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

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1 Greenhouse Notes A quarterly newsletter for Coastal Master Gardener Association members. President s Notes: Spring 2015 Spring is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! As I look outside at the cold, gray, dreary day, it is hard to believe that Spring is right around the corner. Sure, we have been teased with a couple of days in the 70s, but they have been few and far between. I guess we need to reach deep inside each of us for the resilient inner gardener to get through these final days until March 20, when Spring officially arrives. Like many of you, I am impatient to get started on the new year of growth and blossoms. But, at least we live in the Coastal Savannah region and we are not forced to shovel ice and snow! In the meantime, we need to focus on planning and organizing. Do you know what you are going to plant this year in your garden? Any enhancements planned for your yard and landscape? Have your tools been properly maintained and ready for work? Any that need replaced or supplies replenished? All of this takes time and effort, but will make digging in the dirt much more fun! The same applies to our organization, the Coastal Master Gardener Association. The officers and board are in place and we are looking forward to a year of growth and education. We have a full slate of exciting programs in place that are diverse and informative. The new Master Gardener class is about to wrap up. With over 30 members in the class, we are already getting them involved. Several have begun their volunteer efforts on existing projects, while we look to others to identify new and exciting projects to add to our list. We will help them log their hours in the online system as soon as they complete the class and the final exam. Spring IS right around the corner! And we have much to do. I appreciate your help and your continued support for CMGA. This is going to be a great year and we are going to have FUN! Now, let s go dig in some dirt! See you in the garden, Steve Taylor President

2 Bonaventure Update What a winter! Hopefully, some nice weather will be coming soon and will hang around for a while. Bonaventure looks great and even though we lost a few blooms due to the freeze, the plants hardly seem bothered and are putting on a great late display. Many of the recently planted airlayers surprised us and blossomed - a rarity for new transplants. Although the focus of our original project was to simply refurbish the camellias on Mullryne Way, we ve been lucky enough to broaden our scope and rejuvenate literally hundreds of camellias throughout the cemetery, and sometimes even manage to do some work over at Greenwich, which is part of the cemetery complex. The result of this effort has really paid off for all camellia aficionados. Walking or driving around and seeing the many varieties of beautiful camellias blooming right now is really a treat and we urge everyone to come and see why we get so excited to come here every week. Our thanks to the Bonaventure Historical Society and the Savannah Park and Tree Commission for supporting our efforts over the years. Although this is usually where we try to solicit help with our weekly maintenance work, which we can always use, I d like to mention that we will be going to take some air layers in the near future and if any of you would be interested in getting some lessons on this propagation technique, we d love to have you join us. Doug Webb will be handling the specifics on this and you can contact him about this project, and Bonaventure info, at or douglaswebb@bellsouth.net For general info, if you can t reach Doug, I m available at or richardgsommers@comcast.net I m sending a photo of a Happy Higo. It might not look like much to those of you unfamiliar with this variety of camellia but the fact is that the actual blossom is six inches in diameter, about the size of a sunflower. It s quite a cheery sight on a dreary winter day. You can never have too many camellias. Thanks, as always, to Doug, Dennis Ronning,and Ron and Belinda Jacob for their many hours of work. We d also like to wish Dave Linvill the best of luck in his future endeavors and say how much we will miss his monthly newsletters. They ve really provided an awful lot of great tips for us diligent gardeners. Thanks, Dave. Jane Morel Sommers

3 The SACGC Botanical Garden Spring has not quite arrived at the Botanical Garden although our sign out front says Think Spring!. The long-awaited pavilion at the pond is completed as well as the shade garden and lawn that surround it. The fountain in the pond sports rainbows in the water on sunny days. The resident turtles are back sunning on their log and the occasional eagle swoops over the trees. We are hosting increasing numbers of visitors daily. We are looking forward to the Rose Festival on May 2 when rosarian Harry Howard promises the rose garden (all 350 plants) will be in bloom. There will be vendors and food at the Fest. We will be getting in prize specimen shrubs and perennials direct from the grower and annuals to brighten your summer garden. Master Gardeners are needed to help with pre-plant-sale work and to assist customers with their purchases. The Garden needs much grooming between now and May 2. We welcome your help with any of these needs. Call me at or me at pryangarden@att.net to schedule a time. The Botanical Garden is, of course, an approved project for Master Gardener credit. Mark your calendars for the May 2 Rose Festival so you won t miss the show! Pat Ryan Fashion tip for milady MG: Just tell them it's the latest thing - the Reverse French manicure!

4 Coastal Master Gardeners Association - PROJECTS Projects Committee: Faith Sadley (Chairman), Hope Barton, & Pat Ryan Last fall the CMGA Board approved a project grant for the food garden being established at Sol Johnson High School in Thunderbolt. Susan Ason is our contact for this project. She writes: The vegetable gardens for Sol C. Johnson High School got under way in late February. Despite a cold and rainy day, three 8 x 8 raised gardens were built with the help of Master Gardeners, Hope Barton and Susan Ason, and employees from Team Depot. Teacher, Jason Buelterman, approached the Master Gardeners to help build the raised beds and provide a hands-on learning experience for his high school students in the International Baccalaureate program. The beds are partially filled and will be ready to plant in March. Master Gardeners will go back to direct the students in adding compost to the soil mixture and planting both small vegetables and seeds. Mr. Buelterman is so excited about the project he is going to build one at home for his daughters as well. We also had a new grant request for a project going on at The Sparrow Field Pollinator Berm at the Landings. They are participating with the UGA Monarch Health Project research study. They are planning to plant large areas of native milkweed to see if this has a positive effect on Monarch migration completion. Migration of Monarchs has been declining over the last few years. Some propose it's because we have been using tropical milkweeds that don't die back causing the Monarchs to stay around too long; and also making the Monarchs more susceptible to parasitic protozoans which also feed on the tropical milkweed. Sue Hamlet is the Master Gardener contact for this project. The request was for money to buy 3 flats of milkweeds, 3" tall plugs of 32 in each flat. They plan on purchasing one flat each of Asclepias tuberose, A.Incarnata and A. Verticillata, which are the varieties we should grow here in the southeast. The Projects Committee submitted this project to The Board via . The grant amount is for $300.00, and it was approved unanimously! Sue will be contacting us when the plants come in if they need more volunteers to do the planting.

5 As the weather begins to warm up there are going to be projects needing volunteer help. If you have a project and need people please let me know. We also have a new Master Gardener class coming up who will be needing projects to work on. The annual Sheep to Shawl Festival held at Oatland Island will be on March 14th this year. We plan to have an "Ask a Master Gardener" booth there. If you are interested in volunteering please let me know. I'm looking forward to a busy year! Faith Sadley flsadley@comcast.net Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens It finally happened! CGBG celebrated the opening of our brand new Andrews Visitor and Education in grand style Feb. 7 th with a lovely Gala. Vince Dooley was our guest speaker and signed many of his books for Gala attendees. Our new Garden Gift Shop officially opened with the Gala and we have some great items in stock. All proceeds benefit CGBG and our educational programs so come shop with us! Berry season opens soon and we have the following events on the schedule for spring; March 13, Wild Game and Fish Fry Dinner April 3 &4 CGBG Spring Plant Sale April 26, Sunday Supper in the Strawberry Patch Please see our website for more details, Liz Lubrani

6 Programs Committee: Paula Wheatley (Chairman), Cheryl Drwiega, Elizabeth Lewis, Liz Lubrani 2015 began with a successful low country boil cooked by Louise Groether s son Carl. Thanks to both of them and to all who brought delicious side dishes. The following programs have been planned for the rest of the year. Tuesday, March 10, at 6:00 PM at Hospice Savannah on Eisenhower Drive. Speaker: Jamie Burghardt from the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens will speak on Garden Design Styles. Saturday, May 9, at 1:00 PM at the Pavilion at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens (CGBG). Annual picnic, welcome of new members, and plant swap. The 1:00 time is due to this being strawberry picking time and is beyond our control. We will begin eating promptly at 1:00. Tuesday, July 14, 6:00 PM at CGBG Andrew Morris from Savannah Hydroponics & Organics Tuesday, September 8, 6:00PM at Hospice Forestry by Gail Westcot of the Warnell Center Saturday, September12 Forestry Field Trip with Gail Westcot of the Warnell Center More Information to follow Tuesday, November 10, 6:00 PM at Hospice Savannah Growing and Using Herbs Meetings are posted on the website as they are planned so check there for information. The programs committee welcomes and is encouraging anyone with program ideas or interesting speakers to come forward. In addition, we can schedule field trips and hands-on workshops. Let us know where your interests lie. Paula Wheatley pl_wheatley@planters.net

