Greenhouse Notes. President s Notes: Autumn Steve Taylor President, CMGA

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1 Greenhouse Notes A quarterly newsletter for Coastal Master Gardener Association members. President s Notes: Autumn 2015 As Summer Ends I recently returned from the Georgia Master Gardener Conference in Dahlonega. Having just hosted the state conference last year in Savannah, we all know how much effort goes into producing a quality conference that is both educational and entertaining. I am delighted to report that the Georgia Mountain Master Gardeners of Lumpkin County did a superb job on both fronts. Dahlonega s Golden Harvest was a feast for the eyes and the mind. It was fun to meet up with friends from prior years and make some new friends along the way. Over twenty vendors offered goods ranging from rustic birdhouses to carnivorous plants (just in time for Halloween!) to artwork to architectural elements. And there were plants everywhere! The speakers were all entertaining and informative. I especially enjoyed learning about the 2016 plants being offered by the Southern Living plant collection. WOW! There are new dwarf varieties and colors that are amazing. The folks at Southern Living have been listening to us and working hard to provide us with unique plants and color options like we have never before seen! Next Spring will be very exciting. On the home front, the Coastal Master Gardener Association has recently launched several new projects which offer all of us a wide range of volunteer opportunities. Check out the website for updates and get out there and get your hands dirty! I honestly believe that we have a project on the approved volunteer list that will fit every one of us. We simply need to make the decision to get involved. It s time to elect a new slate of officers and board members for There are several opportunities for you to participate in our organization. Please call or me if you are interested. The new slate of officers will be presented for your approval at the November 3rd meeting. More info will follow. The Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden has announced that Autumn Gardenfest is scheduled for October Formerly the Fall Festival, this year s family friendly event includes gardening lectures, activities for kids, and a diverse variety of vendors. We will sponsor an Ask a Master Gardener booth and need volunteers to answer questions for the inquiring public. Please let me know if you are available and we will establish a schedule. Thanks in advance for your help! A big THANKS to the Georgia Master Gardener Association for their continued support. One of our local projects received a $250 grant to support the installation of an irrigation system for a community garden. Your project may qualify for a grant (up to $500) as well. The deadline to apply is March 1, so now is a great time to start planning. Let me know if you are interested. In addition, we received a small grant to provide door prizes at some of our meetings. Faith Sadley won a pair of Fiskar titanium pruners at our September meeting. Congratulations, Faith! GMGA has also planned an outing to tour the native woodland gardens at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville. The entry fee is $8. RSVP gmgaeducation@gmail.com if you are interested in attending. In addition, GMGA is offering an incentive to local chapters to encourage membership. Local chapters will receive a rebate of $5 for every $15 membership fee paid to GMGA. This is a win-win opportunity. Please consider joining GMGA. There is much to gain for such a small investment. As you can see, even as Summer draws to an end, we are blessed with many diverse activities and volunteer opportunities. I hope you will seize the moment and get involved. There is much to enjoy! See you in the garden, Steve Taylor President, CMGA

