Demonstration Gardening at Kiroli Park MGs and Public Join Forces to Transform Beds

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1 June 2013 Demonstration Gardening at Kiroli Park MGs and Public Join Forces to Transform Beds by Midge Willis The two demonstration gardening events held at Kiroli Park by the Master Gardeners in May have been a lot of fun for all of us. The purpose of these projects is to repay Kiroli for letting us use their Lodge, to teach those who are interested in becoming a better gardener, and to become more involved with the public. We taught as we spread the soil Christy Francis hauled in, and planted the plants we bought. We showed how to loosen the roots when the plants are taken from the container and why, the proper height to plant and why, how to place plants in the bed so they are interesting to look at, how to mulch plants correctly and why. Then the carefully placed natural stepping stones completed the picture. We made contact with a lot of people who were not Master Gardeners as we turned places that needed help into beautiful flower beds. By being there and laughing and talking as we planted, we caught the attention of a lot of people who stopped to ask questions. We were having fun and they wanted to know why and what we were doing. Some left their addresses so we can contact them for future events like these, and some are thinking of becoming a Master Gardener themselves. As usual when you are laughing and talking ideas start popping up for future projects. Three of those ideas are We will rework the bed at the park s entrance that was dedicated in memory of September 11 and rededicate it this coming September 11. We will do an Alabama bed where all things there are native to Alabama. David Chin agreed to learn how to do topiary and do some in the park. Join us at Kiroli Park for a day of gardening fun! Bring a lawn chair and watch or get in the soil with us. Hands on experience is the best teacher of all. We all learn from each other and have a ball in the process. When we finish the beds we turn them over to Kiroli. The next demonstration gardening event will be announced. You can contact Midge Willis or the AgCenter for more information. Demonstration Gardening photos continue on p. 5 Inside the Gardener s Scoop Demonstration Garden... 1, 5 Meeting Minutes Butterfly Garden... 4 Food Preservation Tips... 5 Schedule of Activities... 6 From the President... 7 Gardener s Scoop June 2013 Page 1

2 NELA Master Gardener Association Meeting Minutes for May 14, 2013 Debbie Beauvais welcomed graduating Master Gardener students and their guests. The meeting order was changed this evening: Program Speaker, Graduation Ceremony, Master Gardener Meeting, Refreshments, and visiting. Program Cathy Agan, LSU Home Economist, presented the program on Food Preservation. She recommended the research-based resource, National Center for Home Food Preservation. Go to for more information. Cathy will loan a DVD entitled So Easy to Preserve. She invited everyone to take a wide assortment of preservation handouts, all of which are on the LSU AgCenter website. Cathy also has copies in her office. Congratulations New Master Gardeners Steve Hotard and Parish Chair, Richard Letlow, presented each graduate with a name tag and certificate. Steve Thomas and Warren Daniel photographed each graduate as the certificates were presented. Group pictures were taken in front of the fireplace at Kiroli Park Lodge. An enjoyable evening for all. Debbie called the business meeting to order following the graduation ceremony. Old Business Minutes Debbie asked if there any corrections or additions to the April Minutes. Mel Kallal moved and Glenda Guice seconded the motion to approve the Minutes. The minutes were approved. Treasurer s Report Jack Battaglia reported on the Plant Sale that was held on April 6. He gave an estimated report since a few charges are still outstanding. A final figure is not available at this time. Master Gardener Bylaws Debbie asked members to read our bylaws and report to her any suggestions or changes that need to be made. Please identify the section for which you are suggesting a change. The suggestions will be presented at the November Master Gardener meeting. Committee Reports: Kiroli Park Christy Francis reported that the park staff administrators are pleased with the results of Master Gardener volunteers who are working on various projects at Kiroli. Chennault Aviation and Military Museum Debbie reported that volunteers have added seasonal plantings to the beds around the museum and landscaped areas on the grounds. Monroe Zoo Kerry Heafner reported that visitors are making favorable comments about the Zoo and the landscaped areas throughout the Zoo grounds. Visitation numbers are up too. He said Master Gardeners are making a difference. Butterfly Garden Susan Aguettant sent word to announce that volunteers are needed to weed in the Butterfly Garden. Contact Susan or Reba Cummings to help. Scholarship Committee Kerry will serve as the board member who will oversee the development of the Scholarship Committee. Meeting Minutes continue on page 3 Gardener s Scoop June 2013 Page 2

3 Meeting Minutes Continued from page 2 New Business Demonstration Gardening Class Christy reported the Gardening Class held at Kiroli Park on May 4 was a small but very successful class. In addition to the Master Gardeners who participated, two couples came and wanted information on the Master Gardener program. One person participated because of the publicity and worked to help plant the flowerbed. Activities Committee Auction Midge will be focusing on helping develop plans for the Auction. Anyone who is interested on working on this project may contact Midge Willis for more information. Announcements July 9 meeting program by Gayle Brooks. September 17 Flower Arranging seminar at the AgCenter by Gayle Brooks Hospitality At least two additional teams are needed to provide refreshments for meetings so that each person only has to bring refreshments one or two times per year. The more teams the fewer times per year each person has to provide refreshments. Thanks to Team 1 for refreshments this evening: Mary Lou Davies Barbara Elliott Andrea Griggs Lu Jones Sharon Jones Mary Lou McFarland Susan Poe Thanks also to other Master Gardeners who brought food for the refreshment table. Minutes submitted by: Elaine Smith, Secretary Next MG Meeting June 11 Program by Tommy Neck Tommy Neck, owner of NorthPro Landscaping and Lawn Care, will speak to us on landscape design. NELA MG Board Members Board Officers President Debbie Beauvais Vice President Kerry Heafner Secretary Elaine Smith Treasurer Jack Battaglia Recorder P. J. Board Members at Large Christy Francis Mel Kallal Casey Stevens Gardener s Scoop June 2013 Page 3

