ASCENSION S SCOOP THE MARCH 21ST SPRING LIBRARY PRESENTATION HAD SOME FABULOUS DOOR PRIZE DONA TIONS!

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1 ASCENSION S SCOOP Ascension Parish Master Gardener Associa on March 2017 Newsle er THE MARCH 21ST SPRING LIBRARY PRESENTATION HAD SOME FABULOUS DOOR PRIZE DONA TIONS! TERRY TRIPP S BASKET OF GARDEN GOODIES AND MILA BERHANE S GARDEN BOOKS WERE COVETED AND A YOUNG PARTICIPANT WAS THRILLED TO BE CHOSEN TO CARE FOR GLENDA GRICE S FANTASTICAL AND BEAUTI FUL FAIRY GARDEN! AND CONCHITA RICHEY BROUGHT ENOUGH GLOBE AMARANTH SEEDS TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE. ANOTHER WINNING PRESENTATION FOR THE LIBRARY TEAM!

2 SPRING LIBRARY SERIES GARDENING TO ATTRACT POLLINATORS TUESDAY, MARCH 21, :30 PM Mila Berhane, Senior Research Associate at Southern University and Proprietor of Greenhand Nursery presented an informa on packed talk about bu erflies and bees in our environment. The mee ng room of the Dutchtown Library was packed with interested folks of all ages. Mila believes that plan ng gives new life every day. Pes cide cau on and the consequences were highlighted, sugges ng integrated pest management which involves pest preven on, monitoring pest popula ons and applying pes cides only when absolutely necessary. Tips included raising the height of your lawnmower to give flowering plants a chance to bloom; applying pes cides in early morning or evening when pollinators are not so ac ve, or when blooms are not present; and to recognize that beneficial "weeds" are essen al to managing a pollinator habitat. Find this Monarch Bu erfly Fact Sheet at: Interior/sustainableag/educa onal% 20resources/bu erfly%20fact% 20sheet.pdf Greenhand Nursery was founded in 1992 by Andeab & Mila Berhane. It has been providing the Greater Baton Rouge area with na ve and exo c plants year round for over 25 years. The nursery has a variety of na ve & tropical plants including vegetable plants, herbs, flowering plants in season, fruit trees, bedding plants, & growing salad bowls. A wide variety of plants are available at their greenhouses and Saturday mornings at the Red S ck Farmer's Market on the corner of 5th and Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Greenhand Nursery is commi ed to sustainable agriculture. They are on facebook: 2

3 GARDENING IN ASCENSION PARISH - JUST KEEPS GROWING! 2017 SPRING LIBRARY SERIES FINAL PRESENTATION GARDENING JACKPOT-FREE PLANTS AND INFORMATION TUESDAY, APRIL 25, :30 PM Do you have a list of gardening questions about citrus, ornamentals, perennials, vegetables? This is your chance to finally get the answers you need. Craig Roussel, Ascension Parish/St. James Parish County Agent with LSU AgCenter, will conduct a question-answer session on a wide range of gardening topics. Then, you will have the opportunity to participate in an old-fashioned tradition a plant swap. Bring your labeled plants, cuttings, bulbs, or seeds to exchange with local gardeners. You will leave with a jackpot of new ideas and information as well as new plants for your garden. Gonzales Library 708 South Irma Blvd. Gonzales, LA (225) (Please call to register) PLAN FOR THE EVER POPULAR PLANT SWAP! Gather those cu ngs, divisions, & extra plants to share with fellow gardeners at our at our old-fashioned plant swap. Our plant swaps have been tremendously successful due to the generous par cipa on of each Ascension Master Gardener & the public's enthusias c par cipa on!! Please label your items as best as you can (light & moisture requirements, etc.) to ensure the highest success rate possible. If you are unable to a end the plant swap but have things you can share, please bring them to the Gonzales library the day of the swap or contact another master gardener for assistance. As always, we appreciate anything that you have to share with the community. For ques ons contact Conchita Richey jtrichey@eatel.net or Sheila Billingsley shbillingsley@yahoo.com 3

4 SORRENTO PRIMARY S GREAUXING GARDENS It has been my pleasure to help Sorrento Primary Get It Greauxing! Last year, Kory Holmes, 5 th grade Science teacher and Danielle Russell, pre school Special Educa on teacher began the program. At that me three ground level raised garden beds were constructed and installed. Also, during the introductory workshop at Burden last year, we saw a raised bed that had been built to accommodate wheelchairs. Danielle commented about how great that would be for several of her students. Sorrento Lumber donated materials and my husband, Chris built it using instruct ons from the workshop manual. The 5 th graders and the older Special Educa on students worked together to grow radishes, peppers, le uce, tomatoes and herbs. This year Danielle transferred from the older Special Educa on class to the class for preschool students. Her classroom is on the other side of the school that prevents access to the garden started last year. Danielle was a real goge er and secured a grant from the Ascension Fund to build 3 more raised beds and 1 handicap raised bed for her side of the school! She asked for help and Chris and I went and helped her build them! Spring plan ng is underway! The students are exited to watch tomatoes, le uce, radishes, herbs and flowers grow! ~Mary Jo Pohlig (2011) This is the handicap raised bed my husband, Chris built last year for the special needs students in wheel chairs. Chris also built a handicap raised bed this year for the younger students in wheelchairs. Chris, Danielle and I built 3 new raised beds this year for the other side of the school for the younger grades. Growing potatoes! Current photo of raised beds built last year outside the 5th grade area. 4

5 FRUIT PRUNING WORKSHOP About 20 LSU Ag agents and Master Gardeners met with Craig Roussel and Dr. Charles Johnson in the fruit orchard on the hill at Lamar Dixon on March 3 rd for a hands on pruning seminar. The session began with the blueberries and proceeded across the orchard species by species. Fig pruning proved especially profitable for a endees as they selected pruned branches for propaga on. The main message about pruning in general was to take care of what is needed first such as dead branches. Then cut what is helpful such as crossed branches, branches that are too low on the trunk, or branches that are growing downward. Pruning to create more air circula on in the center or to limit the height of the tree would also fit in this category. Next, prune for aesthe cs. Finally, take one walk around the tree to see if any more pruning is necessary, then walk away. According to Dr. Johnson, this will help you not to con nue cu ng and end up cu ng too much. As he said, you can always cut more later, but you can t put it back. Toward the end of the session, Dr. Johnson discussed various pruners and loppers and considera ons when buying them. His final observa on of the day was Master Gardeners can talk about garden tools for half an hour and find it interes ng. We would like to thank Dr. Johnson, re red LSU AgCenter Hor culture Professor, for coming out and sharing his me and knowledge with the group. ~June Thomas (2012) 5

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7 Effec ve March 14th Julie Elzer resigned as APMGA President. Conchita Richey has agreed to serve as interim President un l the next general membership mee ng on Tuesday, May 19th, It is important to a end this mee ng as the Nomina ng Team, approved by the Board, should have a slate of those members who have agreed to serve and complete the term through Should you wish to serve or nominate please contact a team member. THE NOMINATING TEAM MEMBERS ARE: Pa Mouton (2014) Emily Young (2009) Charlo e Melacon (2015) VOTING WILL BE HELD AT OUR MAY MEETING. THANKS TO BARTON JOFFRION, CRAIG ROUSSEL AND MARIAH SIMONEAUX FOR PROVIDING A TON OF INFORMATION AT THE HOMEOWNER LAND SCAPE SYMPOSIUM HELD ON MARCH 7. 7

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9 MONARCH AND GULF FRITILLARY BUTTERFLIES Conchita Richey sent these wonderful photos of the Gulf Fri llary, top le and the Monarch, lower le, who are frequent visitors to her yard. For whatever reason, she says folk some mes have confusion when iden fying them. Maybe it's the coloring. These two were sharing the nectar of milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. This Monarch is a female and she is missing part of her le forewing, but she was fli ng around just fine. The host plant of the Monarch is Milkweed. The Gulf Fri llary lays eggs on the Passion vine aka Maypop, Passiflora incarnate, which is also na ve to our area. 9

10 ASCENSION EXTENSION OFFICE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Dear Master Gardeners, I am currently compiling a list of volunteers that are interested in general office work at the Ascension Extension Office. The following volunteer du es are: Office Coverage Volunteers are needed to answer the phone and greet visitors in my absence; this may be needed on an hourly basis or for a full day. Dynamic Data Entry Volunteers are need to input 4 H membership data informa on in to the 4 H Dynamic Database. General Office Du es Volunteers are need to shred material and for other nonspecific office du es. Please contact me if you are interested in volunteering for any of the jobs listed above. I would like to express my gra tude for the heart felt warm welcome that you all have extended to me. Thank you in advance. Debra Langlois Administra ve Coordinator LSU AgCenter Coopera ve Extension Service Ascension Parish Office (225) phone DLanglois@agcenter.lsu.edu LOUISIANA MASTER GARDENER STATE NEWS A ADVANCED MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM IS PLANNED THIS YEAR, LIKELY BEGINNING IN MAY/JUNE. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW. SARA SHIELDS, LOUISIANA MASTER GARDENER STATE COORDINATOR, WILL BE TRAVELING THE STATE THIS YEAR TO MEET WITH EACH OF THE LMG GROUPS/ASSOCIATIONS. SARA R. SHIELDS, PHD LOUISIANA MASTER GARDENER STATE COORDINATOR LMGCOORDINATOR@AGCENTER.LSU.EDU PHONE:

11 SWAN COLUMBINE SORBET VIOLA Cool-season annual Full sun to part shade Grows tall by 12 wide Space 12 apart Plant mid- to late fall for spring bloom Cool-season annual Full sun Grows 6 tall by 12 wide Space 10"-12 apart Plant fall through early spring 10

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13 Children and adults alike can take a fun journey through Louisiana s diverse agriculture industry at AgMagic, a weeklong interac ve event hosted by the LSU AgCenter and the Southern University Ag Center. AgMagic, which is expected to draw about 10,000 visitors, is held annually at the Parker Coliseum on the LSU campus. Registered school groups will tour the exhibits between April 3 and 7, and it will open to the public on April 8 and 9. Schools can schedule a visit by going to Eventbrite.com and searching for AgMagic. People interested in volunteering can sign up at h p:// agmagic8. AgMagic began in 2004 to educate children and the general public about the source of food and fiber as well as the value of the agriculture industry, which contributes about $12 billion to Louisiana s economy annually. The event highlights the important role agriculture plays in people s daily lives, said Bill Richardson, LSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture. You use agriculture three mes a day when you eat your meals, Richardson said. If your clothes are made from co on, wool or linen, you are wearing agriculture. If you live in a house framed up or built of wood, thank agriculture. AgMagic exhibits are grouped into seven portals, each of which offers children opportuni es to learn about different aspects of agriculture through fun, hands on ac vi es including holding baby chicks and pe ng other live farm animals. The portals are 4 H: Learn by Doing, World of Wonder, Farming the Waters, Plants Produce for You, Bugs Rule, Animals Produce for You and Farm Gate to Dinner Plate. The AgCenter also will host AgMagic On The River again this year, bringing the AgMagic experience to the New Orleans area from May 10 to 13. The event will take place at the Meraux Founda on s Docville Farm in Violet. For more informa on, visit or Frankie Gould at fgould@agcenter.lsu.edu. 12

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15 APMG MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS (volunteer hours) LSU AgCenter Ascension Office at Lamar Dixon Expo Center at 9AM. Mee ngs are usually held on the third Tuesday of odd numbered months. If you have an item for the agenda, please contact Julie Elzer. May 16 July 18 September 19 (may change due to MG Classes) November 21 APMG EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS (volunteer hours) LSU AgCenter Ascension Office at Lamar Dixon Expo Center at 9AM. Mee ngs are usually held on the second Tuesday of odd numbered months. The board welcomes sugges ons and comments. May 9 July 11 September 12 (may change due to MG Classes) November 14 THE REFLECTIONS IN THE GARDEN SERIES (Educa on Hours) Burden Conference Center, 4560 Essen Lane, Noon 1PM, $10 nonmembers, , culturalsociety.com. APR 3, Monday, Peggy Cox, AZALEAS FOR EVERY SEASON MAY 1, Monday, Dr. Crissy Morgan, POLLINATOR GARDENING & BEES JUNE 5, Monday, Dr. Ron Strahan, WEED CONTROL FOR LAWN AND LANDSCAPES EVENTS AROUND TOWN April 1, Lafayette Festival des Fleurs Blackham Coliseum, Sat 8-3, $5. FMI see page 13. April 1, Baton Rouge Spring Fling Plant Sale, Hilltop s Hodge Podge Nursery, Saturday 9-2 LSU Hilltop Arboretum, Highland Rd. April 6, New Orleans Annual Louisiana Iris Day, Longue Vue Gardens, Saturday 4PM-6PM 7 Bamboo Road, Sponsored by the Greater New Orleans Iris Society. Free or elanieri@longuevue.com. April 8-9, New Orleans Spring Garden Show, New Orleans Botanical Garden, Saturday 9-5 & Sunday Sponsored by LSU AgCenter. Adults $8, Children $4. April 8, Shreveport Spring Plant Sale, Randle T. Moore Center, Saturday 8AM-noon The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners will hold their spring plant sale to benefit future master gardener programs. For more information call April 20, Baton Rouge Gourmet in the Garden, LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, FMI see page 14 April 21, New Orleans, Hootenanny Grow Dat Youth Farm, Saturday, 6:30PM-10PM Join Grow Dat Youth Farms for a boot-stompin good time down on the farm at Grow Dat s annual fundraiser, the Hootenanny! Local zydeco and string band music, square dancing, restaurant fare, and craft cocktails, all to support the young people in Grow Dat s youth leadership program to find out more. April 22-23, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Orchid Society Orchids at the Opera Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Saturday, 9AM-1PM, Sunday, 9AM-4PM. April 22, Minden, Green Thumb Jamboree Webster Parish Ext. Office, Saturday 9AM-3PM Piney Hills, LA, Master Gardeners will host a variety of vendors, demonstrations, children s activities, speakers, and annual plant sale or visit April 22, Lafayette Southern Garden Festival 3502 E. Simcoe Street, Saturday 9AM-5PM,$10 Art, live music, a garden tour, master gardener presentations, bayou boat tours, refreshments, and more. Visit or call

16 AMG EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER HOUR OPPORTUNITIES APRIL 1, PLANT HEALTH CLINIC (see below for info) APRIL 7, 4 H ACHIEVEMENT DAY, DUTCHTOWN HIGH SCHOOL 8:45 2PM. Volunteers needed to assist with check in, concessions and other tasks throughout the day. Judges to judge t shirt contest, banners, spirit award, yell, song and talent compe ons (volunteer hours) Contact Camille Brady at cbrady@agcenter. Lsu.edu APRIL 13, 4 H DEMO DAY, LAMAR DIXON VENDOR ROOMS 8:15 noon. Volunteers needed for check in and to work ac vi es with the kids as judging occurs. Judges for exhibits, speeches and demonstra ons. Contact Camille Brady at cbrady@agcenter.lsu.edu APRIL 19, Wed: ST. JAMES PARISH AG DAY 8AM 2:30PM, Off Highway 3125 and down N Golden Grove St, Gramercy, La A day of teaching students about agriculture and its connec ons to our daily life (volunteer hours) APRIL 25, Tue: 2017 SPRING LIBRARY SERIES GARDENING JACKPOT, FREE PLANTS & INFO (Educ. & Vol. Hrs) Gonzales Library. See page 3 for details. MAY 6, PLANT HEALTH CLINIC (see below for info) Plant Health Clinic April 1st and May 6th Saturday, 8AM Noon Louisiana Nursery, Highway 42, Prairieville, LA Help the community with plant problems, sugges ons and recommenda ons (volunteer hours) April 4th-Gardening Anywhere-Miniature Gardening April 22nd-Gardening Anywhere-Patio Containers May 20th-Insects and Disease-We make it easy June 3rd-Gardening Anywhere-In the shade June 17th-Succulent Gardens-Easy to care for Classes start 10AM at all 3 Louisiana Nursery locations JUNE 30th LSU AGCENTER MIDYEAR REPORTING DEADLINE FOR MASTER GARDENER HOURS Enter your Volunteer and Education Hours through June Go to: 16

17 ~ Dorothy Frances Gurney AscensionMasterGardeners Ascension Parish Master Gardener Program 9039 St. Landry Road Bldg. C Gonzales, LA (225) Our newsletter needs your help covering all the awesome programs and projects APMGA is involved with throughout the year. Other events and plant talks could also be shared. When you experience something horticultural, consider taking a few notes and photos for the newsletter. For more information on how to become involved contact Sheila Billingsley or Lynda Williams. 17