LOOSELEAF FEBRUARY 2018

Transcription

1 LOOSELEAF FEBRUARY 2018 A Publication of the University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardeners 3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, SUITE 240 ELLICOTT CITY, MD ) FAX (410) INSIDE 2 Volunteer Fair & Patuxent Refuge 3 New Master Gardener Logos 4 Calendar Highlights, Compost, Youth 5 Continuing Education Series at UME 6 Latin for Gardeners: White Oak 8 Whipps Garden Update 9 Grow It Eat It News 10 MG Recognitions for 2017 FROM GEORGIA'S DESK... Our annual MG recognition event was held a few weeks ago. I want to thank the many MGs who helped make it such a success. Pat Greenwald and Beth Blum-Spiker worked on the presentation portion of the program. The set-up and, more importantly, the clean-up crew included Joe DiGiovanni, Sharon Smith, Paul DiCrispino, Janine Grossman, Rosemary Noble, Barbara Schuster, Darcy Bellido de Luna and Roy Heath. And thanks to so many MGs, we had a table full of goodies for the reception. Thanks to everyone! The annual event showcases the newly certified MGs. In this case, the Class of 2017 received their permanent MG name badges. We also acknowledged years of service awards as well as our MGs who volunteered 100+ hours during the past year. Congratulations to all. A list of names is included at the end of this month s newsletter. The new training class began Jan 22. All MGs are invited to sit in on a class or two. You are also invited to bring snacks for the class breaks! Be sure to drop off snacks by 8:45 am or sooner. Thanks go to Kathy Rosendale and Anne Cottle who are coordinating food for the class. Pat Greenwald is one of three women to be inducted into the Howard County Women's Hall of Fame on March 22. We are fortunate to have Pat in our MG group. She has contributed significantly to our community education programs. Thank you, Pat. Attention! We have a new logo for the University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener program. It s very exciting to have a crisp new look. There s a story elsewhere in this issue that explains how we all need to start incorporating the new logo into all printed materials and presentations. Please take note and begin the transition to the new logo. Check the MG electronic calendar for volunteer opportunities throughout the year. For example, GreenFest is scheduled for April 21 at the Howard Community College. MGs will be needed for several exhibits (GIEI, Composting, Whipps, Bay-wise) as well as the native plant sale. More information will be coming. Stay warm. Spring will be here soon! Georgia Eacker, MG Coordinator, WSA Liaison, , geacker@umd.edu 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 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FAIR Wednesday, February 14, at Miller Library 10:00am to Noon Meet, Greet and Learn by attending the annual Volunteer Opportunity Fair at the Miller Branch Library! The annual Volunteer Opportunity Fair isn t just for the trainees! It s a chance for all MGs to learn more about the wide variety of projects, programs and activities planned for The event will be at the Miller Branch of the Howard County Library System. The Fair is scheduled from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. This annual gathering is unique because it s the only time during the year when we can review all of the committees and talk with the MGs who manage them. Perhaps you earned your volunteer hours with one or two committees last year. Attend the Fair to learn about a new opportunity for Bring your calendar because many of the exhibits will include a sign-up sheet. It s also an ideal chance to meet members of the Class of Talk with them about your experiences as a University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardener. Your comments and advice will surely help them navigate the maze of their initial year. Of course there will be refreshments, so please bring something to share with the group. We hope to see you at the Fair on February 14 at Miller! Lois Savar-Rock, MG 2017, 818lois@comcast.net, Chris Campbell, MG 2017, candcampbell@comcast.net Patuxent Research Refuge Schoolyard Habitat Lions and tigers and bears! Oh My! Well, more exactly: turtles and monarchs and children! Oh My! We had a great year in the Schoolyard Habitat. The section that we restored a year ago with a grant from the Governor s Office on Volunteerism has grown rich and beautiful. The soft, newly restored soil attracted a red-bellied cooter who let us watch her lay her eggs in the garden. We had a full complement of monarch caterpillars in spite of an infestation of invasive aphid species on our milkweed, and a lot of children, photographers, and tourists enjoyed the abundance of native bees on the mountain mint. Come visit our work. We have restored about a quarter of the Schoolyard Habitat to native ecosystem and welcome your help. Please volunteer your hours on one of our Wednesday or Sunday morning workdays starting in March. The monarchs will thank you. For more information, contact me and please put PRR SYH in your subject line. Ann Coren, MG 2013, anncoren@hotmail.com LooseLeaf February 2018 page 2