2 Bonaventure Update Spring has really been very productive for our camellia project this year. The recently planted air layers have thrived in this mild weather and put on substantial quantities of new growth. We ve also planted three High Society camellias, courtesy of Doug Webb, at the Gaston Memorial, which is the first thing you see coming through the gates at Bonaventure. They have replaced some very sad looking hollies on a site which deserves more attention due to its historical significance. Air layering has been a major focus this year and two new homeowners have allowed us to make air layers of the beautiful specimens in their gardens. There must be close to a hundred new air layers taken recently which will be checked periodically throughout the summer and will then be potted after root formation. Although going to the store and buying plants can give you instant gratification, propagating plants through various methods is truly a more rewarding experience. It also gives you the advantage of seeing how individual plants react to various conditions throughout their life cycle, something a tag won t tell you. Although we did have several air layering field trips, we have still managed to spend quite a few hours at Bonaventure doing all of the usual maintenance duties. The camellias grew but so did the smilax, wisteria and other invasive plants that need to be kept in check. April showers bring summer drought around here so we will need all of the help we can get to water and fertilize our expanding inventory of plants. We re presently meeting on Tuesday mornings at 9am on Mullryne Way the first street to the right of the front gate so anyone interested in earning volunteer hours or simply want to learn about camellias and Bonaventure can meet us there. If you need more information you can contact Doug Webb at or douglaswebb@bellsouth.net or you can contact me at or richardgsommers@comcast.net Thanks to Doug Webb, Dennis Ronning, Ron and Belinda Jacob, and new MG Danae Goldberg for their many hours of help. It does truly make a difference. Also, for anyone new to Savannah, or anyone for that matter, the Bonaventure Historical Society gives free tours the second Sunday of each month which are extremely informative and may help you understand why we do become so dedicated to this particular cemetery. Check the community calendar in the local newspapers for further info. Jane Morel Sommers Keep Savannah Beautiful is participating in Keep America Beautiful's National Planting Day. With a kick-off on September 12, 2015, and activities happening throughout the fall, National Planting Day celebrates the value and power of native species in restoring ecological balance to the environment while creating greener, more beautiful communities. Here is the National Planting Day website:

3 The SACGC Botanical Garden We at the Savannah Botanical Garden are ready for the rain to let up for a spell. We want to plant the Fall vegetable garden and re-work the Children s Garden. Right now they re several inches under water. Plants have been melting away because they re so water-logged. Oh, well, that just means room for new ones! The 175 th birthday celebration of the Reinhard Farmhouse is scheduled for Saturday, October 24 from 4:00 to 7:00. There will be hors d oeuvres, desserts, beer and wine. There will be music throughout the evening. This is a fund-raiser for the Garden. The cost is $25 per person. We will keep you posted with further details, a proper invitation and contact info for purchasing tickets. The theme of the evening is rustic farmhouse. Hmmm. We ll see what we do with that! = The Fall plant sale will be on Saturday, October 31 from 8:00 to 3:00. There will be annual plants from Oelschig s to brighten your Fall and Winter gardens as well as a selection of shrubs and perennials. As always, the day is an opportunity for Master Gardeners to earn volunteer hours. You can also help us out on September 24 when we will be potting up plants from the Garden for the sale. See a separate regarding the Potting-up Day. We look forward to seeing you in the Garden! Pat Ryan Coastal Wildscapes CWS is having a Native Plant Sale on September 26th from 9am to 1pm at Ashantilly Center, Darien GA Check out their website for upcoming programs and events -

4 Coastal Master Gardeners Association - PROJECTS Projects Committee: Faith Sadley (Chairman), Hope Barton, & Pat Ryan We have had no new Project Grant Requests come in. We have had several volunteer requests come in, however. Here s a re-cap of the latest Volunteer Activities: Bethesda Boys Academy: Looking for volunteers to work with the students in their vegetable garden. Also will involve teaching gardening skills. Suzie at the UGA Extension Office is the contact. Her address is: uge3051@uga.edu The Coastal Center for Developmental Services has a community garden (MePower Community Garden) located at 1249 Eisenhower Drive. They have 22 raised beds and are growing vegetables and herbs for the center s catering service. Steve Taylor is sponsoring this project. Georgia Miller is the local contact for the project you may contact her at: gmiller@ccds-sav.org Warriors in the Garden: A garden project that will teach wounded soldiers new skills and give them positive experiences to focus on during recovery. The Project Contact is Elizabeth Lubrani: elubrani@uga.edu The Wesley Community Center just contacted me about their garden at the day-care center for children 1 4 yrs old. They have an established garden where they are teaching the children about growing vegetables. They also use the vegetables for the meals prepared at the center. But, they want to make it better. This project is in the initial stages. It needs a Master Gardener sponsor. If you would be interested please contact me at flsadley@comcast.net and I will put you in touch with Ms. Brumley. Coastal Empire Beekeepers Association Apiary Project. A newly certified project at Oatland Island where we plan to plant a Pollinator Garden at the apiary. Julie Gillart from this year s MG class is one of the people to initiate this project. Once the plan is approved we will begin preparing planting beds and moving some plants to better locations. We plan to have an Ask A Master Gardener booth at the Coastal Botanical Garden s fall festival the weekend of October If you would like to volunteer you can me. Also if you have any suggestions for spiffing up our booth presence (a new banner sign?) I would like to hear them. This looks to be a busy gardening season! You should have no problem getting hours in this year! Faith Sadley flsadley@comcast.net

5 The Pollinator Berm at Sparrow Field Pictures by Julie Wiatt, June 2015 These are pictures of the solitary or Mason bee boxes at the berm. Solitary native bees, like mason bees use the tunnels in the wood to lay their eggs. The larva hatches and is provisioned with pollen put there by the Mom bee. Fitz Clarke, citizen scientist, photographer, and documenter of the pollinators on the berm and in the field, constructed and installed the nesting structures which are being used by the cavity-breeding bees and wasps. The following link gives more information about these insects and their breeding habits. Pictures by Fitz Clarke, June 2015 Plenty of activity has continued at the Pollinator Berm at Sparrow Field on Skidaway Island this summer despite human snow birds flying North and a number of full-time volunteers taking breaks away from the heat and humidity. In June, volunteers posted the sign designating the site as a Monarch Waystation. The eight species of milkweed planted at the site are establishing well. The monarchs continue to prefer tropical milkweed as evidenced by data obtained in counts over the last three months as part of the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project that was implemented by the University of Wisconsin. The handful of master gardeners and other volunteers have faithfully checked up to 175 milkweed plants weekly for eggs, larvae in various stages, pupae, and adult butterflies. The results are posted to MLMP.org.

6 While the monarchs are relatively scarce this year, the Berm vibrates with all manner of bees, wasps and flies nectaring on blossoms of some 84 species of plants, 63% of which are native to the Southeast and/or Texas. One of the favorite plants of the pollinators is Dotted Horse Mint (Monarda punctata). The 3 large clumps of this plant are a draw for photographers with macro lenses. (See photo.) The largest number of plants on the Berm is in the mint family (Lamiaceae). These plants are reliably deer resistant and their flowering continues from late spring to fall. Additionally, they winter well when cut back and mulched. Following is a list of the host plants with the butterfly species which depend on them. Host Plants and Corresponding Butterflies Found on the Pollinator Berm at the Sparrow Field September 2015 * Denotes plant is native to SE USA and/or Texas Annonaceae (Custard-Apple Family): Paw Paw (Asimina Triloba)* - Zebra Swallowtail Apiaceae: Dill (Anethum graveolens) and Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) - Black Swallowtail Aristolochiaceae: Pipe Vine (Aristolochia Tormentosa)* - Pipevine Swallowtail and Polydamas Swallowtail Asclepiadaceae: Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa)*, Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca)*, Green Antelope-horn (Asclepias viridis)*, Sandhill Milkweed (Asclepias Humistrata)*, Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias Incarnata)*, Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias Curassavica), Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias Verticillata)* - Monarch, Queen and Soldier Asteraceae: Sneezeweed (Helenium Autumnale)* and Marigolds (Tagetes) annual - Dainty Sulfur Fabaceae: Christmas Senna (Senna Bicapsularis) - Clouded Sulfur, Orange Sulfur, Cloudless Sulfur, Sleepy Orange, Little Yellow Coral Bean (Erythrinia Herbacea)* - Clouded Sulfur, Orange Sulfur White Wild Indigo (Baptisia Alba)* - Clouded Sulfur, Orange Sulfur, Frosted Elfin, Wild Indigo Duskywing, Southern Dogface Wild lupine (Lupinus Perennis)* - Clouded Sulfur, Orange Sulfur, Frosted Elfin, Barred Yellow, Eastern Tailed Blue Passifloraceae: Passionflower Vine (Passiflora Incarnata)* - Gulf Fritillary, Varigated Fritillary, Zebra Heliconian Plumbaginaceae: Chinese Plumbago (Ceratostigma Willmottianum) - Cassius Blue Verbenaceae: Frog Fruit (Phylla Nodiflora)* - Phaon Crescent, White Peacock Zamiaceae: Coontie Palm (Zamia Pumila)* - Atala Shirley Brown Volunteer Coordinator Pollinator Berm at Sparrow Field (sabatsav@comcast.net)

7 Tybee Island Community Garden Brent Levy and Cody Adams completed their Master Gardener classes on March 27 th, Since that time, they have incorporated the knowledge they gained into the challenges they meet every day in their careers: Brent is the Landscape/Parks Foreman for Tybee Island and Cody is the Crew Leader. Both Brent and Cody liked all of the Master Gardener classes. They stated that each class had some new knowledge to impart. Currently, they are focusing on an approved L-R: Cody Adams, Rain Barrel, Brent Levy Master Gardener project: the Tybee Island Community Garden. It is comprised of 25 raised beds which are rented out by residents for a yearly fee. The beds are overflowing with flowers and vegetables. Additionally, they are planning to introduce a new compost area instructing the Community Garden participants the importance of not adding weeds to the compost pile, since the seeds will germinate. They will also point out if you add scraps of food to the compost pile, it will attract wild animals. Brent and Cody manage the two large plastic rain barrels located near the raised beds. Each container holds 350 gallons of water, and the water is available to the Community Garden participants to water their flowers and produce. Ann O'Leary Very Cool Pictures from MGs: Elizabeth Lewis - MG A Moveable Feast Hope Barton - MG Agave in Bloom Cheryl Drwiega - MG Jalapeno Hopper

8 Programs Committee: Paula Wheatley (Chairman), Cheryl Drwiega, Elizabeth Lewis, Liz Lubrani In the past quarter the Master gardeners have been treated to two very interesting programs. In July, Andrew Morris of Savannah Hydroponics and Organics introduced us to growing vegetables hydroponically. His tomatoes are delicious. At the September meeting Gail Westcot, Director of the Mary Kahrs Warnell Forest Education Center in Effingham County, presented a fascinating history and current best practices for forestry management with a field trip to the Warnell Center on the following Saturday. Our last meeting of the year will be November 3rd, 6 pm at Hospice Savannah. The program will cover using and growing herbs and will be given by herb farmer Sherri Goodwin from Savannah Farms. We will also be voting on new board members for the coming year. Paula Wheatley

9 GINGER Joy In mid to late Summer in Savannah gingers of all colors and sizes are seen blooming. There are more than 300 species of ginger grown in the U.S according to Timothy Chapman, ginger expert. Hedychium coronarium Some plants grow to six feet, for example, the sweet smelling white butterfly or Hedychium coronarium, which is spectacular, as are other Hedychium varieties in red, yellow and orange. Globbas, called dancing lady gingers, grow knee high with white, yellow or pink blooms; while spreading close to the ground, the Kaempferia ginger, sometimes called the peacock ginger, has many different patterns. Kaempferia gingers Blooms on different species of gingers are interesting and varied; the pinecone bloom of some Zingibers, the frilly blooms of Hedychium ellipticum, the blue blooms of the Kaempferias and the tall spikes in the Hedychiums shell shaped blooms of the Alpinia Zingiber zerumbet Zerumbet. Foliage and stems can be green with white stripes, purple hued, spiral stems (costus curvibracteatus) and in different species can grow from three inches up to six feet. Hedychium ellipticum Alpinia Zerumbet Gingers are grown for ornamental garden plants, also for medicinal and culinary uses. Zingiber officinale is used for cooking (think Chinese stirfry) and medicinally too for indigestion and motion sickness. The spices turmeric and cardamom are also gingers. These beautiful and fairly hardy plants for our region grow from rhizomes which lie dormant in the winter and come back double in the Spring. Do I have to tell you Master Gardeners that I am infatuated with gingers? And how easy they are to grow? Probably not. Freya Zipperer Pictures by Freya Zipperer and Carol McCurdy

