail.com Work day: Wednesdays, 9:00-12 Teen Challenge Project chair: Ginger Bason Contact: gbasonbowden@gmail.com Mike Waren Work day: Contact Ginger 6 Stones Community Garden Project chair: Annette Lee Contact: Annette704@sbcglobal.net Work day: Contact Annette Union Gospel Mission Project chair: Gay Larson Contact: (cell) gaylarson@ymail.com Patti Maness Contact: jim.maness@sbcglobal.com Work day: Mondays Summer 8:00, Spring/Fall 9:00, Winter 10:00 Page 8

9 Master Gardener Projects - FWBG and BRIT BRIT Project chair: Kay Yount Contact: , kjyount2@sbcglobal.net Work days: M, T, TH, F, and first Sat Work hours: 9-4 Begonia Greenhouse Project chair: Taddie Hamilton Contact: , Taddieh@sbcglobal.net Work days: Wednesdays Work hours: 8:30-12 Trial Garden Project chair: Nancy Taylor Contact: ntaylor806@gmail.com Work days: TH except MG mtg Work hours: Summer 7:30-10:30, other 8:30-11:30 Japanese Garden Docents Project chair: Diane Jones Contact: fwjgdocents@gmail.com Work days: Contact Diane Perennial Garden Project chairs: Paula Billman Contact: pbilltx@gmail.com Work days: Wednesdays Work hours: 9-12 Backyard Vegetable Garden Project chairs: Otto Witt Contact: , thetxwitts@sbcglobal.net Margaret Shuping Contact: , margaretshuping@charter.net Work days: Fridays Work hours: Summer 8:30-11:30, Winter 9:00-12 Compost Outpost Project chair: Bill Hall Contact: Work day: Call Bill Page 9

10 Master Gardener Projects - Environmental Bob Jones Nature Center Project chairs: Renee Stricklen Contact: , rstricklen@1scom.net Carol Dowd Contact: , cadowd@verizon.net Work day: 3 rd Wednesday Work hours: 9-11 The Molly Hollar Wildscape at Veterans Park Project chairs: Ann Knudsen Contact: ,nativegardener@yahoo.com Molly Hollar Contact: , molly@thewildscape.org Work day: Wednesdays Work hours: Summer 8-11, 9-12 other, 1 st Sat 8-12 SW Sub-Courthouse Project chairs: Gailon Hardin Contact: , ghardin@flash.net Dawn Hancock Contact: , dawnhancock@hotmail.com Work days: 2nd Saturday and last Wednesday Work hours: 9:00-12 SW Regional Hulen Library Project chairs: Char McMorrow Contact: charlenemcmorrow@sbcglobal.net Theresa Thomas Contact: theresakaythomas@me.net Work days: 2 nd and 4 th Thursdays Work hours: 8:30-12:30 Master Gardener Projects - School Heritage Elementary OLE Project chairs: Pam Braak Contact: P.Braak@verizon.net Harold Annis hannis3@verison.net Work days: 1 st Monday GC 1-4:15 Mondays Summer 8:30-10:30, Winter 9:00-11 Alice Carlson Elementary OLE Project chairs: Cyndi HIll Contact: cyndi.hill@gmail.com Ginny Schmidt charles.ginny@gmail.com Work days: Mondays and Thursdays Work times: Summer 8:30-10, Winter 9:00-11 Fitzgerald Elementary OLE Project chairs: Leeann Rosenthal Contact: wild4lee@sbcglobal.net Patsy Miller pjmiller24@sbcglobal.net Work days: Mondays 9:00-12, Wednesdays GC 3:00-5:00 Durham Intermediate School Project chairs: Henry Cole Contact: HenryCole0908@verizon.net Shari Worsham Sharaleaworsham@gmail.com Work days: Wednesdays Summer 8-10, Fall thru Spring Page 10