3 NEW MASTER GARDENER LOGOS AN EASY HOW-TO! (horizontal logo) (stacked logo) (horizontal logo paired with a subset) Starting in 2018, The University of Maryland Extension has launched an updated logo to support marketing efforts on behalf of the Master Garden program. The new design will improve the visual identity of the MG program and clearly connect the subset programs. But only if we use it in all of our presentations and printed materials! Bottom line: Using the new logo is vitally important to the success of the MG program. And it s imperative that we are all consistent in how it is used across all of our activities in Howard County. Consistency of visual images is what makes branding work for all sorts of products, services and programs. You recognize Starbucks, Under Armor, and the Orioles by their distinctive logos. But you remember them because of repetition. We need to build an image for the MG program, which will raise the visibility and awareness of our efforts in the community. Today people may say they learned about rain gardens or growing tomatoes at the library or community center. Tomorrow we want them to say they learned about rain gardens or growing tomatoes from a Master Gardener. How do we get there? By smartly using the new logos everywhere we can. It begins with the University of Maryland Extension and Master Gardener logo in partnership. You can choose a "horizontal" version (logos side-by-side) or a "stacked" version (UME logo on top of MG logo). See the samples illustrated nearby. Next there are six individual or "subset" programs under Master Gardener. The subsets are Composting, Ask a Master Gardener Plant Clinics, Grow It Eat It, Bay-wise, Pollinators and Native Plants. The subset logo must always be used with the UME logo. Thankfully, the logos are easy to find on the website and easy to use. You ll find several file types, but the ones you ll use most often are the jpg files in color (RGB) or black & white. Here s a link to the logo page. Beginning and ending slides for PowerPoint are also available online. Use the same link. Again, it s imperative that we add these slides to our current presentations as soon as possible. It will reinforce MG branding efforts. Note: the ending slide includes a space to fill in Howard. Please remove the underline! It s there just to indicate where to type in our county. Remember, you must always pair the MG or a subset logo with the UME logo. To be clear, use the UME and MG logo paired, or UME with a subset logo paired. The MG logo or a subset logo should never be used alone. All the files for the logos you ll use are on the page linked above. We will cover additional guidelines for using the new logo in subsequent issues of LooseLeaf. Thank you in advance for incorporating our new logo in all your presentations and printed materials. You will be helping us build the MG brand. Janine Grossman, MG 2012, janinegrossman@gmail.com LooseLeaf February 2018 page 3

4 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 these events in February. HIGHLIGHTS FOR FEBRUARY 5 Bay-Wise Meeting at UME 7 Compost Meeting at UME 14 Volunteer Opportunity Fair at Miller Library 20 LooseLeaf Deadline! Compost Team Meeting Wednesday, February 12:30 pm UME It s time to start using your kitchen scraps to enrich your soil. That s what we want Howard County residents to be thinking about! Join us for the Compost Team s planning meeting. Meet the demonstration site coordinators, learn about several important one-time events, and sign-up to earn some volunteer hours during the summer. The meeting will be held in the conference room at UME following the regularly scheduled Trainee class. New members and trainees are invited to attend. Kathryn Foat, MG 2016, kaboating@verizon.net Youth Education Planning Meeting Monday, March 1:00 pm UME The Youth Education Committee is gearing up for the Fourth Grade program called Our Environment in Our Hands (OEOH). This program is an all-day field trip experience for fourth grade students. Master Gardeners work with the students in small groups to lead them through a variety of activities centered on learning about the environmental issues involved with our soils and our watershed. This year the OEOH program will be offered to six different schools on the following days: May 21, May 22, May 23, May 29, May 30, May 31. Training will be provided so you ll be ready to guide the students regardless of your station assignment. We ve had many MGs volunteer year-after-year for this remarkable Youth Education event. It s truly fulfilling to help a young student gain valuable hands-on knowledge. To learn more about OEOH and our many other programs, please join us for our next committee meeting on Monday, March 26 at 1:00 pm. The meeting will be in the conference room at the UME office. Janice Winter, MG 2006, janicewinter29@gmail.com LooseLeaf February 2018 page 4

