MG Officers and Elect

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1 MG GAZETTE MISSION: The mission of the association shall be to organize and promote volunteer efforts that Support Extension programs advancing sound horticultural practices in Nueces County. Nueces Master Gardeners, Inc. Issue 4 April Plant Indian Paintbrush Botanical Name Castilleja indivisa March Topics MG Officers President s Corner Happenings Agent s Notes March Potluck Meeting Dates Botanical Garden Lectures Birthdays Media Kick-of Volunteer Opportunities Garden Council MG s in Action Lemons in My Garden Volunteer Management System Mulch Madness One of the popular paintbrushes, this showy annual or biennial grows 6-16 in. high. Its several unbranched stems form clumps topped by bright-red, paintbrush-like spikes. The flowers are actually inconspicuous and greenish, but are subtended by showy, red-tipped bracts. Together, the flowers and bracts form 3-8 in. spikes. The roots of this plant will grow until they touch the roots of other plants, frequently grasses, penetrating these host roots to obtain a portion of their nutrients. Transplanting paintbrush may kill it. Indian paintbrush has a reputation for being unpredictable. In some years, when bluebonnets (which flower at approximately the same time as Indian paintbrush) are especially colorful, paintbrush will have only an average flowering year. Other years, paintbrush is spectacular. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center MG Officers and Elect 2014 President Norma Hernandez (361) El Deborah Holliday (956) Vice President Debra Martin (361) Elect Alene Burch (361) Secretary Carol Barragy (361) Elect Linda Lamprecht (361) Treasurer/ Mary Lambert (361) Bookkeeper Elect Theresa Stelzig (361) Publicity Elect Gazette Editor ALL MASTER GARDENERS Jenny Mohundro jlmohundro@gmail.com (361) Ex-Officio Stephanie Martin (361) Members-atlarge State Directors DeAnna Baumgartner, Betty Rogers, Gary Martin Jenny Mohundro, Carlos Valdez Extension Lisa Martinez (361) Office MG Helpline (361)

2 WOW Spring has sprung. Plants and weeds (that is to say plants that are located where they aren t wanted) are growing like crazy, as are our opportunities to volunteer in the community. Thanks to Sabie Morlan for presenting an enjoyable and informative program Hopelessly Hooked on Hibiscus to the membership in March. The Big Bloom will take place April 5 th at the Botanical Gardens. Master Gardeners have been asked to operate the concession stand. We will be offering cookbooks to the public. Please sign up to assist with the project. The Garden Show Case Party, sponsored by the Junior League, will occur at Cunningham Middle School April 8 from 3-4. Master Gardeners have been invited to participate. Master Gardeners will present a check for the value of volunteer hours donated to the community to the County Commissioners April 9 at 9am. This event is at the Nueces County Courthouse. Please don t miss an opportunity to promote the Master Gardener program. Another YEEHA! opportunity April 10! We are expanding our horizons and heading to Robstown. At Robert Driscoll Elementary school there will be 2 sessions, 9am and 1pm, of 75 children each session. If you can t assist with one maybe the other is a better time. The Plant Auction has been moved to the October meeting. The general meeting will be at 12 with the plant auction to follow. Deb Holliday graciously accepted the chairmanship. Please contact her with your donations. Thanks to Thorunn Kelley for organizing and maintaining the 2013 Master Gardeners scrapbook. You did an outstanding job. The reins (scrapbook) have been turned over to Robin Arndt. Please send Robin your photos and media articles. Mark your calendar for the Fall Home and Garden Show September Contact me if you are interested in chairing the education booth. I look forward to working with all members and thank you to everyone for all you do for the Nueces Master Gardeners. Norma Norma Hernandez President 2014 Nueces Master Gardeners, Inc. President s Corner Other Happenings April 2014 Wed. Apr. 2 *Coastal Bend Cacti & Succulent Society, 7pm, GC, *South Texas Orchid Society, 7pm, GC, Thurs. Apr. 3 *Orchid Novice Class, 7pm, BG, Sat. Apr. 5 *Big Bloom Plant Sale, 9am-5pm, BG, Tue. Apr. 8 *Corpus Christi Area Garden Council, 10am, GC, *Junior League of Corpus Christi Garden Party, 3-4pm, Cunningham Elementary, 4321 Prescott, Wed. Apr. 9 *Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, 10am, ACISD Maintenance Dept., 619 N. Live Oak St., Room 14, Rockport, Thurs. Apr. 10 * Let s Talk About Water, 9am, EFNEP Office, 4639 Corona, Ste. 30 Fri & Sat. Apr. 11 & 12 *Gene Blacklock s Introduction to the Fascinating World of Birds 6:15-9:15pm Friday April 11 and field trip 7am-1pm, April 12 Sat. Apr. 12 *Earth Day/Bay Day, 10am-5pm, Heritage Park, * Keeping Your Orchid Alive seminar, 10am, BG, Tue. Apr. 15 * Bird Migration along the Coastal Bend brown bag event, 12-1pm, Rockport Ext. Office, 892 Airport Rd, * MG Executive and General Meetings, 10am and 12Noon, GC, Wed. Apr. 17 *Bromeliad Society, 7pm, GC, Fri. Apr. 19 * Mosaics in the Garden Workshop II 10:30am- 12:30pm, Rockport Extension Office, $15 supply fee, Thu. Apr. 24 *Bonsai Society, 7pm, GC, Sat. Apr. 26 * Easy Culinary Herbs - Garden to Kitchen, 10am, BG, BG=Botanical Gardens GC=Garden Center (Greeley Senior Center) Be sure to note all of the opportunities for educational hours (601) at the Botanical Gardens, local nurseries, plant societies and Master Gardeners programs. (Program portion only) 2

