The Latest Dirt La Porte County Master Gardener Newsletter

Transcription

1 The Latest Dirt La Porte County Master Gardener Newsletter DECEMBER 2015 INSIDE THIS ISSUE ASSOCIATION NEWS 2 NEW HOURS REPORTING SYSTEM _ 2 HOLIDAY LUNCHEON 3 HERB GARDENING 4 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM 5 VOLUNTEER APPLICATION AND AGREEMENT FORM MEETING SCHEDULE Meetings will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays (unless otherwise noted) at the Purdue Extension Office (O); the Swanson Senior Center (S); or the La Porte Public Library (L) December 3 Holiday Lunch Portofino s Restaurant Special Guest: John Orick, Purdue Master Gardener State Coordinator on State of the Purdue Master Gardener Program If you have an article, photos, or event you would like to submit to the newsletter, please to: DONNAPOUZAR@COMCAST.NET EMATZAT@PURDUE.EDU THE LATEST DIRT is published monthly. The next deadline is: December 20, Perennial Plant of the Year Anemone Honorine Jobert Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' has been selected by the PPA membership as the 2016 Perennial Plant of the Year. From Greek, anemone means windflower. Anemone x hybrida, commonly called windflower or Japanese anemone, is a hybrid category which includes a large number of hybrid pink or white flowered cultivars that bloom from late summer into fall (August - October). These cultivars vary somewhat in character but generally are erect, clump-forming, fibrous-rooted, woody-based perennials, which typically grow to 2-3' (infrequently to 4') tall on stems clad with oval palmate toothed leaves. 'Honorine Jobert' is a vigorous, fibrous-rooted, mounding, compact Japanese anemone hybrid cultivar, which typically grows to 3-4' tall and spreads by creeping rhizomes. Single flowers (2-3" diameter) with 6-9 overlapping white petaloid sepals and yellow center stamens appear on long, wiry-butgraceful, branching stems over an attractive foliage mound of trifoliate dark green leaves. Lengthy August to September bloom period. Japanese anemone cultivars are commonly sold as Anemone x hybrida or Anemone japonica. 'Honorine Jobert' is an old garden hybrid discovered in Verdun, France in Synonymous with A. x hybrida 'Alba'. Anemones are best grown in organically rich, humusy, evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Soils must not be allowed to dry out. Plants are best sited in part shade locations with protection from wind. Foliage tends to burn in hot, dry, sunny summer conditions. Plants do not perform well in the deep South (south of USDA Zone 7). Avoid wet, poorly drained soils, particularly in winter. Plants appreciate a winter mulch in cold winter climates. Plants may be slow to establish, but, once established, will aggressively naturalize in the garden by spreading rhizomes to form large colonies. Propagate by root cuttings in winter (perhaps most effective) or by division in spring. Anemones are deer tolerant and there are no serious insect or disease problems. Taller plants may need some support. Source: Missouri Botanical Gardens