5 A REMINDER > Any mention of specific products or businesses in LooseLeaf does not imply or constitute endorsement by UME. > 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. > 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 CONTINUING EDUCATION SPEAKER SERIES MGs, Watershed Stewards, Master Naturalists and their guests are welcome to attend. All sessions will be held on Tuesdays at the UME office, except for the field trip on September 11. Check the MG electronic calendar for updates. For questions, contact: Karin DeLaitsch kdlaitsch@gmail.com; or, Joanna Cumbie rladywalking@msn.com MARCH 13 Keeping Trees Healthy Mike Greenberg, arborist at Straughan Environmental and Cheryl McKinlay, Environmental Scientist for MDTA Learn about selecting, planting, and caring for your trees. APRIL 10 Growing Microgreens Gul Behsudi, MG, Grow and Learn, LLC A local commercial grower teaches about growing organic microgreens. MAY 8 JUNE 12 Year of the Bird: Attracting Maryland birds to your backyard Clare Walker, MG who works in education and outreach for the DNR Invasives Judy Fulton, MG 2018 marks the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world are joining forces to celebrate the 2018 as Year of the Bird and commit to protecting birds. SEPTEMBER 11 OCTOBER 9 NOVEMBER 13 Scavenger Hunt/Annual Meeting & Luncheon at The Howard County Conservancy Gardening and Climate Change / Climate Change and Its Implications Sylvia Huestis, MG and Carolyn Cradler, MG TBD Join us for a scavenger hunt at The Conservancy prior to the annual MG meeting/luncheon LooseLeaf February 2018 page 5

6 LATIN FOR GARDENERS February s Native Maryland Plant Quercus alba L. (KWERK-us AL-buh) Common Name: White Oak Quercus alba is no stranger to Marylanders it is our state tree and widely known for its majestic beauty. At this time of the year it is also known for holding its leaves through the winter months, a phenomenon known as marcescence. Marcescent leaves are found on a number of deciduous trees, namely Oak (Quercus), Beech (Fagus) and Hornbeam (Carpinus). Although the leaves on these trees wither and die, they continue to cling to stems until spring buds push them out or strong winds cause the dry and brittle petioles to break. There is an ongoing debate as to why these trees keep their leaves until spring read Vermont county forester Michael Snyder s article* to learn some common theories. LooseLeaf February 2018 page 6

7 Doug Tallamy, entomologist from the University of Delaware, writes that Quercus alba is the best species measured to date in providing caterpillars (557 species) and acorns for mammals and ground birds. This is particularly noteworthy this year the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), America s cornerstone bird conservation law that protects birds from people. Specifically, The MBTA provides that it is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, possess, sell, purchase, barter, import, export, or transport any migratory bird, or any part, nest, or egg or any such bird, unless authorized under a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior. Some regulatory exceptions apply. Like many of you, I plant native plants for several reasons, not least of which is to create habitat for birds that I enjoy watching all year long in my garden. Last Arbor Day I planted a Quercus alba in my yard a sapling from the famous Wye Oak of Talbot County. That tree was believed to be over 460 years old and I can only imagine how many birds sought food and shelter within its branches. My hope is that this sapling will also enjoy a long life, will sequester tons of carbon and provide numerous benefits to migratory birds for many years to come. * Alison Milligan, MG 2013, aligmilligan@gmail.com LooseLeaf February 2018 page 7

8 WHIPPS GARDEN UPDATE Whipps will look spectacular this spring with our newly planted daffodil demonstration garden and 800 more daffodils planted around the front entrance! Please plan a visit and mark your calendar for both of our spring fundraisers: Daffodil Day on Saturday, March 31, and the annual plant sale, May Our planning meeting and appreciation luncheon was held February 1 at the Miller Library. We discussed plans for our annual Daffodil Day, which will be the day before Easter this year. Plants for sale will include large blue, pink and white hydrangeas; Easter lilies and calla lilies along with potted daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, Virginia bluebells, and hellebores. Several presentations by MGs and entertainment by Madrigal Singers will be featured. The newest Eagle Scout project of the historic iron work and retaining wall with an assortment of daffodils and ferns will surely be a highlight of walking tours. Whipps plans to have an exhibit during Greenfest at Howard Community College. Volunteers are needed during a shift from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The event is Saturday, April 21. Our annual Plant Sale is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, May 10 to 12. The location is the First Lutheran Church, corner of Chatham and Frederick Roads. We will purchase many native perennials, butterfly plants, ferns, hostas and much more! The highlight of the sale is the garden perennials and small shrubs (no invasives, please) that MGs donate for the sale. Please think about sharing plants as you divide or thin your own gardens. Proceeds from the sale are used to maintain and keep the Whipps gardens growing and glowing. Our current project to enhance the front entrance is well underway. It began with the addition of boxwood, hydrangea, replacement liriope, and 800 yellow daffodils. Volunteer Opportunities: Prior to Daffodil Day, we ll need help to replenish the chips along our pathways. Volunteers are needed to help with publicity (writing and distributing) for upcoming events, developing summer presentations at Whipps, and co-managing events. If you are interested in participating with our March Daffodil Day, April Greenfest, or the May Plant Sale (either with plant donations or the event itself), please contact me. More information will be forthcoming on the listserv. Thank you and Happy Gardening to All! Aleta Gravelle, MG 2009, agravelle@verizon.net A CALL FOR PLANTS! We invite you to share your garden perennials and small shrubs (no invasives, please) you are dividing. They can be delivered to Whipps Cemetery Garden at 3651 St. John s Lane starting in May. Please have the plants potted up nicely and labeled with the common and Latin name if you know it. We have large wooden craft sticks available, if needed. It would also be nice to indicate Native" and "Sun" or "Shade. If you have plants and cannot pot them, please call me. We will not refuse them, but will need time to pot them so they get established before the sale. Our annual plant sale will be held on May 10, 11, 12 (Thurs, Fri and Sat). LooseLeaf February 2018 page 8

9 GROW IT EAT IT NEWS The seed catalogs arrived last month and I started planning my vegetable garden! Planning is important, because some vegetables and herbs (such as broccoli, cauliflower, parsley and basil) are started under fluorescent lights while others (beets, peas, beans, dill and coriander) are seeded into the garden. This link HG 16 will take you to Planting Dates for Vegetable Crops in Central Maryland. This link GE 007 goes to Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Most seed packets have information about germination times, when to plant to grow transplants, and more. For example, I now grow Green Magic broccoli in the spring because it yields nice heads before the heat of June causes the broccoli florets to bloom. It needs to be started indoors for transplant outdoors the first week of April. To determine when to plant seeds indoors, select an outdoor planting date (say April 1) and subtract the days for seeds to germinate (7) and the number of weeks to grow transplants (6 weeks or 42 days) to arrive at the seed starting date of February 19. Frost and freeze dates for Maryland can be found here. If you start seeds indoors, remember that fluorescent lights start to lose luminosity after about 15% of their life. I change my fluorescent tubes after about 2,000 hours of use. So, if your transplants looked spindly last year, try changing your tubes. Another cause of spindly transplants could be that your lights are not close enough to your plants. Keep lights about 1 to 1 ½ from the tops of plants. If you would like to learn more about starting seeds and growing transplants under lights, you can view the video on the GIEI website, review the PowerPoint presentation on the Howard County GIEI presentation web page, or go to Starting Seeds Indoors on the HGIC website. Volunteer opportunities for GIEI events can be found here on the HGIC website or here on the Howard County GIEI web page. As I mentioned last year, I am stepping down as Chair of the GIEI team. If you are interested in this position, please contact Georgia Eacker, geacker@umd.edu. The GIEI team will have opportunities to work with some of the Howard County elementary schools presenting container gardening classes and educating students about vegetable gardening. If you are interested, contact me by or phone at Kent Phillips, MG 2009, kent.a.phillips@gmail.com LooseLeaf February 2018 page 9

