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March 2006 |
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March 2006 |
Roots and Shoots
Monroe County Master Gardener Association Newsletter
March 2006, Volume 22, Issue 3
Garden Design Program will be presented by Bob Baird at March 28 Master Gardener Meeting
Date
March 28, 6:30 p.m.
Location First Christian Church Gathering Space
Program Garden Design
Presenter Bob Baird
Parking Across the street from MCPL
Credit One hour for Advanced Training
Design Approaches in the Home Landscape
The program at the March MG meeting is entitled “Design Approaches in the Home Landscape,” presented by Bob Baird, Bloomington landscape designer and contractor and Master Gardener. “Too often,” Bob says, “garden and landscape design gets piecemeal, as gardeners and property owners get fixated or tunnel-visioned on a particular plant or corner of the yard.
“Design should flow logically and organically from the architecture and the owner’s lifestyle and personality,” Bob says. “The design-conscious gardener can take cues from architectural lines and features, repeating these elements in the landscape, or contrasting sharply to set off a home, building or feature in the landscape.”
Bob says the astute gardener should be savvy of plant forms, growth habits, bloom times, and eventual heights, widths and configurations, giving ample space and growing conditions to the plants, but at the same capitalizing on these plant characteristics and integrating them into design schemes that do justice to the plants, architecture and one’s lifestyle.
Wearing a designer’s hat is not easy, he says, because one needs not only creative oomph, but also technical skill in knowing plants and how they perform, as well as mechanical skill in knowing how things are put together and function in the physical environment. Because different gardeners and different designers have different ways of seeing things and putting things together, Bob will strike an overview pose in describing generic types of gardens that can be grown in the home setting.
Bob Baird
A born-again gardener and landscaper, Bob Baird has been creating gardens for himself and others the past decade. Bob is a former newspaperman, magazine writer and editor, and journalism instructor. In 1998 Bob joined Designscape Horticultural Services as a designer and underwent Master Gardener training. In many respects he is largely self-taught, having learned gardening and landscaping by doing it, taking training sessions offered by various organizations, reading many garden magazines and books, and visiting many gardens in America and Europe. He learned the basics about soil and plants, growing up on a tobacco farm in Kentucky, and he credits his mother and grandmother for inculcating a deep love of flowers and beauty. His column, Outdoors by Design, appears monthly in the Homes section of the Herald-Times. In his spare time he sings, acts and cooks.
From the President’s Desk by Marilyn Brinley
Spring is coming! Oh, but the urge to get out and putter in the garden is growing with each passing day. However, we Master Gardeners know that to dig in soil that is too wet is just asking for trouble. So what is the impatient gardener to do?
Late winter and very early spring is the perfect time to plot, plan and calculate. What worked last year? What didn’t? What might be nice to try this year? What new cultivars are available?
Don’t forget that those garden tools likely are in need of some pre-season cleaning and maintenance. Perhaps new tools need to be purchased? Are there lists of plant purchases to prepare?
A balmy spring day would be perfect for some corrective pruning of trees and shrubs. And while pruning now would necessarily reduce spring flowering, it would also be much easier to see the problems and correct them before the leaves obscure problem limbs.
Another possible activity would be to attend one or more of the intern classes this spring. The classes are held on Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm at the Sherwood Oaks Christian Church on Rogers St. at Sare Rd. The classes are interesting, and members are welcome to call the extension office at 349-2575 to assure a place in a class. January’s newsletter has a listing of the classes being offered each week. Remember that for our certified members, a full three hour class attended equals one hour of education hour credit. It would be wonderful for our interns to see some of our members so that they may be encouraged to continue in our organization.
So take heart, my friends. Spring is truly on its way, and there is still much work to do before the season begins.