3 April Meeting Lunch Agent s Notes Howdy! YEEHA Program at Schanen Estates Elementary School and the kids were so excited to learn! Thank you to those of you that could help load up materials and present! Congratulations to you all for being so successful with the Learning to Grow School Gardening Program! I was amazed how quickly DeAnna assembled her team and they were able to put in garden beds at Oso Recreation Center and at Solomon Coles with only a few days notice! In March I had an opportunity to speak to the AP Environmental Sciences classes at Moody High School. The students brought in their soil analysis results and I helped them interpret them and offer suggestions. The classes were wonderful and the students were eager to improve their personal gardens and home landscapes. There are a number of things going on this month! On April 5 th the Big Bloom plant sale at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will take place from 9AM-5PM. On that same day Beautify Corpus Christi Association will be sponsoring La Noche Bonita at L&F Distributors Ltd. From 6PM-9PM. This event will feature dishes from area restaurants, wine, and a silent auction. On April 8 th Junior League CC Kids in the Kitchen will be holding a publicity event at Cunningham Middle School from 3-4PM. I hope everyone will make an effort to attend and show support for our organization! On April 9 th I will be attending the Commissioner s Court meeting along with Norma Hernandez and Carlos Valdez to present the Commissioners a check that represents the value of the Nueces County Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists volunteer hours. For Master Gardeners the amount was $170, and for the Master Naturalists the amount was $54, Keep up the great work! Also on the 9 th our office will be having a Leadership Advisory Board Meeting held at Berry Contracting. On April 10 th Jason Ott, the Ag/NR Agent and I will be hosting a Let s Talk about Water Program from 9AM-noon at the EFNEP Office that is located in Suite 30 at 4639 Corona. This will be a very informative and fun program! The week of April I will be out of town to attend an Academy I Training in College Station. This required training will help me continue to develop my leadership skills and help our organization grow. On April 22 nd I will be hosting the Enotmology Contest at the District Office starting at 4PM. I am very excited about this event, and look forward to meeting some future entomologists! I have recently become a member of the Tree Advisory Board and look forward to all of the opportunites that I will have to give back to the community. On Apirl 25 th the Tree Advisory Board with the help of the Park and Recreation individuals will plant a tree a tree in honor of Arbor Day. On April 30 th -May 2 nd I will be out of town to attend a Horticulture Agent Training Program that will be held in Austin, Texas. Jessica Weizer CEA-Horticulture Jessica.Weizer@ag.tamu.edu To volunteer for future lunches, Contact Rita Phillips Or rnphillipscctx@grandecom.net Next MG General Meeting April 15 th, noon at GC Program: Having Fun with Herbs in the Kitchen Deb Holliday Next MG Board of Directors Meeting April 15 th, 10:00 a.m. at GC (3 rd Tuesday monthly, except December) The Master Gardener Plant Auction has been re-scheduled for the fall. October 21, 2014 Deb Martin will Chair this project. It is not too soon to start working on growing and grooming plants or making craft creations for the sale. Money from this project goes to fund our next educational trip. 3

