Field of Unwanted Flowers Exploration and Effort Yield Simple Pleasures

Transcription

1 August 2014 Field of Unwanted Flowers Exploration and Effort Yield Simple Pleasures by Midge Willis A field of unwanted flowers is an open invitation to Christy Francis and me. Andrea Griggs obtained permission from the landowner for us to dig them up, and I talked Christy into going with me. We waited for them to quit blooming and start to die back; then, on a very hot day in the summer of 2013, we loaded the Kiroli truck up with pots, shovels, and sharp shooters and away we went. I had never seen them up close, so I had no clue what they were, just that there were a lot of white flowers out there. Christy was trusting me to know they were worth digging up, and I was hoping they wouldn't disappoint us. and I began trying to dig. I tried as hard as I could, but I could not get a single one up. She already had four or five up and lying on the ground, so I decided I would load while she dug. I don't know how she did it, but she got a full load of them. She even found a lot of seed all over the ground where they had survived the bush hog. We located the bulbs and began digging, or I should say Christy began digging Field continues on page 7 Inside the Gardener s Scoop Field of Unwanted Flowers..1,7 Meeting Minutes Southern Reg. MG Conf AG Center Demo Gardens Season for Everything Schedule of Events From the President Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 1

2 NELA Master Gardener Association Meeting Minutes for July 13, 2014 The General Meeting began at 6:35 pm. Program The speaker, Jennifer Haneline, is a clinical social worker and Regional Manager for Tobacco-Free Living. What does TFL have to do with gardening, you might ask. The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living is a program of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center and is administered by the Louisiana Public Health Institute. The TLF program awards grant money to Louisiana-based community organizations. The recipients must use the grant money to promote tobacco-free policies to protect all residents from tobacco use, and change community standards regarding tobacco use. They are working to build healthier communities. Part of being a healthier community is for residents to exercise and eat better foods. Vegetable gardening covers both areas. The TLF program works to improve the health of residents, correcting obesity, improving cardio-vascular health and mental health, and provide learning activities. Improving the public s outlook and health makes people happier. They focus on tobacco because tobacco use is linked to the three leading causes of death cancer, respiratory (including second-hand smoke), and cardio-vascular. Many people are using the electronic cigarettes to help them stop smoking; they don t realize that there are toxins in these. Furthermore, ads for the electronic cigarettes are targeting children by offering flavored nicotine. lifestyles. Also, sitting is the new smoking. Standup desks and treadmill desks have been introduced. Exercise also improves your mental health. Walk 30 minutes to get happier. What if your neighborhood doesn t have sidewalks? Walking on the edge of the street isn t safe. Sidewalks help people to get out of the house and walk. This is another needed improvement in many communities. A community garden was formed. The TLF group is helping to make it a successful community garden. Another study found a disparity in health equity. For example, someone that s the same age, but lower income, and of a minority race will have worse health compared to some who are not of a minority race, are of middle or upper income, and same age. You may have also read about the health effects of food deserts. Community gardens can greatly improve the diet of residents in communities by providing fresh vegetables and fruit. Many residents in these low-income communities don t have transportation to travel several miles to purchase quality, healthy foods. The introduction of healthier foods takes a couple of years to cause a real change. Let s Grow Monroe is the group s name. Critical needs for locating a community garden are: Must be near people Must be near water Helpful if near a food bank distribution site Studies have found that there are increasing numbers of non-smokers with the same problems linked to smoking because of work environments and Meeting Minutes continue on page 3 Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 2

3 Meeting Minutes continued from page 2 The community garden that Jennifer works with is located behind the Assembly South church. Some other considerations for a good community garden are: Site selection Purpose of the garden Choosing what you grow Water Tending a plot Rules of engagement Scheduling participants throughout the year Security and limitations of who enters the garden Having community events at the community garden Extra credit for school students attending Benches and shade Business partners involved in the Coalition Volunteers wanting to help are put with a group that works in the garden. On Facebook, view Let s Grow Monroe (use Dig In ). Residents can harvest from their own 4x8 plot. There is also a community plot. The Wellspring Alliance is working to help homeless veterans participate. LSU plans to demonstrate food preparation. Several grow boxes were given to those with no land at home so that they can raise some veggies. Soil and seeds were also provided. Old Business The June minutes were in the newsletter sent via to members. Those present were asked if they had any changes or questions on the minutes. There were none. The minutes were approved and seconded. Treasurer s Report Steve Thomas gave a detailed report of the account. The balance, after clearing some checks, is slightly less than in May. Gardening Classes for Home School Students Steve Hotard advised that Markaye Russell and Mrs. Bearden have compiled the course with topics for classes. Steve will begin calling MGs to teach these classes which will be on Tuesdays from 11:30-12:15 or 12:45 beginning Oct. 3. They will be held at the Edgewood Baptist Church beside West Monroe HS unless it is a class involving field work. The first two classes will cover botany, the next will be on soils, and the next will be field work at the WM Farmer s Market on fall vegetables. There are several other classes; Steve has the list of topics. Please note, this is not a Jr. MG Program, but it is a great opportunity to share our love and knowledge of gardening with the next generation. Fall Bulb Sale The sale date is October 25 th. Research of sources of bulbs other than daffodils is ongoing. Debbie will notify all by of the first planning session. Don t forget to divide any crowded bulbs, rhizomes, corms, or tubers and pot up the extras for the bulb sale. Pictures are needed for selling plants not in bloom. Kiroli Rose Garden Another site at Kiroli for a possible rose garden is being discussed. Greenhouse A good-sized greenhouse with ventilation and cooling would be VERY expensive. Add to that the cost of bringing water and electricity to the site, plus monthly utility bills. This is still being investigated. Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 3

4 Meeting Minutes continued from page 3 Butterfly Garden Nothing new on the irrigation plans. Debbie asked that members take some time to go there and water plants and weed. The ground dries out quickly with the very hot temperatures. Note: Please do not leave pulled weeds and grasses in the walkways. Besides looking terrible, they might just take root and grow there. There is a dumpster near the water tower. Writing Contest There are still a few wrinkles to iron out and possible judges to approach. Remember this contest is to give you a chance to research a topic and present the information in your own words to our association members. You ll be learning and teaching us. Midge has already been doing this. Her article comparing the surprise lily and the pink lycoris (spider lily) is a great example. Format and grammar are not being judged. More details later. This begins January Next Class for Master Gardeners This will be in August but the date has not yet been determined. The topic will be on writing a good article. Flower Arranging Class The date has been set. July 29 (Tuesday); sessions will be from 1:00-3:00 and 6:00-8:00. Register with Steve Hotard. Members were asked to quickly spread the word. AgExpo Gardening Seminar Debbie reminded members that a committee needs to be formed and start planning the January seminar, and especially, to invite a speaker since their schedules are quickly filled. The seminar date is January 17. classes. The bed will be 7 x 12 and in the shape of a C. Estimated cost is $ for a raised frame, soil amendments, and a weed-killing chemical. Jerry Hunter has offered to help with this. The school already has a program planned using the garden. All present were in favor of this expenditure. Kiroli Volunteers are needed to help always. Christy had asked for someone to take photos of the daylilies that could be used to sell the extras at the fall or spring plant sales. They need to be thinned also. AG Center Some work was done, but more is needed. Hospitality Thanks to Team 2 for refreshments this evening: Rita Albritton Steve Thomas Warren Daniel Bill Albritton John McGraw Steve Walker Jennifer Ates Helen Hotard Team 3 will host the August meeting. Members are: Nancy Sandel Elizabeth Otwell Kathy McGuire Myra Lawrence Danny Neal Elaine Smith Lily Matthews Christy Francis The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. New Business Proposed Project Buck Bounds had been asked to help Calhoun Middle School. Principal Werner Aswell asked for a gardening bed for their 6 th and 7 th grade Biology Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 4

5 Southern Regional MG Conference Don t miss the opportunity to attend this if you can go. The next one may two or three states away. This conference involves Master Gardeners from 12 other states in the south. The Board members agreed to cover the registration fee for two representatives if registering on or before October 14th. The registration fee includes some meals, as detailed on their website and in the information pasted below. Other meals, travel, and lodging would be your own expense. The two members of the NE La. MG Assn. accepting this offer will need to write an article for our newsletter reporting on two of the speakers and their presentations and your experiences at the conference. Photos would be great! These would need to be ed to Tom Floyd, our editor, before Nov. 20th. It will be held in Baton Rouge at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, October 21-24, 2014, Thursday-Friday. There is information and registration at There are links to other information as shown below. There is also a video on YouTube. Speakers Who s who and more Schedule Overview of conference schedule and sessions Tours Guided tours, transportation and entrance fees Cajun Night An optional dinner and fun night Merchandise Lists items for sale online Your registration includes first class speakers, three breakfasts, two lunches, one dinner, personalized itinerary and a commemorative conference bag. You can also register for optional guided tours and a special "Cajun Night" at world-renowned Cajun and Creole Chef John Folse's White Oak Plantation. Registration Fees Entire Conference: $180 - Early Bird: by July 15, 2014 $220 Regular: July 16 - October 14, 2014 $270 On-Site: October 21, 2014 Partial Conference: Limited registration is available for those who want to attend only one of the two full days and/or who want to attend specific dining events. Fees for each of these events are as follows: Wednesday (speakers, breakfast and lunch): $ Thursday (speakers, breakfast, lunch and dinner): $ Lunch on Wednesday only: $35.00 Lunch on Thursday only: $25.00 Dinner on Thursday only: $42.00 A service fee of $3.55 plus 3.75% will be added to each registration fee. Online registration will be available until October 7, Please note, hotel costs are not included in the registration fee. Lodging reservations and payments should be made directly with the hotels. Please check the Lodging page for hotel information. Tours: Tour prices include transportation except Cajun Night, where transportation is an option. Only 50 seats are available for each tour. First come, first served. If the tour minimum is not reached, the tour will be canceled and you will be able to choose another tour or have your money refunded. Information on your tour choices will be included in your confirmation. Click here to review the available tours. Conference continues on page 6 Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 5