Share Your Experiences by Amy Thompson, Extension Educator
I would like to ask you to take a few minutes and share with me your past volunteers success stories. Our office receives reports on the number of volunteer hours that you have completed but more often than not, we don’t know the stories behind those hours. I know some of you have had some wonderful and rewarding experiences, and I would like to hear about them. With your permission I will share selected stories with our interns. I hope this information will give them a sense of not only how you got your hours, but also how devoting that volunteer time either benefited you or our community. I will also share these stories with our State Master Gardner coordinator, our extension board, county officials and others who support the Master Gardener program. This does not have to be a lengthy document. A few sentences will do, but if there is something special feel free to give write more. You can email me at afthompson@purdue.edu, send your story to the extension office, or even bring it to our next general meeting in March. Thanks in advance. Amy
MCMGA Made Great Strides in 2005 by Mary Jane Hall
What a year 2005 was for MCMGA! I would like to thank every member for their enthusiastic participation. The members of the Board not only stepped up, but also excelled. Right after installation in January, the new member class began with Dan Baugh taking the lead, many hours contributed my Gloria Noon who facilitated most sessions and Helen Hollingsworth, our videographer. In March, we had a huge presence at the Sycamore Land Trust Landscape and Garden Show. Nancy White and Ann McEndarfer organized the booth, and many members volunteered. Nancy and Ann also planned all the meetings (with four education hours) and volunteer opportunities during the year. We even had a group field trip to the Cincinnati Flower Show. Hats off!
After a slow start in the Demonstration Garden, Lydia Anderson bailed the group out. As with everything Lydia does, the garden looked terrific by fair time. A new summer feature was the Master Gardener garden walk and picnic. Needless to say, it was a resounding success! Thanks to Mary Hawkins for chairing the event. Both Mary and Lydia will be reprising their roles this year.
Our unsung heroes/heroines were Marilyn Brinley and Joanna Howe, secretary team. They were always ready and always available to help on any project. Also, huge thanks to Diana Young who keeps an eagle eye on our money. Carol Cobine began the year as journalist and Helen Hollingsworth finished with a flourish. Now, we can receive our Roots and Shoots in an online format! Barb Hays put many hours in to our magnificent, new website: www.mcmga.net.
Mid-summer brought us the Monroe County Fair. Many, many MGs participated in all sorts of roles. Diana and Herman Young serve on the Fair Board and are terrific communicators on our behalf. As summer wound down, Preston Gwinn organized our contingent to work at the State Fair.
Fall was our opportunity to enjoy the fruits of our labor at the annual holiday party. We did ourselves proud! Lydia Anderson and Gino Brancolini assisted in the nominating process, and our 2006 officers have taken the reins already! Not to leave out the year-long labor of love – the Advanced Training workshop in February at St. Mark’s church. We had a huge turn out, and the evaluations were outstanding. Once again, this was the brainchild of our vice presidents, Ann and Nancy. Many thanks to all of you; you made my job as MG president so easy.
Member News by Nancy White
Master Gardener Meeting on March 28 at 6:30 p.m. at First Christian Church
Master Gardeners and their gardening friends will want to join us on March 28 at 6:30 p.m. for the regular member meeting. One of our own, Bob Baird, who so graciously took us through his garden during the MG Garden Tour last June, will present a program on garden design. This topic has been requested for several years, and this meeting will provide information from a professional in the field. Bring your friends and your design questions for Bob to answer. Refreshments will be served, and a short MG business meeting will precede the program. Location is the First Christian Church Gathering Space on the first floor of the church. Enter at the door facing Kirkwood, and turn right at the first hallway. Parking is available on the street and at the city lot across the street from the Monroe County Public Library (behind the church on Lincoln Street). Advanced MG members will receive one hour of advanced training credit.
Volunteer List
Each month we publish a volunteer list that gives names and contact information for all members to use when searching for new opportunities to gain volunteer hours and to get involved in worthy projects. This list is kept current and additions and deletions are made as needed. If you know of any additional projects we can add for this coming gardening season, contact Nancy White with information. And remember, it is up to you to keep track of your volunteer hours and to report these to Mary Hawkins regularly.
Get Ready for Fair Season
Preston Gwinn, our Indiana State Fair contact person, reports that our local MG volunteering assignment is Sunday, August 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. You will want to contact Preston to grab a shift that is convenient to you. This is always a great day to spend some hours working at the Purdue Master Gardener booth and then enjoy the fair and all those diet foods available! And it is fun to meet fairgoers with interesting questions. Books, handouts, and internet resources are in the booth to help you find the answers for fairgoers who drop by. Contact Preston as his new email address, pgwinn@bluemarble.net. See you at the fair!
Road Trips Planned
Some “on the road” special events are in the planning stage for Master Gardeners this spring and summer. Be watching in Roots and Shoots for dates and locations. First on the list will be a trip to some of the events for the Wild Flower Foray in Brown and Monroe Counties in April. Others may include some visits to neighboring county specialty greenhouses and a walk-about at the IU Arboretum. Be sure to join us.