10 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MG HONOREES Our annual MG Recognition Event was held on Sunday, January 14 at the Howard County Conservancy, and the following MGs were recognized for their commitment to the University of Maryland Extension, Howard County Master Gardeners program. Class of 2017: Newly Certified Master Gardeners (pictured above): Colleen Busher, Christine Campbell, Sally Cutler, Robert Doyle, Gene Edwards, Erin Fitzsimmons, Elliott Harvey, Nataly (Natasha) Jones, Nancy Lemich, Robert Liss, MD, Marie McGing, Joan F. Oliver, Kathy Plitt, Sharon Quon, Mary Ramsay, Lois Savar-Rock, Sandra K. Thompson Three Years of Service (2015): Betty Bensel, Paul Berg, Dina Boogaard, Alicia Buxton, Cecilia Daub, Tsu-jan Dillard, Carolyn Dunmire, Linda Giampalmo, Richard Hammers, Tim Hardy, Carol Heidhausen, Barbara Klein, Tom Kusterer, Nancy Lawson, Jim Lumsden, Kellie O'Connell, Linda Olson, Ming Pang, Kim Rutter, Barbara Shuster, Ruth Vriend, Clare Walker, Doris Wilcher Dr Robert Liss with Georgia Five Years of Service (2013): Sid Abel, Susan Aldape, Gul Behsudi, Darcy Bellido de Luna, Valorie Butler, Ann Coren, MaryBeth Culver, William Deming, Elsa Fawcett, Judy Fulton, Barbara Griggs, Ann Hackeling, Agila Kumar, Donna LaBelle, Liz Lucchesi, Margaret Mauro, Nancy McEvoy, Alison Milligan, Cecilia Pao, Pamela Peters, Sharon Smith, Joanne Winters, Phyllis Yigdall Ten Years of Service (2008): Beverly DeVuono, Caroline Feil, Jeanne Feury, Rosetta Cameron Few, Gerald Fitzpatrick, Nancy Heagerty-Lewis, Charles Larry Lewis, Carrie S Pirie, Barbara Schmeckpeper Fifteen Years of Service (2003): Paul Beares, Corliss Glennon, Betsy Grater, Patricia Greenwald, Pat Harrington, Paul Kojzar Twenty Years of Service (1998): Charlotte Clive, Judith Petersen, Carol Rexford Twenty-Five Years of Service (1993): Carroll Barrack, Michael Coxe, Paul Rutter, Sr 100+ Volunteer Hours in 2017 (pictured below): Beth Blum-Spiker, Christine Campbell, James Cimaglio, Ann Coren, Anne Cottle, Carolyn Cradler, Linda Decker, Paul DiCrispino, Joe DiGiovanni, David Dower, Robert Doyle, Barbara Dunn, Judy Fulton, Robert Glascock, Corliss Glennon, Sharon Gordon, Aleta Gravelle, Patricia Greenwald, Janine Grossman, Richard Hammerschlag, Kathy Hartley, Yvonne Howard, Sylvia Huestis, Gregory Jones, Elaine Kielman, Catharine Kuehne, Tom Kusterer, Gary Laidig, Nancy Lemich, Susan Levi-Goerlich, Carol Link, Betty Miller, Alison Milligan, Patrick Monahan, Dorothy Moore, Clare Openshaw, Kent Phillips, Betty Rice, JoAnn Russo, Barbara Schmeckpeper, Sharon Smith, Carol Spencer, Ann Vieth, Phyllis Yigdall LooseLeaf February 2018 page 10