Greenhouse Notes. A quarterly newsletter for Coastal Master Gardener Association members

Transcription

1 Greenhouse Notes A quarterly newsletter for Coastal Master Gardener Association members President s Message - After the Storms Summer 2017 Things are crazy out there right now for me, and I suspect you may be experiencing the same thing! I don t think I have caught up with my work demands since Hermine and Matthew. The storms impacted many of us in ways you could see immediately. Yet, the damage and turmoil continue to unravel as we move through the passing months. For many, where you used to have shady nooks, you are now dealing with full sun all day. That affects your lawn and the plant selection in those beds. While it can be a little overwhelming at times, I hope you are finding ways to manage the situation; or you could simply accept the fact that change is all around us and the easiest solution is to embrace the opportunity that Mother Nature has presented us. Based on the weather we have experienced, this promises to be a more active season for ticks and similar pests. Please keep this in mind for you and your furry friends. Thanks to everyone who paid their dues to the Georgia Master Gardener Association, we received a rebate of $145. That s money we can use for programs, grants, and educational support on the local level. In addition, they give us $50 per year that we use for door prizes at the meetings. GMGA has launched a new website recently in order to provide members easier access to a huge amount of gardening information and experience across the state. Please keep them in mind as a great resource. And they take awesome field trips too! If you missed the picnic and welcome reception in April, you missed a splendid day of fellowship in a truly beautiful setting. We attended the Rose Festival at the Botanical Garden on Eisenhower. In addition to the amazing roses, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the beautiful gardens, as well as numerous vendors and the plant sale. Also thanks to the group who worked the Ask a Master Gardener booth during the festival. Welcome Master Gardener Class of 2017! We are thrilled to have you with us. Attention all camellia lovers. The recently formed Coastal Georgia Camellia Society is a local non-profit group of camellia enthusiasts. At recent meetings, topics were Basic Camellia Care during the Summer by Gene Phillips, as well as our own Dr. Doug Webb presenting a session on air layering propagation. I have enjoyed being a member and found that I learn something at every meeting. Membership information is provided below. See you in the garden, Steve Taylor President, CMGA

2 We'd like to welcome the Coastal Master Gardener class of 2017! Stand up and take a bow, pat yourselves on the back, then volunteer your hindquarters off! Martin Bell Savannah Nancy Berulis Savannah Angela Devore Savannah Karen Hufnagel St Simons Island Dale Kaminsky Savannah Antar Khaalis Savannah Amy McClintock Richmond Hill Lloyd Oliver Savannah Pamela Patterson Savannah Barbara Perlis Savannah Amy Schuler Richmond Hill Michael Sims Rincon Rosemary Sims Rincon Barbara Stahl Savannah Geneva Stewart Savannah Dale Pierce Taylor Savannah Patty Templeton Cobbtown Barbara Williams Richmond Hill

3 Bonaventure Update It is such a wonderful feeling to drive through the gates at Bonaventure and see the huge quantity of camellias that are now lining the thoroughfares in the cemetery. Only a few years ago we were rather in a dilemma as to how to accomplish our goal of replacing the camellias that had disappeared through the years, due to Mother Nature and her unpredictable moods, without some miraculous endowment popping up. Fortunately, a miracle of sorts did occur. We were discussing how great it would be if we could go air-layer some of the plants on the few remaining large properties around Savannah to replace those lost at Bonaventure when the opportunity fell in our laps. A friend of Doug Webb s just happened to have a large piece of property literally covered with hundreds of camellias and said help yourselves. And we did. The previous owner had been quite a camellia enthusiast so the inventory on site dated back decades and was also labeled, a real plus, as many of these varieties are no longer available today. We have spent several years harvesting these plants so for us they are truly special. These are pass- along plants, a true sign of Southern hospitality. Word got around, thanks to Ben Goggins of the Savannah Morning News and others, and subsequently several other homeowners have graciously allowed us to take numerous air-layers of their plants, some of which date back generations in their family. So you can see why the hundreds of new plants in Bonaventure are such a great joy. They were not trucked in from a giant nursery and plopped in the ground. They ve been nurtured at our homes for years getting ready to finally reach their present destination. They have proven such a success that Bonaventure has now been included on the Georgia Camellia Trail with other exceptional sites throughout the state. Check out georgiagardentrails.org for further details on this subject. None of this would have been possible without the loyalty of our volunteers who have faithfully shown up through the years and will no doubt tell you what a worthwhile adventure this has been. Many thanks to coordinator Doug Webb, Ron and Belinda Jacob, Danae Goldberg, John Gentry and Leonard Daugherty for all of their input in recent years. Many more have also contributed their time and energy, too many to name here, and we thank them all. We especially wish Dennis Ronning could see how well this is turning out. We still miss you, Dennis. Anyone who would like to learn more about camellias and just some old history about Savannah, please come and volunteer with us. As daunting as it may sound, it is only a few hours a week and you will learn so much. We meet Tuesday mornings on Mullryne Way, the first street to the right of the gate, and decide what needs to be attended to that day. Just Doug Webb at douglaswebb@bellsouth.net or phone Jane Morel Sommers

