MAY 2017 PROGRAM UPDATE FROM GEORGIA I N S I D E PLEASE REMEMBER

Transcription

1 LOOSELEAF A Publication of the University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardeners 3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, SUITE 240 ELLICOTT CITY, MD (410) FAX (410) MAY 2017 PROGRAM UPDATE FROM GEORGIA GreenFest was held on April 22 at Howard Community College. Data isn't complete as of this writing, but judging from the people traffic at the Master Gardener tables our teams had many conversations with county residents. The compost team spoke with 114 contacts and distributed fifty compost bins. Bay-Wise reported 50 contacts, including 13 consultation requests. Grow It Eat It and Ask-a-MG tables were also visited often. It was unfortunate that the rain may have negatively impacted the native plant vendors and outdoor activities, but our MGs remained on duty in the plant sale area! State MG Coordinator Jon Traunfeld provided a report via Connect to UME faculty on April 24. The topic included impressive data regarding MG activities throughout the state during Here are a few highlights from Jon s report: MG volunteer hours totaled 111,468 from 1,810 MG volunteers, and 86,451 Maryland residents were educated through MG communications. Our Howard County team greatly contributed to those state-wide numbers. Since GIEI is now a UME Signature Program, as is the MG Program, Jon noted that 19,187 people were educated about growing vegetables and I N S I D E 2 Calendar Highlights & Mt. Pleasant 3 Conservation Stewardship at the MPEA 3 Continuing Education at UME 4 Book Review 5 Latin for Gardeners 7 Whipps Plant Sale fruits, and 220 GIEI workshops were held. By the way, GIEI started in 2009 so it has quickly become a significant part of the MG state program. Another item reported by Jon related to the Home and Garden Information Center. During 2016 there were 199,604 visits to the HGIC web site. Many inquiries focused on lawn management. Indeed, MG activities locally and throughout the state are a significant educational activity! Thank you for your contributions to this effort. As the weather continues to warm and the growing season truly begins, be sure to check the MG electronic calendar to find volunteer opportunities. A note to our 2017 interns you need to earn 40 volunteer hours during the first year. Remember to contact your mentors, or me, if you have questions about collecting hours. A note to our veteran MGs try something new this year! Don t forget about your ten continuing education hours. Attend a talk at a nearby library, read a garden book, research and write a story for LooseLeaf, or visit a botanical garden and learn about a new plant. Georgia Eacker, MG Coordinator, WSA Liaison, , geacker@umd.edu PLEASE REMEMBER 1) A mention of specific products or businesses in LooseLeaf does not imply or constitute endorsement by UME. 2) You ll want to earn 10 continuing education hours during 2017 to remain certified. Ideas: Go to an MG presentation at the library, attend a UME workshop, read a book on your favorite gardening topic or go to the Continuing Education sessions. 3) In print (on presentation slides, fliers, posters, brochures, signs, news releases, etc.) always use our full name: University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardeners. This request comes from the University to support branding efforts of the MG program. The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

2 MARK YOUR CALENDAR! View the MG electronic calendar in your preferred format: Month, Week or Agenda. Click here for the calendar. You will find times, locations, and contact info for events. HIGHLIGHTS FOR MAY: 4 All about hydrangeas 9 Continuing Education at UME 19, 20 Whipps Plant Sale 20 LooseLeaf Deadline! 23 Conservation Stewardship at MPEA 25 Annual Training Day at UMD, College Pk WORK DAYS Enchanted Garden (MIller Library) every Tues & Weds, plus alternating Fri & Sat Whipps every Thursday HC Conservancy on Fridays ASK A MASTER GARDENER HCLS Miller, Central & Glenwood Branches Volunteer for a session or two! DEMONSTRATION GARDEN AT HOWARD COUNTY CONSERVANCY The growing season is well underway at the Mt Pleasant location where MGs have tended gardens with a variety of vegetables and herbs for many years. It has been a popular demonstration area for many of the visitors to the Conservancy. This year the space is being updated! MG Paul DiCrispino has organized the lumber for the raised beds and his crew has realigned the beds in our garden. The Colonial bed has been fully assembled and fully planted. The remaining four beds should be installed in early May depending on the weather. Our planting efforts will follow soon afterwards. Come out and see the new refined look of the garden! Or better yet, plan now to join us during regular workdays which are scheduled every Friday from 9-11 am unless, of course, it is raining. For details, contact Jo Ann Russo at Or send her an at jrusso1104@comcast.net In photo from left: Paul DiCrispino, Karen Koelbel, Monica May, JoAnn Russo, and Bob Kiwak prepare lumber for construction LooseLeaf May 2017 page 2