2006
MG Garden Tour and Picnic by Mary Hawkins
The date has been set for the second annual 2006 MCMGA garden tour and picnic.
Mark your calendar for the afternoon of June 17. Plan to join with our
members/spouses in touring three of our own members' gardens and gather at the
garden of Bob and Nancy Miller for a pitch-in picnic. You will be receiving an
official invitation in May with complete details. Plan now to participate in
this special summer social garden fun!
Volunteers Needed for Flower and Patio Show by Preston Gwinn
It's spring time again, and The Flower and Patio Show will soon be here. Again, we have the opportunity to represent Monroe County at the show in Indianapolis. This is a great time to earn volunteer hours. It's amazing how fast the time flies when people are asking questions and actually thanking you for helping them. Peggy Sellers and the Purdue organization make the volunteer process very easy, and no one works alone. There is always an experienced person to show the new volunteers how the work goes. Our day to volunteer is Sunday, March 12, 2006, from 10 am to 6 pm. If you want a fun way to gain volunteer hours while getting to attend the Flower and Patio Show, contact Preston or Ruth Gwinn at 812-876-2999.
Basic Tree Care Workshop
Boone County MG Host Gardenfest 2006
On Saturday, April 8, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Boone County MG present Gardenfest 2006 Yard and Garden Show at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds Community Building in Lebanon, Indiana (I-65 at Exit 138. Admission is free, and there will be raffles and door prizes. Free trees will be given to the first 250 guests on behalf of Indiana Soil & Water Conservation’s “Plant a Million Trees” Project!
Guest speakers include Kay Yatskievych, founding member, Indiana Native Plants & Wildflowers; Kenny Farlee, District Forester, Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources; Kate Howe, Coordinator for Midwest Invasive Plant Network; and Chuck Eaglin, Allisonville Nursery, 2004 & 2005 Designer of the Year.
Browse for items and information from many booths. At the Master Gardener Information Booth, pick up free Purdue Garden Publications. See the large selection of potted plants, herbs, and native landscaping plants. Visit Pansy Patch for kids, featuring hands-on activities for budding young gardeners. GARDEN DÉCOR, Information, garden sculptures, gift items, and more are available. In The Potting Shed, pre-owned garden items are for sale. Bring a soil sample for free pH soil testing while you wait! Snacks and lunch will be available from Flower Barn’s Garden Cafe! Door prize drawings occur all day long. Come join the fun.
Horticulture Classes at IMA for Spring 2006
The Indiana Museum of Art is presenting the following classes. Call Education Department at (317) 920-2649 or education@ima-art.org to register.
Gardening with Native Plants
Saturday, March 4, 2006
9:30-11:00 am
Presenter: Jim Kincannon, Horticulturalist
The Garden Terrace, Lower Level
Price $20 member/ $24 public
Saturday, March 18, 2006
9:00-11:00 am
Presenter: Katie Booth, IMA Horticulturalist
Garden Terrace, Lower Level
Price $20 member/ $24 public
Basic Landscape Design in Two Sessions
Saturday, April 1, 2006 and Saturday April 8, 2006
9:00-11:00 am
Presenter: Geoff Van Burg, IMA Horticulturist
Garden Terrace Restaurant, Lower Level
Price $40 members, $44 public
Limit: 20 participants
Annuals, A to Z
Saturday, April 15
9:00-11:00 am
Presenter: Kevin Harmon, Horticulturalist
The Garden Terrace, Lower Level
Price $20 member/ $24 public
Fragrance and Texture in the Garden
Saturday June 10th
9-11 a.m
Presenter: Chad Franer, Gardens Supervisor
Garden Terrace Lower level
Price $20 member/ $24 public
Annual Native Plant Sale and Auction in May
Looking for trillium, bloodroot, bellwort, or Jacob’s ladder for a special spot in your garden? The place to find all of these wildflowers and many more is the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society native plant sale and auction on Saturday, May 13, at 10:00 a.m. at the Indiana School for the Blind, 7725 N. College Avenue, Indianapolis. Other available wildflowers include wild ginger, wild geranium, wild blue phlox, celandine poppy, Virginia bluebells, Jack in the pulpit, marsh marigold, fire pink, Dutchman’s breeches, Solomon’s seal, Christmas fern, sensitive fern, ostrich fern, maidenhair fern, Joe Pye weed, obedient plant, compass plant, butterfly weed, baptisia, Culver’s root, purple coneflower, and Indian grass. Payment by cash or check only
The mission of the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society is to promote the appreciation, preservation, conservation, utilization and scientific study of the flora native to Indiana and to educate the public about the values, beauty, diversity and environmental importance of indigenous vegetation. Visit their website at www.inpaws.org
Reminder: Fruit Tree and Grape Pruning Workshop at Purdue on March 11
The
Purdue Cooperative Extension Service will be hosting a Fruit Tree & Grape
Pruning, & Spring Management Workshop at the Purdue Meigs Horticulture Facility
on Saturday, March 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon. Pre-registration by March 9 is
requested.
