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

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1 Greenhouse Notes A quarterly newsletter for Coastal Master Gardener Association members President s Message Winter 2016 New beginnings WOW! It s been crazy out there lately. We hadn t even finished cleaning up from Hurricane Hermine when Matthew blew in, leaving his mark on our community. He brought us massive destruction and damage to property. Everywhere you looked you saw another beautiful mature tree on the ground and the resulting damage to homes and vehicles was hard to handle. Limbs, large and small, were scattered in all directions. My initial concern was one of personal safety for my family, our neighbors & friends, and their families and pets. On a bright note, most everyone was safe. And that is something to be grateful for. Buildings can be rebuilt or repaired and vehicles can be replaced. We can replant trees, yet it will take years for them to mature. Mother Nature is funny about that! If you think about it, we are all facing new beginnings. If you had damage to your home, the repair may serve as a catalyst to change the color of a room or modify the structure to include a much needed closet or storage area you have wanted for years. As the landscape has changed, we have the option to replant the shade tree that we lost or install plants and shrubs that are more tolerant in the now sunny location. Gardeners love change, right??? The Coastal Master Gardener Association is facing changes as well. We still need officers for 2017 and volunteers to serve on the board. Please let me know if you are willing to serve. We are blessed to have exciting projects underway and an abundance of opportunities to participate. Dr. Tim Davis is planning to conduct a new Master Gardener class after the holidays. There is a lot going on and I invite you to take an active role in our organization! I hope you enjoy the upcoming holidays in a manner that is meaningful to you. See you in the garden, Steve Taylor President, CMGA

2 Bonaventure Update We all had a very busy period several weeks ago when everybody went out to various sites and harvested all of the air-layers that had been taken earlier this year and potted them for future planting. Our previous request in the media for older camellia varieties to propagate was enthusiastically answered by quite a few local gardeners who let us come out and take advantage of their beautiful specimens, many of which were from two or three generations ago. At last count approximately ninety plants were successfully rooting, getting ready for their new home next year. Many thanks to the gracious homeowners who allowed us to come to their gardens and gather these beautiful specimens. We had anticipated planting the many air-layers retrieved last year at Bonaventure before the holidays but have been stymied in our plans because of the devastation of Hurricane Matthew. Although the cemetery was reopened several weeks ago, and the camellias miraculously dodged direct hits, the cleanup is just starting to get into gear finally. At last check the water lines were still turned off and were not expected to be in service until January at the earliest but that may change, too, and at least we did have some well-needed rain this past week. Fortunately, we gardeners are not easily discouraged by these setbacks and will wait patiently until the time comes to get back in gear. In the meantime, on a more pleasant note, winter weather has been very temperate so far this season and camellias in Savannah and surrounding areas are blooming right on schedule. A little sightseeing trip to some local destinations like the Isle of Hope, the Botanical Garden on Eisenhower Drive, and the Judge Solomon Camellia Trail at the Bamboo Farm can be a great uplifting experience. Winter here does not just mean leafless trees and tedious chores. We ve got plants blossoming all over the place. Thanks to all of the volunteers who have helped keep this project on track throughout the last year. Many have shown up every week to do whatever needed to be done and that requires a lot of determination. There s been planting, spraying, fertilizing, air-layering, potting, and then some watering, watering and more watering. On top of that guard rings were made to protect the plants from mowers and weed whackers and that turned out to be not as easy as expected. I ended up in a wrist brace for two months after doing only six, but Doug Webb, Ron and Belinda Jacob, Danae Goldberg, John Gentry and Leonard Daugherty managed to make enough for this year s plantings and some for next year, too. Linda Artley and Ginger Benton missed that little activity but we hope they will be returning next year because we can always use the help. Anyone who would like to volunteer for next year can do so by contacting Doug Webb, our coordinator, at or him at douglaswebb@bellsouth.net A special remembrance as the year closes to our dear friend Dennis Ronning who passed away earlier this year but remains in our thoughts always. He was very special and we hope to plant one of his favorite white camellias at his columbarium at Greenwich in the very near future. As for everyone else, hope you have a wonderful holiday and keep on gardening! Jane Morel Sommers MG Class of 2002

3 The SACGC Botanical Garden The Botanical Garden on Eisenhower weathered the storms pretty well. Large trees came down across the driveway to Hospice during Hermine and were removed by Bartlett Tree at no cost to the Garden. Bartlett Tree has been generous with help over the years and we are grateful. All the walks and the driveway were covered with debris during Matthew, of course. Most of the trees downed during the hurricane were at the rear of the garden and in the Native Plant Garden. Larry Ward, husband of Betty Ward, Garden Chair and events coordinator, worked with a friend to clear most of the damaged and downed trees. The garden looked amazingly good a few days after the storm. The fountain in the pond will have to be replaced but the native fauna turtles, birds and snakes took it all in stride. The Fall Plant Sale went on as planned, with winter annuals from Oelschigs and gorgeous perennials and shrubs from Florida. The Garden cleared a nice profit and the event was fun and rewarding for everyone. There were Master Gardeners there to help with plant purchases and to answer questions at the Ask-a-Master Gardener table chaired by Faith Sadley. As always, the Garden volunteers appreciate your participation. The shrubs in the Camellia Garden are coming into bloom. Ron and Belinda Jacob have been faithful caretakers of the Camellia Garden and the plants are showing their appreciation with spectacular blossoms. The sasanquas in the center island are at their peak. Belinda tells me there are 107 camellias in the garden representing 75 different varieties. They join me in inviting you to take a walk among them. If you have questions about the Garden or want to volunteer to help, you can me at pryangarden@att.net or call me at Pat Ryan Coastal Wildscapes is having its Annual Symposium - Open the Garden Gate to Coastal Habitats - On January am - 3pm at the Richmond Hill City Center For more information and to register: These are always excellent events!

4 Fall Wrap-Up at the Sparrow Field Pollinator Berm The Pollinator Berm Garden at Sparrow Field escaped the wrath of Tropical Storm Hermine and Hurricane Matthew. In fact, the rain from those systems stimulated a burst of growth and blossoms from the fall season flora. The weekly work parties continue on Friday mornings. Everyone is welcome. Following the suggestion from the monarch butterfly researchers who discourage late season breeding, the garden volunteers cut back the milkweed the first week of November and have ended the larvae counts for the season. Lingering larvae of monarchs and the queens who also breed on milkweed are persistently feeding on stalks and the tenacious new shoots of the tropical milkweed and the giant milkweed. In the interest of monarch health, those plants will be pruned again. Monarch Health recently sent reports from the monarch samples collected and submitted in June and in September. These reports will be posted to the Skidaway Audubon web site under the Sparrow Field tab Of the 20 samples analyzed for the protozoan parasite OE, 10 (50%) were free of disease and 5 (25%) were heavily infected. Fourteen more samples were sent to the Odum School of Ecology at UGA on November 10 th. Those butterflies developed from eggs deposited on milkweed in the Sparrow Field. Dara Satterfield, PhD, our Monarch Health mentor, is continuing her work with monarchs in her position as a Fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Knowing that Calitropis gigantea (giant milkweed) is growing at the berm, she asked for assistance in collecting data about cardenolide toxins in monarchs that feed on that species of milkweed. Cardenolide toxins from milkweed are concentrated in the caterpillars and butterflies and make them distasteful to their predators. In asking for our participation in this project, Dara Satterfield, PhD, explained, We have already done this for numerous milkweed species, but we don't yet have any monarchs representing C. gigantea. This information is being used to help us determine which monarchs (in TX) are resident and which are migrant, for a project examining whether migratory monarchs use tropical milkweed gardens and what happens to them if they do (we are monitoring for disease and reproduction). To provide the butterflies, several late stage larvae eating giant milkweed were collected, put into a container and were fed exclusively giant milkweed. An additional larva was a tiny stage 2 when collected and ate only the giant milkweed. All the larvae pupated, but only three eclosed, including the one fed exclusively giant milkweed. The chrysalises of the others turned black after several days, an indication of disease. The healthy monarchs were sent to Odum School of Ecology for analysis. We will likely repeat this activity next year with more controls, starting with the eggs oviposited on the giant milkweed.

5 This is an interesting article on the cardenolide toxins in milkweed that will be posted on the web site and linked to the description of our participation in this study of the cardenolide toxins: Many other species of butterflies are flying at the field, where there are abundant sources of nectar. The cloudless sulfurs are utilizing their host plant, the Christmas senna (Senna bicapsularis). Above photos by Fitz Clarke Shirley Brown Photo by Carol McCurdy The larvae that eat the bright yellow blossoms are yellow, and those on the green leaves are green. Nature at work to protect her babies! Fitz Clarke has some stunning pictures. See them on the Skidaway Audubon web site. There is still time - we hope you will join us for December Nights and Holiday Lights through December 24 th from 6-9 pm in the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm. For more informationon this and other events, go to Liz Lubrani

6 The Aftermatthew Freya Zipperer says, Matthew left us with trees down but no damage to the greenhouse or conservatory. I will be raking and dragging out limbs to the road for years, but they tell me that it is good exercise. Plus we will have new spots for new plants and hurricane stories to tell for years. Chica Arndt and her kids make the best of the treefall This is the egg sac of the writing spider, Argiope aurantia, which was still connected to the bromeliad after the big blow Quantitatively, spider silk is five times stronger than steel of the same diameter. It has been suggested that a Boeing 747 could be stopped in flight by a single pencilwidth strand and spider silk is almost as strong as Kevlar, the toughest man-made polymer.