4 A Note from the Butterfly Garden by Susan Aguettant Our plants that wintered over are coming back strongly with new growth and blooms. We were excited to see so many blooms on the Viburnum and, although now finished, all of the irises in the garden were so beautiful this spring. The Pink Lemonade honeysuckle is loaded with flowers, as are the daisies and prairie coreopsis. I had a large bag of daffodil bulbs that I never got into the ground last fall but, with my husband's help, we planted them at the end of February. I wasn't sure what they would do but, to my surprise, they came up and bloomed incredibly well. When we were sprucing up the Butterfly Garden before Spring Fest, Steve Hotard and I worked on one of the beds that was chocked full of small plants that neither of us recognized. We cleaned them out and a few weeks later they were back in full force. So, once again, I pulled and pulled but still had no idea what they were. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I went back to the Garden and they were back again but one was Bee Balm blooming this time. We have a bumper crop of pink evening primroses. They are lovely but, oh my, invasive doesn't even begin to describe their growing habit. It is me against the primroses now! Changes continue to happen in and around the Garden. On the day of the Grand Opening of the Farmer's Market, I had the opportunity to speak with Doug Seegers about his vision for the area now that the pavilion is being renovated. His plans include bringing in several picnic tables and a large grill with the hope of getting people to rent this area for parties, family reunions or other events. He would like to see some green areas around the tables, but likes the idea of meandering pathways such as we had out at Calhoun. Doug would like the remaining fences to be camouflaged by plantings, and the pathways to be open from the parking lot area. He also said the city might be able to help us with some mulch at some point. I suggested to Doug that any expansion of the Garden should be put off until he gets the tables in place, and then we can design around them. This brings me to my next point. I really need some regular help at the Garden. My idea is to put the 16' x 8' beds on the left side of the Garden up for adoption. Each bed is looking for someone to weed and water it so it can grow as best as possible, and this will free me up to work on the other areas. Mary Tiller has adopted one bed, and other folks stepping up would be greatly appreciated by me and the Garden! Bee balm, Monarda didyma, is our star this month. This plant is named for Nicholas Monardes, a Spanish botanist, who was very interested in the New World. "Didyma" is a Greek word meaning "twinned" referring to the two stamens in each flower. Monarda, a member of the mint family, likes rich, moist soil that is well drained and will grow well in full or dappled sun. Its flowers are pollinated by butterflies as the weight of a bee is too heavy for the shape of the bloom. Other names include Indian plume, fragrant balm, mountain mint, and Oswego tea which was popular during the Revolutionary War for the treatment of fever, stomach ache, and sore throat. Propagation is done by cuttings, division or seeds. This is a plant that can be invasive if it s very happy where it s growing! Gardener s Scoop June 2013 Page 4

5 Cathy Agan s Food Preservation Tips by Elaine Smith The USDA made changes to food preservation processes in Based on new science, the newer recommendations are the safest processes to use and will give you the best food quality. One tip for success is to always use produce in prime condition. Fruits, usually high in acid, are easily processed: Wash the fruit and remove stems, pits, seeds. Wash quickly, and pat dry whole fruits such as strawberries. To make pourable bags, arrange fruit pieces on a jelly roll pan so that fruit pieces do not touch. Cover and place in the freezer until fruit is firmly frozen. Remove tray from the freezer and scoop or pour fruit into freezer bags. Before loading the freezer with an abundance of freshly packed food, invest in a freezer thermometer. Lower the temperature well before adding large quantities of freshly packed food. The food will freeze faster, and food that is already frozen will not be affected by the new batches being added to the freezer. Your freezer should remain at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for food safety. Demonstration Garden Photos Continued from page 1 Vegetables can also be frozen, but because they are low in acid, a blanching step is used. The vegetable pieces are immersed in boiling water for a short time depending on variables such as the size, type of vegetable, and the density of pieces. This step assures that bacteria and microbes are destroyed. Immersing the pieces too long will result in fully cooked food. Canning takes a little longer, requires some equipment, and requires a storage area to hold the filled jars, empty jars and equipment. Both fruits and vegetables can be canned. High acid foods such as fruits need only a hot water bath. Low acid foods such as vegetables require a pressure cooker to process the contents to 240 degrees, which is the temperature used to destroy bacteria and microbes. There are books on food preservation, including how to dry food. Cathy s favorite resource on food preservation is the National Center for Home Food Preservation s website at: Gardener s Scoop June 2013 Page 5

6 June 2013 Activities Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat MG Meeting 6:30 pm Newsletter article submission deadline Gardener s Scoop June 2013 Page 6

7 From the President Welcome New Master Gardeners! by Debbie Beauvai On this second part of your training in the Master Gardener program, you will gain and share knowledge that will help you in every aspect of gardening. You will enjoy the friendship of others who share your interests, and you will give back to the community through your volunteer commitment. This will be a very rewarding time for you as you become more confident in your skills as a gardener. In order to get the most from the Master Gardener program you will need to become involved in the many projects, programs, or committees that are available to you. However you decide to spend the rest of your Master Gardener training, I hope you have a wonderful experience and enjoy the journey as you walk deeper into the exciting world of gardening. On behalf of the Northeast Louisiana Master Gardener Association, it is my pleasure to welcome each and every one of you. Volunteer Service Hours As of May 15, Volunteer Service Hours 75 Continuing Education Hours This time last year: 878 Volunteer Service Hours 108 Continuing Education Hours Do not forget to record your hours! The next MG meeting is Tue., June 11, 2013 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 2013 Page 7