3 CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP AT THE MPEA Mile-a-Minute Melee at the MPEA Tuesday, May 23, 9:00-11:30 am Join us on Tuesday, May 23 from 9:00-11:30 am for our monthly Conservation Stewardship activity. This time we ll be working on removing vines and other vine-like plants such as Mile-a- Minute (photo), Asiatic Bittersweet, Porcelainberry, and Japanese Honeysuckle in the Woodcock Habitat Management Area. Pants and shirt sleeves recommended, gloves and tools provided. We ll gather at the Trotter Road entrance. MPEA (Middle Patuxent Environmental Area) includes a diversity of habitat types, including upland and bottomland hardwood forest, fields, wetlands, ponds and riparian habitats. MGs partner with Howard County Recreation & Parks for the Conservation Stewardship program from March to November. Note: We skip July and August. Clare Openshaw, MG 2012, helloclare@comcast.net 2017 CONTINUING EDUCATION SPEAKER SERIES MGs, Watershed Stewards, Master Naturalists and their guests are welcome to attend. All sessions will be held at the UME office, except for the field trip on September 12. Check the MG electronic calendar for updates. For questions, contact: Karin DeLaitsch kdlaitsch@gmail.com or Joanna Cumbie rladywalking@msn.com MAY 9 JUNE 13 AUGUST 8 SEPTEMBER 12 OCTOBER 10 November 14 Weed Identification Betty Marose, MG Small Fruits for Maryland Gardens Kent Phillips, MG Basket of Colorful Flowers Marilyn Rogers, MG Field Trip to Howard County Conservancy Gardens Diagnostics for Annuals and Perennials Stanton Gill, Principal Agent, Central MD Research and Education Center TBD Ann Coren, MG Learn how to identify common weeds (blow over plants from your neighbor s yard) Learn about growing small fruits well-suited for Maryland s growing conditions Explore the Honors Garden, Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden, and surrounding trails and natural spaces. Learn the diagnostic skills in recognizing the good and bad insects that visit herbaceous plants and the least toxic control measures for the problematic insects. LooseLeaf May 2017 page 3

4 BOOK REVIEW: A STING IN THE TALE DAVID GOULSON (2013), 256 PP This stirring paean to the Bumblebee is by the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in England, David Goulson. Goulson is a lifelong naturalist, merging his autodidactic education with that of a formal Oxford biologist. He is professor of biological sciences at Stirling University. Goulson is quick to point out the differences between the more prevalent honeybee and that of the bumble. The fat and furry bumblebee has the size advantage over the smaller and slimmer honeybee. While there are at least 275 species of bumblebee in the world, only 24 exist in the UK and with a mere 8 genuinely common to the Northern Hemisphere. Goulson spends time painting a picture the gentle nature of bumblebees. Their nonaggressive stance is a constant theme in the book, but they do sting. A notable difference between the two is in the facts about what happens to the bee after it loses it stinger. For the honeybee, it is fatal. The bumblebee has the fortune to live, even after stinging an adversary. The stinger is not lost in the act of aggression. The honeybee dies after its stinger has been used: the bumblebee however, takes it in stride. He also discusses habitats of each. Bumblebees live in nests containing bees, while honeybee nests hold between 20,000 to 60,000 inhabitants. These differences, combined with the history and culture of bumblebees, lay the foundation for the development of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, This is a heartfelt tale of a conservationist s concern for preservation and a long-standing boyhood love of nature. Bumblebee populations are decreasing due to a shortage of flowers to feed them and places to nest in an increasingly urban world. For honeybees, he postulates a variety of causes but nothing definitive. Diseases and mites are prime candidates for the honeybee decline. Goulson s lifelong fascination with bumblebees is set in the context of their long history and their current environment. This mix of fact, history, and personal commitment to these fascinating creatures provides a rich read from a true raconteur. Pattee Fletcher, MG 2014, patteefletcher@yahoo.com LooseLeaf May 2017 page 4

5 LATIN FOR GARDENERS May s Native Maryland Plant Phlox divaricata L. (floks div-air-ih-kay-tah) Common Name: Woodland Phlox Phlox stolonifera Sims (floks sto-lon-if-er-ah) Common Name: Creeping Phlox The month of May is very special to me since it is when the garden really starts to come alive; birds are everywhere, bees are buzzing and butterflies are fluttering it s also when we celebrate Mother s Day. As it turns out my mom was born in May, and this year her birthday, May 14 th, falls on Mother s Day. To recognize my mom and this double-date, I decided to highlight two plants that are blooming in May. The genus Phlox includes sixty-some species, most of them are native to North America; they grow in diverse habitats, bloom at different times of the year and some are fragrant. Phlox divaricata and Phlox stolonifera are the ones growing in my back garden on a slope in deep shade and partial sun. The genus name is derived from the Greek word phlox which means flame; it is in reference to the intense flower colors of some varieties of phlox clearly not these two. The specific epithet divaricata means spreading or divergent, which I consider a very nice feature of this plant. The specific epithet stolonifera means having stolons or rooting runners, which allow this plant to form a nice mat of evergreen groundcover. LooseLeaf May 2017 page 5

6 In my experience, rabbits love phlox. Fortunately, fox frequent my community and my yard, so they help control the rabbit population which allows more phlox to grow. Did you know? The campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905 by Anna Jarvis, to honor her mother, Ann Jarvis, who died that year. Her mother had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. 1 *The Phlox shown is the cultivar Blue Moon 1 Wikipedia Alison Milligan, MG 2013, ali_milligan@yahoo.com Volunteers Needed Conservancy at Mt Pleasant Volunteers are needed for the final middle school service learning programs with Clarksville Middle School on Monday, May 22 nd and Tuesday, May 30 th for one hour each day. Call Tabby Fique at for further details.?? Did You Know?? Moles and Voles Moles and voles are active now. Moles create raised tunnels in lawns. Control by tamping down tunnels with your foot whenever they appear. Moles do not necessarily indicate a white grub problem. They feed on a wide range of soil critters including earthworms. Voles create tunnels underground that are not raised. Look for entrance holes about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Sometimes tunnels are shallow and are open along the soil surface. Voles feed on plant material such as roots, bark, or the entire plant. Where voles are a problem try using mouse snap traps baited with apples or peanut butter. Cover with a shingle or piece of wood to increase effectiveness. Go to for more tips and information. LooseLeaf May 2017 page 6

7 LooseLeaf May 2017 page 7