6 Conference continued from page 5 Registration Confirmation: After submission, you will receive an acknowledgement showing the selections you requested and the items you purchased. Reservations are not guaranteed until your payment has been received. Payment may be made by credit or debit card. Cancellation & Refunds: If cancellation is necessary our refund policy is as follows: Before July 1, % of total registration will be refunded. From July 1 through July 31, % of total registration will be refunded. From August 1 through August 31, % of total registration will be refunded. From September 1 through September 30, % of total registration will be refunded. After September 30, 2014 No refund Refunds will be issued four to six weeks after the conference. Password Requirement: Plan your password before you begin and write it down for future reference. Your password must include both of the following elements: 1. a minimum of 8 characters, and 2. at least one character from three of the following four sets: lower-case, upper-case, numeric (1-9) and special characters #, $, %, ^, &, *). Need Help? If you have any questions or need help registering, please send an to SRMG2014@gmail.com or call and leave a message for Tom to call you back. Notify Debbie Beauvais if you have the time and would like to represent us in Baton Rouge. Next MG Meeting August 12 Program Frank and Flora Hover, Consulting Rosarians of the Northeast Louisiana American Rose Society, will speak on Easy Care hybrid tea roses. NELA MG Board Members Board Officers President Debbie Beauvais Vice President Kerry Heafner Secretary Lilly Matthews Treasurer Steve Thomas Recorder Helen Hotard Historian Patti Kintzing Board Members-at-Large Elaine Johnson Christy Francis Dr. Warren Daniel Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 6

7 Field continued from page 1 We still didn't know what they were. We knew they were indeed a flower worth getting, as they received very little care. They were living in very poor soil, thriving in full sun, in a horse pasture, in rock hard, gray gumbo mud with no watering and no weeding at all. A true carefree plant. Some went to Andrea, I took four, some were sold at the bulb sale and at the Seminar, and some went to Kiroli. Not bad for a full day of work, but we still didn't know what they were. We just called them Swamp Lily, but they were not in a swamp, the bulbs were very large, but so are a lot of other bulbs. I made it my mission to get a picture of the bloom the next time they bloomed and I did, but I still didn't know what it was, so I started looking all over the Internet, and I finally found it. It is a Crinum. plant we have. If I have it correct it is called Crinum hymenocallis, but then on other sites that name refers to other plants as well. It is also called spider lily, swamp lily, Crinum americanum, and a lot of other names that people like me call things. Then to make things more complicated, all of these names refer to several different plants. Take your pick and stick with it; after all, a Crinum by any other name would still look just as pretty. It is a beautiful flower whatever you call it. There are about 180 species of Crinum, and they are all in the Amaryllis family, so it took a while for me to narrow it down to the very one that looks like the Ag Center Demonstration Gardens by Debbie Beauvais June 28th was a scheduled workday on these beds. Midge Willis arrived about 30 minutes before me and had already removed most of the yarrow and vines from the corner bed single-handedly! This should have been my task since I was the one who planted it there. I had read how the yellow Yarrow was invasive, but had no idea the white was as bad or worse. I ll have to apply herbicide as it reappears so all of Midge s hard work will not be in vain. Fortunately for me, she still speaks to me. We continued working on the Rosemary bed and the large bed from the auditorium to the main entrance. We pulled out enough magnolia leaves to fill a dump truck. We also pruned the shrubs and removed any browned foliage. We planted a few small plants provided by Christy Francis, and watered them in before leaving. We accomplished a lot, but lacked the time and strength to finish. The same work needs to be done in the bed on the other side of the main entrance. Thank you, Midge, for your time and hard work! Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 7