The Meigs facility is
located just off US 231 a couple of miles North of Romney For Master Gardeners,
this would be worth three Advanced Training hours.
Should I Use Pesticides to Protect My Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Boer?
By Dr. Cliff Sadof and Jodie Ellis, Purdue Department of Entomology
The use of pesticides approved as preventatives for emerald ash borer (EAB) in Indiana is certainly an option for homeowners in Indiana who wish to protect their ash trees from the insect. Until recently, the use of pesticides as a preventative for EAB was not recommended in Indiana because of our participation in an eradication program for the insect. During this program, all ash trees within ½ mile of a confirmed find of EAB would be cut and removed to take away the insects’ food source whether the trees had been treated with pesticides or not. Indiana has recently withdrawn from the EAB eradication program and no longer cuts ash trees down in affected areas, relying instead on surveys, quarantines, and public education to combat the beetle.
This recent change of policy places decisions about ash trees into the landowners’ hands. Landowners may now choose from several options:
If landowners decided to use pesticides to protect their ash trees from EAB, they must take the long term cost of prevention into account. Ash trees must be treated every year for an indefinite period, and the cost of chemical protection may shortly exceed the worth of the tree. Below are some basic considerations when making a decision to protect or replace your ash trees:
Basic finance:
Recommendations:
Based on the above considerations, we make the following recommendations for homeowners in areas where EAB is present who might one day need to make a choice to protect or replace their ash trees:
Volunteer Opportunities Compiled by Nancy White
Location Time Jobs Contact
Hilltop
Garden
year around
various Marcia Figueiredo, 855-2799
& Nature Center
Templeton School
spring/fall
teaching Nancy White, 824-4426
MG Demo Garden seasonal various Lydia Anderson, 825-2961
T. C. Steele SHS seasonal various Steve Doty, 988-2785
Cheryl’s Garden seasonal various Larime Wilson, 399-9705
Flatwoods Park seasonal various Cathy Meyer
Butterfly Garden
MCMGA Hort Hotline year around inquiries Amy Thompson, 349-2575
MCMGA
Newsletter year around writing Helen Hollingsworth,
332-7313
stapling, labeling
MCMGA Web Site year around various Barb Hays, 332-4032
MG
Programs year around plan programs Ann McEndarfer,
334-1801
Nancy White, 824-4426
Middle Way House seasonal various Clara Wilson, 333-7404
Wylie House year around various Sherry Brunoehler, 855-6224
Bloomington year around educate Rene
Thompson, 353-3000
Hospitality House seniors
Mother
Hubbard’s year around education Libby Yarnell, 355-6843
Cupboard
Clear Creek School sping-fall education Charlie Hawk, 824-7969
IMA Sponsors Garden Lectures
For additional information about the following two activities, log onto www.IMAhortsoc.org
Sunday,
March 12, 2:00 pm, International School of Indiana, 4330 North Michigan Road
Emerald Paradise: Gardens of the Pacific Northwest
The temperate climate of the Pacific Northwest provides ideal growing
conditions for many of our favorite plants. Join Oldfields director Mark Zelonis
for this talk and slide presentation on the IMA Horticultural Society's
memorable journey last summer. Highlights include world-famous sites such as
British Columbia's Butchart Gardens, Stanley Park, and VanDusen Botanical
Garden, as well as Heronswood Nursery and Bloedel Reserve on Washington's
Bainbridge Island. He'll also treat viewers to glimpses of several exquisite
private gardens influenced by noted plantsman Thomas Hobbs. Featured are lush
herbaceous borders, abundant roses, grand vistas, and hydrangeas as blue as the
sky. Tea and refreshments follow.