10 Go to your medicine cabinet now. Ditch the Dristan, trash the Tylenol, lose the Listerine, remove the Rogaine (I could go on and on)... Let's investigate the home remedies in your garden. The therapeutic properties of willow tree bark have been known for at least 2,400 years, with Hippocrates prescribing it for headaches. The active ingredient in aspirin is salicylic acid (Salix, Latin name of the Willow Tree). Also used for exfoliating skin, and removing calluses, corns, and warts. What a marvel! The following are taken from the book "Grandma's Garden" by Laura Martin. Wear a clove of garlic around your neck for the common cold (and warding off werewolves). Make mouthwash from lavender blossoms. Drink thyme tea for spasms and cough. For headaches, wear a cabbage leaf in your hat. Apply sage tea to cuts. For blisters, scrape two carrots and stew in two tablespoons of hog's lard. Add two plaintain leaves. When the carrots are well done, strain and apply to blisters. (Or just don't wear shoes while you're preparing this, the blisters will be gone by the time you're ready to apply the concoction.) Drink sassafras tea for poison ivy. For arthritis, attach a potato to the affected part of the body and go to bed with a piece of potato in each hand. and my favorite for baldness, rub onion juice on the bald spot, sprinkle parsley seeds on the head three nights of every year, and rub the head with stinging nettle. CVS & Walgreens might as well close up shop. Seasonal Yummies Since we're in a transition time, there isn't a lot left in our vege gardens - but maybe if you still have some cherry or grape tomatoes, try this: Prepare grill for cooking. Cook tomatoes (in clusters on the vine if possible) in disposable roasting pan, covered with grill lid, carefully turning until softened and just beginning to split, about 8 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, turning to coat. Then cook, uncovered until vinegar is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Remove from grill. Serve with grilled lamb or steak or chicken or fish or... hey, even tofu! Good stuff!

11 SPRING Mystery Plant Brunfelsia grandiflora aka Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow & Kiss-me-quick Native to South America, Brunfelsia is a member of the nightshade family. Grows up to 10 feet tall (may die back in Savannah but should regrow from the roots). Likes water and some shade in the heat of the day. In its native range it is used in traditional medicine to treat fever, rheumatism, syphilis, and arthritis. Pretty and useful. Pat Ryan guessed this within minutes of publication. SUMMER Mystery Plant There is a prize for the correct guesser (but not the person who brought these to the spring plant swap) 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 Jane Fishman, author, traveler, avid gardener, and local character is having her bi-annual plant swap on Saturday, October 3rd from oh, 8 a.m.-ish until plants run out. Bring any seeds, plants, cuttings, or gardening items you wish to share - nothing fancy, just yank things out of the ground and bring them in a bag (it is nice to label what they are - if you know). The place is on Boundary Street off Gwinnett. If you are coming from the west on Gwinnett, go under the overpass then turn left; from the east turn right just before the overpass. It's just a half block north on the left - you can't miss it. It looks like this (northern view): Plant Swap Site

12 CMGA Website: Facebook: On-going Volunteer Opportunities Contacts Coastal GA Botanical Gdns... Kelli Bagwell x CGBG Roots & Shoots... CGBG Greenhouse Plantings... Bonaventure Cemetery... Jane Sommers Botanical Gardens... Diane Calhoun... Downtown Extension Office... Tonia Rudrow Susie Edwards Native Planting... Pat Ryan Old Darien Jail... Ginger Pruden Savannah-Ogeechee Canal... Linda Thrift Sparrow Field Pollinator Berm... Shirley Brown We are currently in the process of updating this list to include the many other approved opportunities. All members will be sent the list when available. 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)