4 04/02 Phyllis O Brien Class 16 04/13 Deb Houlihan Class 21 04/30 Beverly Leach Class 15 04/30 Betty Rogers Class 15 Important! Error Correction To enter your volunteer hours in the new on-line system, use this corrected address! YEA!! All of the vegetable beds for CCISD are FINISHED!! The Garden Party will be held Tuesday, April 8 th, 3:00-4:00 pm Cunningham Elementary School 4323 Prescott This is a photo-op Media Event co-hosted with Junior League s Kids In The Kitchen program. Come and show support for the MG Learning To Grow Program. DeAnna & Crew.YOU ROCK! I Ongoing: Ray High School Greenhouse Behind Ray H.S., Staples & Texan Trail. Monday Classroom speakers 9:55 & 12:01 Tuesday Greenhouse classes 9:55 & 12:01 Tuesday Botany Club 4:00-5:0 0 Ongoing: Food Bank Project Outgrow Hunger 826 Krill Dr. (Navigation then right on Savage Lane to Krill). Tuesdays 8:00a.m.( Except MG meeting day then Wednesday) Contact: Mary Lambert or her at cwlmel@yahoo.com Ongoing: Nature Conservatory, Mon., March 10 & March 24, 4:00 & Blucher Park 5:00 until sundown. (Behind the Main Library) Bring gloves, bug spray, plus a bag lunch & chair if you plan to stay for our Chat & Chew time. Contact: Karen Smith Ongoing: Courtyard Maintenance at the Senior Garden Center, 1 st Monday, 9:15 a.m. Contact: Betty Whitt Ongoing: Botanical Gardens, Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. Contact: Jessica Latimer Areas to work: 1. Hummingbird Garden 2. Butterfly Garden (new) 3. Sensory Garden 4. Earth Kind Garden Check With Michael, Carol, or Billy for work tasks. Garden Council Meeting 2 nd Tuesday, April 8, 10:00 am Greeley Senior Garden Center Remember, this meeting place for our MG s is tied to the success of the Garden Council. Support them with your attendance and participation every month! Our Newest Certified MG Hope Romero 4

5 Editor s Note: No photos of Master Gardeners at work were submitted this month. I think this can be explained in one word: S P R I N G!! We were all busy digging, planting, and pruning in our own yards and gardens in our spare time between regular MG activities and living our lives. There will be plenty of photo opportunities next month. In keeping with the Spring theme, Mary Lambert submitted a photo to give us all a good laugh. Now That s Funny! MG Volunteer Opportunity! BIG BLOOM! Dollar Day, Mega Plant Sale, New Eco-Fun activities for kids and adults Saturday, April 5 9:00 am 5:00 pm (Doors open at 8:00 for Members) Wednesday, Thursday & Friday April 2, 3, and 4 9:00 a.m. The trucks of plants will arrive and the Botanical Garden Staff Need Help Unloading 5

6 Master Gardener Specialist Training Conclave May 15-16, 2014 on Texas A&M Campus MG Vegetable Specialist; Course Director-Joe Masabni MG Earth-Kind Landscape Specialist; Course Director-Mengmeng Gu MG Home Fruit Specialist; Course Director-Monte Nesbitt MG Junior Master Gardener Specialist: Course Director-Lisa Whittlesey The MG Specialist Conclave is an opportunity for certified master gardeners to gain specialist training in a conference setting. Four specialist courses will be taught concurrently at the Texas A&M Horticultural Sciences Department building on the Texas A&M University Campus at College Station, Texas. Certified master gardeners with approval and support of their county coordinator may register for one of the training sessions. Registration $250 **Master Gardeners completing their requirements are eligible for $50 in rebates from the Texas Master Gardener Association. On-Line Registration: (keyword Master Gardener) Spring Is A Gift What a delightful gift is spring When flowers bloom and songbirds sing, When the air is warm and fresh and sweet And I feel promise beneath my feet. Trees wear shades of bright green lace And showers come to wash their face. Each and every spring I see I know is a gift from God to me. By Bernice Maddux, Weatherford, Texas 6

7 Texas Gardeners SEEDS From Our Garden To Yours March 12, 2014 Magazine Article Submitted by Nueces MG, Carlos Valdez 7 easy steps to grow herbs indoors Birds & Blooms Don't let winter's dreadful temperatures keep you down. To add a bit of greenery and pizazz to your life, try growing an indoor herb garden! Start your indoor garden with these seven basic steps: Choose the right location: Although many think that herbs need direct sunlight, indirect sunlight will also work fine. Look around your house and make sure to choose the best location - don't limit yourself to the kitchen. East, South and West-facing windows should all give your herbs more than enough light. Buy the right pot and soil: One of the most important steps in growing herbs is choosing a high-quality potting soil. Buy soil that feels nice and moist when you take a handful. The type of pot you use is also extremely important. Clay pottery or unglazed ceramic pots seem to be the best for growing plants. Plant with loose soil: It is very important to loosely fill the pot with soil and not to press down too hard. Once the soil is in place, remove the starter herb plant from its pot and gently loosen the soil around the bottom inch of the roots. Scoop out a hole in the planting pot and settle the plant in its new home. Carefully fill soil back around the roots and water the plant moderately. Learn how to water: Learning to water herb containers is what takes the most practice. Until you get used to how fast your plants dry out, check them every couple of days.to keep plants and soil from drying out too fast, avoid placing them near furnace vents or hot, sunny windows. Plan to water plants every three to five days. Add organic fertilizer: Fertilize herbs once a month with organic fertilizer. You'll probably be using the plants for cooking or tea, so you don't want to be eating chemical fertilizer residues. Prevent insect pests: Whenever you grow plants indoors, insects can come calling. You can prevent most problems by making sure your soil doesn't get soggy. If you notice a few pests on your herbs, take action right away by spraying with a soap- or neem oil-based plant product. Harvest for good health: Be sure to pinch back or harvest your plants regularly. Pinching back the top couple of inches of growth helps plants stay bushy and healthy, and the harvest is perfect for cooking, making tea or adding to your bath. 7

8 For Gardeners With Way Too Much Spare Time: Ideas on Creative Use Of Garden Produce More on Next Page 8

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10 Easter Egg Veggie Pizza Ingredients: a dusting of flour 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions 8 ounce tub of vegetable cream cheese veggies of your choice, finely chopped optional, 2 tablespoon heavy cream or egg wash (egg mixed with a bit of water) Supplies Needed: cutting board covered with parchment paper rolling pin parchment paper lined baking sheet pizza wheel or knife fork optional, pastry brush Instructions: - See more at: Dust your cutting board (or parchment paper) with flour. Un-fold puff pastry sheet and set on cutting board (or parchment paper.) Sprinkle some flour over top of dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough so that it increases in length to 13" long. Use a pizza wheel or knife to cut a large egg shape out of the dough. Move your egg to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. This is where it would have been easier to have it on the paper already. Use a fork to prick holes all over the dough. Optional: brush heavy cream or egg wash over the entire egg. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake egg for minutes until golden brown (longer if you like it really dark.) Allow to cool completely. Spread veggie cream cheese over crust. Decorate with vegetables and serve. You can refrigerate your pizza for a few hours or up to two days. 10

11 Arbor Day Friday, April 25th Arbor Day History Arbor Day is a celebration of trees and their importance to providing shelter, stabilization for the ground, and beauty to the beholder. While Arbor Day is a US holiday, several other countries have adopted similar observances including Japan, Australia, Korea and Yugoslavia. In 1970, President Richard Nixon declared Arbor Day a federal holiday and it is observed the last Friday in April each year. Facts about Arbor Day The first Arbor Day was celebrated April 10, 1872 in the State of Nebraska. More than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska as they celebrated the first Arbor Day. A single tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old. Newspaper editor, Julius Sterling Morton began Arbor Day to help bring attention to the importance of trees. Since the Yellowstone Fires of 1988, the Arbor Day Foundation has partnered with the US Forest Service. Through this partnership, over 25 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted. Arbor Day Top Events and Things to Do Plant a tree. Visit a nursery and consider buying some plants. Visit a park with green area that has beautiful trees. Organize a neighborhood beautification project. Hold a paper drive. Use the recycling proceeds to purchase a special tree. Arbor Day References and Related Sites 11

12 And Happy April Gardening 12

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14 Jessica M. Weizer, CEA- Horticulture Editor: Jenny Mohundro Disclaimer - the information herein is for informational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating ******************************************************** Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service, or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension event are encouraged to contact their County Extension Office at at least one week in advance of the program in order for proper arrangements to be made. ************** In the event of a name, address or phone number change please contact the office at: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 710 E. Main, Suite 1, Attn: Horticulture Robstown, Texas (361)