2 The Latest Dirt December 2015 Page 2 of 4 ASSOCIATION NEWS 2016 Directory Pictures Tina DeWitt will be available to take pictures for the 2016 Directory at the January 2016 meeting. You can also come to the Extension Office to have your picture taken or retaken if you d like a new one for the new directory. MG Hours Reporting System By: Tina DeWitt The reporting system we use to record our hours as Master Gardeners is going to be changing. We do not know when, but we encourage all of you to keep recording your hours online and make sure they are all up to date through the end of December We thank you for your cooperation and will let you know when the system will be updated. New Board Member We would like to welcome Linda Strain as a new member to the 2016 LPCMGA Board of Directors. Association officer positions on the 2016 Board will be decided in December at a board meeting following the holiday luncheon. General Meeting Minutes November 5, 2015 Adi Veenendaal opened the evening with her presentation on Pruning. She labeled pruning a necessary evil. Thirty-eight members were delighted with the suggestions she offered; the handouts - Pruning and Pinching from Purdue Extension publication, Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs (HO-4-W) and Basic Pruning Techniques for Trees from Purdue University, and her demonstration with her various pruning tools. Adi reminded the members that pruning is essential for landscaping. Her knowledge and humor made the topic come to life. Jen Kuzdas opened the general meeting. Susan Kieffer presented a written report with year-to-date treasury figures. LPCMGA has a surplus as of November. Project coordinators gave reports: Brown Bag Series: Annette Van Dusen has four speakers signed up to present Brown Bag series in Habitat for Humanity: The new location for Habit for Humanity is located on Garfield Street in Michigan City. A holding garden is available for plants, which will be used at a new house in Pioneer Garden: Volunteers were thanked and the garden has been put to bed. Tina DeWitt has the pattern and material for an outfit for the garden. Two dresses have been donated and are available at the office. Seed Library: The seed library is sleeping until spring. The Garden Show: The committee is moving ahead with speakers, PR's have been sent out, and Spire and Extension Homemakers signed on to provide food. Volunteers will be needed on the day of the show. The Nominating Committee presented the ballot for four candidates to the Board: Susan Kieffer, Linda Strain, Ann Klosinski and Carole Werner were elected for twoyear terms. Jen Kuzdas, Bev Johnson, Jeff Michaels and Donna Vilser will continue on the Board. Rima Binder recommended that by-laws need re-thinking about terms. The Holiday Luncheon will be at Portofino Grill on Dec. 3, at 12:00 noon. RSVPs are due by Nov. 20 th. John Orick, Purdue MG Program State Coordinator, will speak. Jen reported she has received project completion forms from chair people. Gene s Gems: MG Intern class has 11 members Input hours before the end of the year Growing Through Leadership scheduled next year Advanced MG training in coming year Contact Tina to receive webinars for education hours Upcoming events will be announced in January. Nancy Jahnel-Barnes shared info about La Porte County s bear BooBoo. He s doing well, loves suet cakes, weighs about 300 pounds and loves her backyard. The Holiday Luncheon will be on December 3 rd. Respectfully submitted, Bev Johnson, Secretary

3 The Latest Dirt December 2015 Page 3 of 4 ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCH Come celebrate the warmth of the season at our annual Holiday Luncheon Buffet Thursday, December 3 rd 12:00 Noon Portofino Grill 3233 N. State Road 39, La Porte, Indiana Guest speaker John Orick Purdue Master Gardener State Coordinator will talk about the State of the Purdue Master Gardener Program Back by popular demand is our Gift Grab Bag. Participation is optional $10 (Max-New or Slightly Used) If you have not yet responded, please R.S.V.P. no later than November 30, to Donna Vilser or at gsxcyalatr@aol.com Guests welcomed! WISHNG EVERYONE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON 2015 EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT JEN KUZDAS VICE PRESIDENT ANN KLOSINSKI SECRETARY BEV JOHNSON CO-TREASURERS SUSAN KIEFFER JEFF MICHAELS ED. COMMITTEE/ RIMA BINDER DONNA VILSER SPEAKERS BUREAU CAROLE WERNER PAST CHAIRPERSON TINA SONDERBY 2015 PROJECT COORDINATORS AG Days Kitty Knoll rknollandson@comcast.net Brown Bag Lunch Karren Coplen karrenc@comcast.net Annette Van Dusen avandusen@hotmail.com Farmers Market La Porte Jeff Michaels jwmichaels@comcast.net Farmers Market - Michigan City Dennis Brittain dbrittain@gmail.com Habitat for Humanity Aimee Purcell aimeerpurcell@gmail.com Luhr Park Field Days Kitty Knoll rknollandson@comcast.net Pioneer Heritage Days Rita Ryder dart@csinet.net Pioneer Heritage Garden John Connors jconnors5@comcast.net Sharing Meadows Sharon Cholewa slcholewa@csinet.net Sunflower Fair Laurelle Miskowicz miskowicz@comcast.net Garden Show Ann Klosinski annak47@comcast.net Pam Coker pkcoker@frontier.com Standing Committee Coordinators History Book Nancy Daube Hospitality Eunice Conway Librarian Karren Coplen Newsletter Donna Pouzar Speakers Bureau Ann Klosinski/Rima Binder Sunshine Nancy Jahnel-Barnes/John Connors Purdue Extension Office Gene Matzat ematzat@purdue.edu Tina DeWitt dewitt8@purdue.edu NEXT BOARD MEETING December 3rd After Luncheon - 1:00 p.m.