8 To Everything There is a Season by Rose Lee I LOVE looking at my flower gardens and lawn. All around the house, from every angle, numerous times each day, from every room in the house; did I say every day? Get the picture? It is such a delight to watch each flower bed or individual plant develop, bloom, and eventually wither away as they progress throughout the various seasons of the year. For over three years, I have been blessed with the leisure of enjoying this spectacular view of nature from an upclose and personal perspective. What a joy it is to plant the colorful blooms and then watch the variations in sizes, textures and hues of each plant as the seasons progress. From late December and throughout the winter season, I have the pleasure of watching the camellias and holly shine in their season. Accessorized by the hardy cold weather staples of ornamental kale, silver dust and pansies galore, the bright pink color of the camellias and red berries on the holly help to liven up an otherwise gray and austere landscape. By the end of February, I am eagerly anticipating the onset of spring weather, escorted in with the blooming of the hydrangea and the Lady Banks roses, soon to be followed by the budding azaleas and hosta plants. By this time the sweet olive trees, boxwoods and other shrubs (nandina, spirea, barberry, and pittosporum) around the house are coming alive. The loropetalum are also shedding their winter hue in preparation for warmer weather, while the gardenia and encore azaleas are revving up for their brief but spectacular spring blooming revue. In addition, the trees (pecan, maple, and river birch) are sprouting their new growth. It is around this time that I finally have the pleasure of engaging in one of my most favorite of past-times, creating my annuals flowerbeds. For me, the process of purging, planting and tending the garden beds is therapy, meditation, and exercise all-in-one. As I stand in line at the local nurseries and prepare to spend my share of the billions of dollars spent annually by consumers on landscape materials and supplies, I can t wait to return home to get my hands in the dirt. Season continues on page 9 Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 8

9 Season continued from page 8 By now it is time to plant the summer beauties. My favorites are Dreamland zinnias, marigolds, vinca, petunias, coleus, begonias, and ornamental grasses. By this time, the pruned crape myrtles have also started to branch out in preparation for new blooms, and the elephant ears have FINALLY resurrected from the ground and begun to spread their soon-tobe large wavy leaves. Before you know it, the season and the plants are in full bloom! Although I work regularly in the yard doing normal upkeep (if you can call nearly two acres a yard ), there are special days when all my labor and meditation are devoted to particular individuals, funeral in June, I assure you that one day soon I will be at it again. Sweat dripping, muscles aching, and deep in thoughts about my beloved sister a loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend to so many. May the seeds of love she planted through her four young sons and three grandchildren, as well as her many relationships, forever bloom. Before you know it, it will be fall again; time to begin another season of purging, planting, and living. The mums, ornamental kale, and other fall plants are waiting and so am I. special people who have recently passed on from the physical world, but whose spirit linger on in my heart and in my thoughts. This article is dedicated to the memory of my beloved sister, Linda Kaye-Kaye Young-Powell (December 26, 1965-June 3, 2014). May she rest in peace until we meet again. In the recent loss of my youngest sister, Linda Kaye Young-Powell, I can t help reflecting upon my own current season of life passage. I know that as much as I love tending the beds and viewing their beauty, there will come a day when I may not be able to do so, at least not in the way that I currently enjoy. Both time and age help me to keep it real. So, even though the heat, humidity and sometimes inclement weather have limited my outside activities since her Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 9

10 August 2014 Activities Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Chenault Museum Volunteer Gardening Day MG Meeting 6:30 pm Newsletter Article Submission Deadline Butterfly Garden Volunteer Gardening Day MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE MG EVENTS: NELA MGA Fall Bulb and Plant Sale: October 25, 2014 NELA MGA Ag Expo Garden Seminar: January 17, 2015 NELA MGA Spring Fest Plant Sale: Friday, April 10, 2015, noon to 6 p.m. and Sat., April 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 10

11 From the President by Debbie Beauvais I d like to thank Buck Bounds for his time and effort in removing a large sign from the former butterfly garden at the former Calhoun Research Station and transporting it to the current butterfly garden. This can be anchored permanently once the best location is determined. Thank you, Buck, for thinking of this and making it happen. The sign was paid for with MG Association funds and is again now promoting our Association once again. On another note, a very interesting, different type of meeting is being planned for the Master Gardeners. The date will be decided later, but it will be soon. Midge and I will be your moderators. All members will participate in a gardening roundtable discussion. Ask any and as many questions as you would like. The members present will provide the questions. If you cannot be present, you may your gardening problems to Midge. ed questions will be read at the Gardening Roundtable. The answer will be sent back via . If you are having a problem with something in the garden or yard, we want to hear from you. Together, there is a ton of knowledge in this Master Gardener association. These roundtable discussions will give us a way to share our ideas, experiences, and knowledge. Start now by writing down your questions and those of your friends. Ask others that you meet about their triumphs, trials, and mistakes. Bring their questions to the meeting and return the answer/solution to them. Volunteer Service Hours As of July 15, Volunteer Service Hours 102 Continuing Education Hours This time last year: 843 Volunteer Service Hours 101 Continuing Education Hours Do not forget to record your hours! The next MG meeting is Tuesday, August 12, 2014 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) Jennifer Haneline, a clinical social worker and Regional Manager for Tobacco-Free Living, presents strategies for healthful living at the July MG meeting. This will be great fun for all involved. Too many questions? No problem. We ll schedule another Roundtable Discussion for a later MG association meeting. Gardener s Scoop August 2014 Page 11