4 Speaking of camellias... Here is an invitation to all camellia lovers Join other camellia lovers in the formation of the Coastal Georgia Camellia Society for the purpose of providing education and knowledge about ornamental and tea camellias to gardeners of Coastal Georgia. Camellia shows, regular meetings, garden tours, workshops and other events will be offered to generate interest in camellias. Meetings are held at 2pm on the first Sunday of each month at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens 2 Canebrake Road, Savannah GA For more information, contact Kahlita@uga.edu or call You can google them at Coastal Georgia Camellia Society On Friday, October 6 th & Saturday, October 7 th Gwinnett County Master Gardeners will host The Georgia Master Gardener Association 2017 Annual Conference Included in the program will be MGEV Advanced Training and four 2-hour workshops, as well as the usual meeting, greeting, and eating. Details such as registration info, conference schedule, and topic/speaker info are sent as PDF files along with this newsletter. Master Gardeners from across Georgia will be at this event. All activities are open to the public, please share the information.

5 The SACGC Botanical Garden The Garden has had a pretty good year. Hurricane Matthew concentrated its destruction in the woods. It trashed the walking trails which still await clearing. Larry and Ross did an amazing job of removing as much debris as they could and Bartlett Tree helped us out as usual. The numbers of visitors to the Garden have increased and the wedding and event requests have overwhelmed Betty and fattened the bank account. Appreciative comments on the beauty and enjoyment found in the Garden have been many. Garden Club of Savannah, with its usual generosity, granted several thousand dollars of its NOGS profits to support of the gardens. The Garden is grateful for money from other contributing garden clubs as well. The Planet in Action/TroyBilt project resulted in an enlarged Children s Garden with a learning center, orchard and berry patch being the main features. They furnished labor and plants, gifted $5000 for upkeep of the garden and left the Garden with an unbelievably generous supply of every item of garden equipment one could wish in multiples! Harry s roses reached their peak on schedule, in time for the Rose Festival on April 29. The plant sale had a satisfactory profit, thanks in part to lovely perennials from a Florida nursery and a huge load of annuals gifted by Oelschigs. The day was lovely and was enjoyed by all. The local Coastal Master Gardener Association celebrated its new graduating class with a picnic at the pavilion. The Garden appreciates the help that s provided by some of the MGs and would love to have more volunteers from among you. We are perpetually in need of reliable volunteers. There s just so much the few of us, with some paid help from Grant, can do to keep up the gardens. Help planting seasonal annuals and weeding is an on-going need. On the whole, the Garden looks great in the eyes of visitors and that s what matters. Pat Ryan Betty Ward, SACGC Botanical Garden Center Chairman, is looking for someone who might like to do the Children's Tours. You can contact her at or b.ward839@comcast.net.

6 Remembering Jay Volker Jay grew up in Port Chester, NY, and South Jersey. We lived in New York, Missouri, and Georgia. He Joined the Marines in 1965 and spent 13 months in Vietnam and 18 months stationed at the Airbase in Buford SC. That is when he fell in love with Savannah. After leaving the Marines he began his career with IBM, moving often until settling in Atlanta for the last 20 years of his career. As soon as he could retire we headed for the coast and settled in Richmond Hill. Jay and I were married for almost 44 years. We were a unit for 47. We had two sons, Jack and Ben, and Jacks' wife Cindy and two grandsons, Max and Joe. Upon discovering the "uniqueness of the soil here and that everything we had done in the past to make plants grow and grass stay green were useless Jay decided it was time to enroll in the Master Gardeners Class. He fell in love with the Bamboo Farm and all it offered. He and Erv Houston worked hard to save the Cane Boiling Event at the Fall Festival. Roots and Shoots was especially dear to Jay..a chance to walk the grounds, teach a little, tell stories a lot, and everyonce in awhile have a little hand reach up to hold his as he came around to the Magic Harry Potter tree where animals were hidden in the branches if you looked hard enough for them. Jay got great joy out of the work we (he) did with Habitat for Humanity and designing and help plant the landscape for each new house. His motto was when we arrive you have a house, when we leave you have a home. He was involved with over 25 Habitat homes. The thing he loved the most about the Master Gardeners were the people. A wonderfully eclectic group, from all walks of life and every social strata sharing a love of the environment, a desire to make things grow, and a chance to make a difference in the world on a grass roots level.and it gave him a venue for telling his stories "edutainment at its best. Jay served his country, his family, and his community well. he was often bigger than life and always had a story to tell. Sarah Volker Photo provided by Louise Grotheer While Jay and I, and thousands of others, served in Viet Nam...I didn t know Jay until we worked in Master Gardeners together, much later. He was quite pleased to know my VN history and we compared notes. Seems he had known of the donut dollies in Vietnam and really appreciated our being there for the guys. Jay was such a special person, and such a dedicated worker and supporter of the Master Gardener program...what a loss to us all. Nancy Tamarak Editor s Note: The Viet Nam War Red Cross "Donut Dollies" were young, college-degreed women who spent a 1-year tour in country as morale boosters for American troops. They ran recreation centers, visited hospitals, and traveled by helicopter to front-line landing zones and base camps to bring games and smiles to soldiers. Nancy T was one of them.)

7 UPCOMING CMGA MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT! Our next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 11, at 6pm at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden on Canebrake Road. We are excited to announce our program will feature a presentation by The Orianne Society s Dirk Stevenson, Director of the Longleaf Savannas Initiative. The Orianne Society is dedicated to the range-wide conservation of imperiled reptiles and amphibians and the habitats they need to persist. This includes the Eastern Indigo Snake, among others. Using the Indigo Snake Initiative as a model for species conservation, they work with a diverse group of partners to conserve reptiles and amphibians in the wild. They achieve success by using sound science to direct on-the-ground conservation and are focused on outcomes and succeed through dedication and hard work. Reptiles and amphibians have an incredible value. They are an integral part of our ecosystems, playing their part in keeping these systems functioning. Their physiology holds many clues to important medical advances. Their mystique has played important roles in our arts and culture. They're key players in the world we live in. In a world of diminishing habitats, they suffer from the same effects of environmental degradation as other animals, but with the added burden of being targets. I know lots of us are afraid of snakes (ALL SNAKES). Dirks can explain to us how to easily identify the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes and help us understand the importance reptiles play in our ecosystem. I hope you can join us! Please RSVP to Steve (luckydogsteve@aol.com) or text to by Friday 7/7 if you plan to attend officers and board members should plan to attend the board meeting at 5PM prior to the regular meeting. Note: We were previously planning to conduct a project site visit 7/11, but many members were concerned about the heat. The project site visits will be rescheduled for later in the year.

8 Words to garden & live by (The first three are French terms, so pronounce them as if you have a lemon in your mouth) Marcottage basically air layering, but originally the term for rooting a branch on the ground with a weight on it. Greffage grafting Bouturage cuttings and Ecesis (Latin) the establishment of a plant or animal in a new habitat. This is a good word since the hurricane last year the old shade lovers are having to adapt or perish bless them all. and Coddiwomple (v.) - Origin: English Slang Word Definition: To travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. In other words, you are heading out to toodle in the garden knowing, although you have planned to work in the vege area, you will be diverted to the rose bed which also needs tending but the camellias along the way will probably grab your attention before then. A great term for the avid gardener More words to live by a hint for the summer outings: Never roast your weenie on an oleander twig. Why I like spiders

9 NEW BREAKTHROUGH IN ORGANIC INSECT CONTROL! One pair of the beautiful Blue Old English Bantam chickens...2 months old...$35 a pair 2 pair of the old-timey BB RED bantams, once found around every farm homestead...2 months old... $25 a pair Great for free ranging...and pets call Nancy Tamarack nancytam@aol.com SPRING Mystery Plant Cirsium vulgare aka Bull Thistle This was abounding on Harris Neck, as were the armadillo dig holes. Freya Zipperer guessed and got a lovely large Smilax root for her sister s horses. Chica Arndt guessed Scots Thistle, but my googling shows it doesn t grow here a good guess nonetheless. SUMMER Mystery Plant There is a prize for the correct guesser - It might be exotic seeds or a unique plant, or an absolutely cutesy gardener's doo-dad. Answers should be sent to mm_mccurdy@msn.com (That s an underscore between all those mmm s)

10 CMGA Website: Facebook: Track your Volunteer Hours: On-going Volunteer Opportunities Contacts CGBG Warriors in the Garden... Liz Lubrani x Bonaventure Cemetery... Doug Webb Botanical Gdns on Eisenhower... Larry Ward & Native Plant Garden... County Extension Office... Tonia Rudrow Susie Edwards Old Darien Jail... Ginger Pruden Savannah-Ogeechee Canal... Linda Thrift Sparrow Field Pollinator Berm... Shirley Brown For the entire list of approved projects, go to the MLOG website Board Members President... Steve Taylor luckydogsteve@aol.com Vice-President... Richard Krauss richard.krauss@armstrong.edu Secretary... Louisa Sigman louisasigman@comcast.net Treasurer... Amy Rhodes amywrhodes@gmail.com Directors Website... Jeanette Byrd rj.byrd@att.net Programs... Elizabeth Lewis elewis@windstream.net Membership... Amy Rhodes/Steve Taylor... see above Comms/Newsltr... Carol McCurdy mm_mccurdy@msn.com Public Relations... Andria Cummings aesegedy@earthlink.net Projects & Grants... Richard Krauss richard.krauss@armstrong.edu (All Area Codes are 912 except where noted)