4 The Latest Dirt December 2015 Page 4 of 4 GARDENING ARTICLES HERB GARDENING The Turning Point of the Gardener s Year By: Linda Strain I was doing some reading on the Winter Solstice and in some of my reading it was referred to as The Turning Point of the Gardener s Year and I liked that. My family celebrates the Solstice and we give each other gifts of light. We also share poems about the coming of more light. There are many herbs that are often associated with Christmas and holiday celebrations. It is a wonderful time to use some of your dried herbs to make herb butters to spread on fresh baked rich grain breads. When it is cold and dreary outside it is a comfort to take the lids off bottles of your dried herbs and inhale some scents of summer. You can make sachets of your dried lavender and verbenas and place them in your linen closets so that you can have the soft scent of your herbs on your sheets and pillowcases. If you want to share some stories about herbs with your family over the holidays you can talk about what are referred to as the cradle or manger herbs. You can share bits of the plants with children for them to smell and experience. The herbal greens that are referred to as manger herbs are rosemary, thyme, lavender, rue, sweet woodruff, chamomile and horehound. A source for stories about the manger herbs is in the book, Growing and Using Herbs in the Midwest by Rosemary Divock, herbiere. She shares a wealth of information under the section on December about stories that go with Christmas herbs. We have had a very mild November here in Northern Indiana. If you cover your herbs with three inches or so of straw, you will have continued leaf growth for a while yet for the hardier herbs. You will be able to go out and pull the straw back and harvest some fresh sprigs until there is a continued time of hard cold. I did this well into December last year. Better yet, brew some fragrant herbal tea, dress warm and sketch plans for this spring s herb garden. Happy Holidays! The Latest Dirt is published monthly. The deadline for submission is the 20 th of each month. Our mission is to publish articles of interest to other Master Gardeners and the community. Articles about personal experiences are welcomed as are suggestions on gardening books, catalogs, helpful websites, tips and tricks, book reviews, seminars you ve attended to name a few samples. Submission requirements: Articles should be no longer than a page and references must be included. Font type should be TIMES 12 and Latin names of plants should be italicized. We do not accept articles pertaining to medicinal information. Master Gardeners will get volunteer hours for time spent working on an article. Buy, Sell, Trade at the Trading Shed Have a garden item for sale or trade? Place your free ad in The Latest Dirt What better place to reach gardeners than this? Tools, tillers, mowers, plants, or anything garden related. Keep ads brief and don't forget your phone number and/or e- mail address. Ads will be limited to space available. Send ads to donnapouzar@comcast.net by the 20th of each month. PorteCountyIndiana PURDUE UNIVERSITY, INDIANA COUNTIES AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATING AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTION

5 LPCMGA 2016 Membership Application A. Contact Information - will be used as your contact information in the membership directory - Please print Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: Work Phone: Cell Phone: Text: YES NO Optional Optional address: A monthly web link will be sent to the above address when the newsletter is posted on the website. I do not have . is not a good way to contact me. Do not include in the directory. B. Additional Information - One purpose of the LPCMGA is to disseminate gardening knowledge MG projects I have been involved in Projects in which I would enjoy involvement this year Check all that apply and elaborate if necessary, please - Special gardening areas of interest to me include: Perennials Pest Control Optimizing growing conditions Annuals Color in the garden Garden design Woody plants Pruning/propagation Shade/sun loving plants Herbs Container gardening Vegetable gardening Other: Suggestions for LPCMGA member development & direction: Field Trips Lecturers/Speakers Locations Names & Contact Info Book Reviews New Plant Strains Demonstrations New Horticultural Trends Suggestions Social Activities Strong skills I can Bring to the LPCMGA include: Computer skills Graphic Arts/Posters Photography Advertising/PR Writing Public speaking Anything else you d like to share Annual fee of $20, completed application and Purdue Master Gardener Agreement form is due by January 15, in order to be a member and be included in the Membership Directory. Please bring form and payment to the January meeting or mail it by January 15 to: Purdue Extension - La Porte County 2857 W. State Road 2, Suite A La Porte, Indiana The awards a Purdue student a scholarship of $1,000 every year. If you would like to make a donation for that scholarship please fill in the information below and include the scholarship amount with your annual dues check. This way we can keep track of the donations for this scholarship and properly thank those who are generously funding it. This may be a tax deductible donation to LPCMGA, a 501(c)(3) organization. DONATIONS TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND Name Amount Donated