7 Free for the Pickin I ve got tons of citrus that desperately need picking...especially with the weather changing. Everyone is invited to my backyard anytime to pick Meyer lemons, limes, kumquats, and Calamondin oranges. My phones are and cell If I don t answer or am not here...just come into the back yard and go straight out to the pasture...you can t miss the citrus. Nancy Tamarack Photo by Julie Wiatt Editor s note: I am in the process of making calamondin marmalade. I availed myself of Nancy s largess last year and these make the best marmalade. I was considering getting my own tree, but if Nancy stays generous, it s too easy just to pick hers. Some interesting notes on the Calamondin orange: Calamondin is called by many names, including: calamonding, calamondin orange, calamansi, calamandarin, golden lime, kalamunding, kalamansi, Philippine lime, " න ර ", Panama orange, Chinese orange, musk orange and acid orange. Culinary arts The Calamondin bears a small citrus fruit that is used to flavor foods and drinks. Despite its outer appearance and its aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, although the peel is sweet. Eating a whole fruit has a surprise with the combination of sweet and sour. Calamondin marmalade can be made in the same way as orange marmalade. Like other citrus, the calamondin is high in vitamin C. The fruit can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes in beverages such as tea, soft drinks, water, and cocktails. The juice can be used in place of that of the common Persian lime (also called Bearss lime). The juice is extracted by crushing the whole fruit, and makes a flavorful drink similar to lemonade. A liqueur can be made from the whole fruits, in combination with vodka and sugar. It is commonly used In many Asian and tropical cuisines, to season fish, fowl, and pork and in dips and soups. Said to remove the fishy smell of seafood. Medicinal Value Calamondin has several alternative medicinal uses. In various forms, is effective on insect bites, as cough medicine, for constipation, bleaching freckles, treating acne and is a natural anti-inflammatory. It is also used in skin and hair care products. Essential Oil The Calamondin or Calamansi has considerable amount of essential oils stored in the rind. The most common method of extraction is via steam distillation, cold-press method and centrifugal extraction. The calamansi essential oil is used to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, and is widely used as a substitute to lemon or lime essential oil.

8 In mid- November, Freya Zipperer hosted a book signing of I Grew It My Way (How Not to Garden) by Jane Fishman and, of course, a plant swap. The weather was cool and Freya s hot cider was most welcome. You should really never miss any of her plant swaps always so much good conversation, food, drinks, and, well yeah, plants to take home! Photos by Kaye Butler Jane Fishman & Freya Zipperer AUTUMN Mystery Plant???? I have no idea what this is, was hoping some bright gardener out there could identify it. Bought it years ago before I worried about such things as labels and Latin names. Sigh. It did, however, make it through the hurricane lying on its side and praying (oh that was me but it did pretty much the same). Carol McCurdy Winter Mystery Plant There is no mystery plant for this Winter. The mystery is: What plants will pop up next Spring after being pounded by 300-lb wood chunks? Let us spray for some miracles, believe in survival of the flattest, and remember that the equisetum is still around after more than a few adversities.

9 CMGA Website: Facebook: Track your Volunteer Hours: On-going Volunteer Opportunities Contacts Coastal GA Botanical Gdns... Liz Lubrani x CGBG Roots & Shoots... CGBG Greenhouse Plantings... Bonaventure Cemetery... Doug Webb Botanical Gdns on Eisenhower... Pat Ryan Downtown Extension Office... Tonia Rudrow Susie Edwards Native Plant Garden... Pat Ryan Old Darien Jail... Ginger Pruden Savannah-Ogeechee Canal... Linda Thrift Sparrow Field Pollinator Berm... Shirley Brown For the entire list of projects, go to the MLOG website Board Members President... Steve Taylor luckydogsteve@aol.com Vice-President... Howard Turner annandhowardplants@yahoo.com Secretary... Ronald Elcock ronald.elcock@yaloo.com Treasurer... Amy Rhodes amywrhodes@gmail.com Directors Website... Jeanette Byrd rj.byrd@att.net Programs... Liz Lubrani x elubrani@uga.edu Membership... Louisa Sigman louisasigman@comcast.net Comms/Newsltr... Carol McCurdy mm_mccurdy@msn.com Publicity... Andria Cummings aesegedy@earthlink.net Projects... Vacant (All Area Codes are 912 except where noted)