7 Seasonal Yummies - At this time of year we are highlighting KALE! It grows so well from Fall thru Spring here in the Savannah area - easy from seed. There are several varieties: Curly Kale (the most common type) has veiny, sturdy leaves with curly edges and thick stems) Tuscan Kale, also called lacinato, dinosaur, or black kale, is easiest to handle and quickest to cook - it is taller and less curly. Red Kale has curly, frilly leaves, mauve-colored veins, and thick stems. Nutritionally speaking, kale is a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, Folate (a B vitamin that's key for brain development), alpha-linolenic acid, lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green color and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts). Minerals include phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc. Try these: Nancy's Kale Salad - large bowlful finely chopped, de-stemmed kale - handful of raisins, dried cranberries, currants, cherries (or all - your choice) - 1 apple finely chopped - handful of sunflower seeds (or walnuts, etc) - lemon juice - a sweet dressing like raspberry & walnuts - couple squirts Newmans Creamy Cesar dressing (or some such...) Mix it all together and let it sit...it really gets better every day...good for many days...good fiber! As you can see, this is a 'seat of your pants' recipe and can be adjusted anyway you want. I do love the raspberry dressing with it and usually add too much! thanks to Nancy Tamarak (this also got two yums up from Freya Z) Kale Chips Preheat oven to 250 o Toss de-stemmed kale with salt & pepper and a small amount of olive oil. (You can always add more oil if neccesary. If you are using a curly kale you may want to massage the oil into the kale for better coverage - and the oil is good for your cuticles.) Arrange leaves in a single layer on large baking sheets. Bake until crisp (about 30 minutes for flat leaves, a few more for curly). Transfer leaves to rack to cool. Store in airtight container and munch away at your leisure. You will almost always want to remove the leaves from the stems unless you have picked it when it is young and tender. It's wonderful in soups, pasta, omelets, salads, with beans, as a side dish... google it, there's plenty recipes out there. Carol McCurdy

8 WINTER Mystery Plant Huernia zebrina AKA Life Saver Plant The genus Huernia (family Apocynaceae, subfamily Asclepiadoideae) consists of stem succulents from Eastern and Southern Africa, first described as a genus in The flowers are five-lobed, usually somewhat more funnel- or bellshaped than in the closely related genus Stapelia, and often striped vividly in contrasting colours or tones, some glossy, others matte and wrinkled depending on the species concerned. To pollinate, the flowers attract flies by emitting a scent similar to that of carrion. The genus is considered close to the genera Stapelia and Hoodia. The name is in honour of Justin Heurnius ( ) a Dutch missionary who is reputed to have been the first collector of South African Cape plants. His name was actually mis-spelt by the collector. Various species of Huernia are considered famine food by certain inhabitants of southern Ethiopia. They call the native species of this genus baqibaqa indiscriminately, and eat it with prepared balls of sorghum; they note that baqibaqa tastes relatively good and has no unpleasant side-effects when boiled and consumed. As a result, local farmers encouraged it to grow on stone walls forming the terraces, where it does not compete with other crops. Gail Rogers, class of 2010, guessed this and received a life-saver plant of her own. SPRING 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

9 CMGA Website: Facebook: On-going Volunteer Opportunities Contacts Bamboo Farm... Fred Nussbaum BBF Roots & Shoots... Bonaventure Cemetery... Jane Sommers Botanical Gardens... Diane Calhoun... Downtown Extension Office... Tonia Rudrow Susie Edwards BBF Greenhouse Plantings... Bob Izzo Habitat for Humanity... Jay Volker Native Planting... Pat Ryan Old Darien Jail... Ginger Pruden Owens-Thomas House... Theresa Feldstein Savannah-Ogeechee Canal... Linda Thrift Savannah Tree Foundation... Dolores Engle Board Members President... Steve Taylor Vice-President... Howard Turner Secretary... Frances Smith Treasurer... Amy Rhodes Past President... Chris Arthur Directors Website... Jeanette Byrd Programs... Paula Wheatley Membership... Hope Barton Comms/Newsltr... Carol McCurdy Publicity... Open Projects... Faith Sadley Members at Large... Ronald Elcock Louisa Sigman (Note: All Area Codes are 912)