6 Purdue Master Gardener Volunteer Application and Agreement Please print or type Full Name Alias/Maiden Name Date of Birth Address Apt. City State ZIP Home Phone Work Phone Cell Phone County of Intended Purdue Master Gardener Basic Training County of Intended Purdue Master Gardener Service The following questions regarding race and ethnicity are optional Race (check one) White or Caucasian Black or African American American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander Undetermined Ethnicity (check one) Hispanic Non-Hispanic Multiple Races Emergency Contact Information (required) Name Telephone Relationship Provisions of the Agreement to Participate in the Purdue Master Gardener Program Please read the statements below. By signing this form, you agree to all the statements below. Use of Title. I understand that the title Purdue Master Gardener is to be used exclusively in the Purdue Master Gardener Program. Purdue Master Gardeners are expected to identify themselves as such only when engaged in unpaid public service approved by Purdue Extension. Appearing in a commercial activity, endorsing commercial products, or implying Purdue University endorsement of any product or place of business are inappropriate and violate the policies of the Purdue Master Gardener Program. Understanding Policies. I have read the Purdue Master Gardener Program Policy Guide ( edu/mg) and agree to follow all policies regarding participation in the Purdue Master Gardener Program. Age Certification. I am 18 years or older.

7 Registry Checks. I consent to annual registry checks via the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Registry and Indiana Sex Offender Registry as explained in the Purdue Master Gardener Program Policy Guide. Identity Verification. I agree to provide evidence of a government-issued photo ID verifying my identity. Behavioral Expectations. I agree to abide by the adult behavioral expectations for Purdue Master Gardeners explained in the Purdue Master Gardener Program Policy Guide. Pest Recommendations. I agree to make recommendations to the public according to the Purdue Master Gardener pest information policy outlined in the Purdue Master Gardener Program Policy Guide. Liability Release. I understand that participating in the Purdue Master Gardener Program can involve certain risks to me. I accept those risks. I hereby discharge Purdue University, the Trustees of Purdue University, the county commissioners, the Purdue Extension county office, and each of their trustees, officers, appointees, agents, employees, and volunteers ( Released Parties ) from all claims that I might have for any injury or harm including death, arising out of my participation in any activity related to the Purdue Master Gardener Program, even if such injury or harm is caused by the negligence or fault of any of the Released Parties. I do not, however, release these individuals and entities from liability for intentional, willful, or wanton acts and this release shall not be construed to include such acts. First Aid. I give permission for Purdue Master Gardener Program and its representatives, and emergency personnel to make necessary first aid decisions if I am injured or fall ill while participating in Purdue Master Gardener Program activities. I shall be financially responsible for the cost of any medical treatment. Photo Release. I grant permission for the Purdue Master Gardener program to use videos or photographs of me for educational purposes or promotion of the Purdue Master Gardener program and/or Purdue Extension programs Vehicle Use. I certify that I comply with all requirements established by the Purdue University Use of Vehicles for University Business policy explained at Volunteer Service. I agree to contribute at least 35 hours of volunteer service within two years of completing Purdue Master Gardener Basic Training and understand the number of volunteer hours required for certification may vary depending on the county of participation. I also understand that in order to continue my certification as a Purdue Master Gardener I must contribute at least 12 hours of volunteer service and 6 hours of educational training approved by my Master Gardener county coordinator each subsequent year. I agree to report volunteer activity and educational training hours to the Master Gardener county coordinator at least once per year using a reporting method approved by the Master Gardener county coordinator. County Coordinator. I understand that the Purdue Extension educator serving as the Master Gardener county coordinator for the county where I volunteer as a Purdue Master Gardener is the coordinator and advisor for the Purdue Master Gardener Program in that county and for my involvement in the program. Notification of Changes. I will contact the Purdue Extension Master Gardener county coordinator or Purdue Master Gardener state coordinator if changes in my life occur that cause me to be ineligible to serve as a Purdue Master Gardener volunteer. Applicant s Signature Applicant s Printed Name Date For Purdue Extension Office Use Only National Sex Offender Registry Check Date Completed Purdue Extension Office Staffer Completing Check Indiana Sex Offender Registry Check Date Completed Purdue Extension Office Staffer Completing Check Verification of Photo ID Date Completed Purdue Extension Office Staffer Completing Verification Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution.