Inside the Gardener s Scoop

Transcription

1 June 2015 The Sounds of Nature Article and photo by Midge Willis Strolling through the woods, listening to the sounds of nature, is one of my favorite pastimes after gardening, of course. At this time of year, when the garden is all planted and the May flowers are their showiest, I take time to relax before the harvest begins and the hot days of summer start. The heat causes me to water plants and fight whiteflies, stink bugs, and all other pests that want to eat my food and flowers. One of the sounds I love is the love song of the male 13-year cicadas that have emerged this year. To me, it sounds like a soft trill floating through the trees and into my ears. Andrea, my neighbor, assures me I will soon be tired of that love song because shortly they will get louder and louder. I can believe that because they are extremely loud on some other property we have just a few miles away. But for now, I will enjoy what I have here: the soft sounds of nature as time goes peacefully by in the southern countryside. All of a sudden I see a blade of grass that looks black, and I know it is the Lubber grasshopper babies beginning another year of torture for me! Soon after they hatch (when they are very small and cute), they all climb up a blade of grass and cause the grass to look like a thick black plant. They are solid black with an orange stripe and look nothing like the sinister adult they will very quickly grow into. I know if I don't kill as many as I can find, they will destroy my entire garden and all of my flowers, so I work fast! I think I got all of this batch, but others are beginning to hatch so, I will have to be on the lookout for them. I hurry to call Andrea and tell her to get her stomping shoes on. Andrea and I call our ritual at this time of the year "doing the grasshopper stomp. I do the "grasshopper stomp" to the trill of the cicada love song. Love and hate all wrapped up in one slow walk through the woods. That's life in the country and, especially, life as a gardener. Sounds continue on page 3 Inside the Gardener s Scoop Sounds of Nature... 1, 3 Meeting Minutes Recipes. 4 MG Appreciation Day... 5 Schedule... 5 Volunteer Service Hours... 6 Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!1

2 NELA Master Gardener Association Meeting Minutes for May 12, 2015 Call to Order Christy Francis called the meeting to order at 6:40. The minutes were approved as written. Steve Thomas presented the financial report as of April 30, Program Steve Thomas introduced Don Wheeler, our speaker for the evening. Mr. Wheeler is Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at Delta Community College. He presented a discussion of global warming, stressing the thinness of the earth s atmosphere and rising of carbon dioxide. Reports and Projects Greenhouse Warren Daniel reported on progress at the greenhouse. It will soon be getting bracing and a vent system. Butterfly Garden Irrigation is in the Butterfly Garden. Kerry reported that a demonstration garden of the Louisiana Super Plants will be placed on the left side. Pathways will be more curved, and soil is needed in the center to improve drainage. Cost is expected to be $1,000- $2,000, Christy will get bids. Dawn is looking for members of a path committee. Interested persons should call her. Mitch and Kerry pulled up the old edging timbers. The vegetable gardens will remain where they are. The beds will be mulched with cardboard with mulch over it. Aviation Museum A workday was announced for May 15 (before the Memorial Day program). Christy will be the lead as Debbie will be out of town. Debbie will acquire the additional plants needed. VA Hospital Plans to help there are on hold temporarily. Hypertufa Class The class to learn to make these concrete-based planters should be held sometime in June. Christy will teach the class. The location will depend on having sufficient space to mix and shape, and they will have to be left in place about one week to dry. Master Gardener Classes Kerry announced that the new Master Gardener group finishes up in early June. The new graduates must perform 40 hours of service before they formally graduate. Jay Stevens will be here soon to conduct the first Advanced Master Gardener class. The class will be recorded, as this is the first year. In the future, the classes will be online. There was some discussion as to whether those not enrolled in the Advanced Master Gardener class could attend. It was later decided that only those who have enrolled and paid may attend. Meeting Minutes continue on page 3 Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!2