Thursday, April 27, 7:30 pm, Woodstock Club, 1301 W. 38th Street
The Senses & the Garden: Fully Experiencing Paradise
Gardening isn't just about creating an incredible scene. When you garden, you
exercise all your senses. Tovah Martin begins her talk with a blank canvas while
exploring the garden and nature through sight, smell, sound, touch and taste.
She'll discuss color, and follow light through the day and throughout the
seasons. She'll also discuss sounds, from katydids to chainsaws, and consider
the wide range of fragrances available to our noses. Her goal is to have one
register feelings never previously perceived, to ponder stimuli that passed by
unnoticed. This is a lecture to tingle all your senses. Tovah Martin is one of
America's most prolific garden writers, drawing from 25 years of experience as
horticulturist at Logee's Greenhouses, and in her own indoor and outdoor
gardens. She has authored 13 books on gardening (including Tasha Tudor's
Garden), penned dozens of articles, and appeared on myriad television shows,
including PBS's "The Victory Garden."
My Favorite Garden Book by Ann McEndarfer
My favorite gardening book is Fragrant Gardening by Steve and Val Bradley (Laurel Glen Publishing, 2002). Fans of BBC’s Ground Force might recognize Steve Bradley’s name because he co-authored The Groundforce Workbook and has created gardens for the Chelsea Flower Show. A lavishly illustrated book, Fragrant Gardening, has as its premised that we can create a garden which fills the senses with both sights and wonderful smells throughout the year.
The Bradleys begin their book with a discussion of the types of fragrances which humans enjoy, the history and uses of scented oils and flowers, and hints for designing a fragrant garden. The authors divide the remainder of the book into seasons. In each seasonal section is a plant directory which includes beautiful photos and descriptions of trees, shrubs, flowers, and bulbs which are particularly good during that time. Also included is a wealth of information about fragrant house plants, container gardening for fragrance, jobs for each season, propagation, and projects which the garden can do to help create the fragrant garden. The table of contents, glossary, and index are easy to use.
Annual Wildflower Foray by Ann McEndarfer
The annual Wildflower Foray, featuring a number of walks appropriate for the whole family, will be held on April 28th, 29th and 30th. The event is sponsored by several county, state and federal agencies who supply group leaders for the walks. There are several events to look at native plants in Brown County and in Monroe County, including a seven mile hike through Pate Hollow near Paynetown, an amphibian walk in Stillwater Marsh, and a walk in Miller Showers Park. A highlight of the weekend will be a dinner on Saturday evening at the Abe Martin Lodge featuring the nature photography of Steve Connard.
Master Gardeners may gain volunteer hours by aiding the hike leaders. To volunteer or to be placed on the mailing list, contact Andrea deTarnofsky, T. C. Steele State Historic Site, 812 988 2785.
10 Yard Trees Gone Bad
Planting the wrong tree in the wrong place is a guarantee for future tree removal. Tree removal is, at best, expensive to buy and can be very dangerous to do yourself, plus it is back breaking work. A lot of trouble can be avoided by planting the appropriate tree in your yard to start with.
All trees have good and bad characteristics. It is a rare tree that will satisfy your needs throughout its entire life span. A tree can outgrow its original purpose very quickly or grow into its intended purpose very slowly. Understanding this concept is the key to proper tree planting in your yard.
Ask yourself these questions when selecting a yard tree: Do I want a tree’s fruit and leaves to deal with as it matures? Am I willing to plant a fast growing tree but eventually have to deal with its constantly breaking or sprouting from roots? Do I have the space for a large and spreading tree?
Reconsider planting these trees in your yard: hackberry, Norway maple, silver maple, mimosa, Lombardy poplar, Leyland cypress, pin oak, cottonwood, willow, and black locust. Want to know why? Log onto www.forestry.about.com/od/treeplanting/a/ten_bad_trees.htm
Ten most popular trees/shrubs for zone 6: American arborvitae, Colorado blue spruce, Norway spruce, white pine, Korean boxwood, blue rug juniper, Canadian hemlock, hybrid poplar, Austrian pine, and weeping willow.
Reminder: Submit Your Volunteer Hours and Advanced Training Hours by Mary Hawkins
Remember to keep a record of your volunteer hours and report them regularly. You may send your hours to Master Gardener Hours, Monroe County Master Gardener Association, Inc., 119 W. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404 or to Mary Hawkins, 4084 Gran Haven Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401. Contact Mary (824-2139) with questions concerning eligibility.
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