3 Meeting Minutes continued from page 2 Miscellaneous Announcements Midge will be taking pots to be stored for the bulb sale. Walmart donated between 50 and 100 pots the day before the meeting. Other pots are currently stored under the brown building at Kiroli. Buck Bounds thanked the group for their support during his illness. He is now feeling well. Elaine brought rose bushes from her yard to share with the group. P.J. brought white violas to share with the group. The door prize, a lovely mandevilla, was won by Judy Grant. The meeting adjourned at 8:15. Sounds Continued from page 1 The cicadas do not harm anything that I know of they just look so scary. They do not bite unless they are forced to. Aren't those wings gorgeous? I probably won't even notice the twigs the mother carefully slits open to lay her eggs in. They will fall to the ground with all of the other things on the forest floor as her babies go underground to stay for 13 years and feast on the roots of our plants. The Lubbers on the other hand are very destructive. They eat everything in sight including roses and all other things I hold dear. One of their favorites is the crinum bulbs we dug for the plant sale. I will be on the lubber patrol daily protecting our bulbs, plucking the mature Lubbers off and stomping them, waiting for winter to come and rid us of this pest for a while. The cicadas will be peacefully underground bothering no one, for now. Save Those Pots! As we buy plants here and there, putting in our lovely new flowers and bushes, let s not forget to save the pots to reuse for our fundraising sales. Any size pot may come in handy, so don t throw them away. Pots can be dropped off at the AgCenter or at Kiroli. NELA MG Board Members Board Officers President Christy Francis Vice President Steve Hotard Secretary Virginia Lee Treasurer Steve Thomas Recorder Helen Hotard Historian Lilly Mathews Board Members-at-Large Elaine Johnson Laura Hardin Warren Daniel Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!3

4 Recipes from Our Members Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup submitted by Dawn Jordan Serves sweet onion sliced thin into strings 2 stalks celery sliced thin into strings 1 cup sliced carrots sliced thin into strings 2 Tbs. oil 1 large rotisserie chicken, skinned and boned 1 qt. chicken broth 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can seasoned black beans 1 can whole kernel corn 1 can chopped green chilies 1 can diced fire roasted petite tomatoes 1 pkg taco seasoning mix 1 pkg roasted garlic cooking sauce 1 8oz. block cream cheese 1 cup grated cheddar cheese salt, pepper, ground red pepper, and cumin to taste Sauté sliced veggies until tender. Add all ingredients to a pot or crock pot and heat through! Top with: sliced green onions sour cream cheese chips avocado slices Serve with tortilla chips. Carrot-Cucumber Sweet Relish submitted by Debbie Beauvais NOTE: This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Home Canning Cook Book, copyright This is so much better than store-bought pickle relish. Great on hot dogs or in chicken or tuna salads. 4 to 6 unpeeled cucumbers, coarsely ground* (3½ cups) 6 medium carrots, coarsely ground* (1½ cups) 2 medium onions (or less), coarsely ground* (1 cup) 2 Tbsp. salt 2 cups sugar 1½ cups distilled white vinegar 1½ tsp. celery seed 1½ tsp. mustard seed Combine ground vegetables and salt. *(I shred the vegetables in a food processor.) Let stand 3 hours; drain. In an 8- to 10-quart stock pot or Dutch oven combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and mustard seed; bring to boiling. Add vegetables. Bring back to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Ladle mixture into clean, hot ½ pint jars, leaving ½-inch head space. With a fresh, moist kitchen towel, wipe any syrup from the top edge of the jar. Add seals and rings and tighten. Process in boiling water bath (half-pints) 15 minutes. Makes 5 half-pints. Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!4

5 Master Gardener Appreciation Day Hammond Research Station Hosts Picture Perfect Event photos by Virginia Lee Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!5

6 June 2015 Activities Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat 1 Advanced MG Class MG Class MG Meeting 6:30pm MG Class Newsletter Article Submission Deadline Educational Reminder Our new Master Gardener class is continuing to meet on Thursday nights. Remember that we are welcome to join their classes. These are the topics and presenters for May: June 4 Organic Gardening (Kerry Heafner & Kathy Copeland) June 11 Urban plants & first detector (Dr. Jaj Singh) Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!6

7 Volunteer Service Hours As of November 15, As of Volunteer May 15, Service 2015 Hours Continuing Volunteer Education Service Hours 87 Continuing Education Hours This time last year: 1309 Volunteer Service Hours 197 This Continuing Time Last Education Year Hours 650 Volunteer Service Hours 75 Continuing Education Hours Do not forget to record your hours! Do not forget to record your The hours! next MG meeting is Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at the LSU AgCenter. The next MG meeting is Tuesday, June at the LSU AgCenter. The Louisiana Master Gardener Program is a service and educational activity offered by the LSU AgCenter. The program is designed to recruit and train volunteers to help meet educational needs of home gardeners while providing an enjoyable and worthwhile service experience for volunteers. Contact: LSU AgCenter 704 Cypress Street West Monroe, LA (318) Gardener s Scoop - June 2015 Page!7