October Meeting: Climate Change and Public Engagement

Dr. Sara Via spent 30 years as a research scientist at University of Iowa, Cornell University and University of Maryland. Now, she has turned to climate change education through the University of Maryland Extension in order to help Marylanders understand the problem and how they can help

to solve it. Dr. Via currently works with community groups, farmers, gardeners and naturalists and is a popular speaker on how climate change affects health, agriculture, gardens, native plants and home landscapes.

Master Gardener Project Reports

Anne Arundel County Fair

Greeting all MG’s.

If you were unable to join us at this year’s County Fair, we hope to see you next year. We had a great turnout of over 20 MG’s who spread out the duties over the ten days of the fair. Many worked multiple shifts.

We had 309 entries with about 80 exhibitors. Things were a bit confusing on entry days as the Fair made a lot of significant changes. Hopefully most of the bugs will be worked out by next year.

Our co-chair Trish Lilek hosted a Children’s Day make-it-take-it project where the little ones placed stickers of flowers and bees on paper fans to take home. Special thanks to Trish and all those who assisted. Special thanks also to Claudia Ploor who spent many hours prior to and on-scene to organize this project and keep thing running smoothly.

I could not possibly name all the wonderful people who stepped up to take charge of each part of this project from registering entries, placement of entries on shelves, scoring with the judge, clean-up, greeting the fairgoers, etc.

We hope to see you back next year.



Apprentice Gardens

This summer season was an enjoyable success. The families and volunteers were all so attentive to the work needed in the gardens this year. As we know, and the families have discovered, vegetable gardening requires a dedicated commitment, and it’s hard work. They have all appreciated the support of the Master Gardeners sharing their knowledge, and their fellow gardeners tending and watering the entire garden on weekends. We are all part of the village!

The project met weekly through September, though we did have a few stormy Wednesdays. A few plants were still producing as the official project ended and those gardeners will continue to tend their plots. 

We hosted the Harvest Feast/pool party in mid-September for the gardeners and volunteers. The pot-luck dinner was a nice close for the Apprentice Garden project.

Through September, the gardens continued to produce tomatoes, poblano peppers, tiny gherkin cucumbers, basil and perennial herbs (sage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme and chives). The seeds in the standing sunflowers have been mostly picked clean by the birds. Strawberry runners were tucked into the soil in small pots to provide new plants to share next season.

As the plants stopped producing, the debris was removed to the Park compost area, and crimson clover cover crop was planted. Thus, the process of fall garden clean-up was completed gradually, and clover seedlings fill the open spaces.

Although the project ends this month, the Kinder Farm gardens remain open until frost, and a couple families will continue to tend their plants. By the end of the October, the gardens will be closed for the winter, and cover crop planted in the remaining planting areas.

The re-do of the garden spaces engineered in the off-season by Deb was a great success, and provided wider pathways, and better access to the common gardens and to the families’ individual plots. Thanks again, Deb!

Sincere thank-you’s to Kathy Albers, Wendy Boardman, Kathy Enderle, Lourdes Hergenroeder, and Kristin Silva for their volunteer participation. All help is much appreciated to work with the parents and children, to maintain the common planting areas, the outside edges of our community garden plots, and to provide extra garden checks. Children are always welcome.

We are looking forward to planning next year’s season, and we hope you join us any Wednesday at 6:30pm at the community gardens at Kinder Farm Park in Millersville, April through September.

Co-chaired by Janet Clauson and Deb Fritz,

Janet: janetclauson301@gmail.com and 410.987.2027

Deb: debfritzdesign@gmail.com and 410.279.1077

Composting and Native Plants

The Compost and Native Gardens project has had a very active September. Rachel and the EAB approved the purchase of a new storage shed to replace our 19+ year old shed that has seen better days. Some of the members of the compost team are currently clearing a site for it and will have it completed soon.

The MG BeeLab/RePollinate AA has gifted the project with native plants to add to our gardens. Those will be transplanted soon and will surely draw more butterflies and bees.

Quiet Waters Park hosted an all day Grow It/Eat It workshop presented by the state MG program. A breakout session was held at the Compost Site to demonstrate how we teach county residents about home composing. The GI/EI Master Gardeners took turns flipping the compost in our demonstration bin. 

Pam Dennison, MG Chair

Composting and Native Gardens at QWP

The Dairy Farm

Greetings from the Dairy Farm Project. 

There is not much to report as our season is winding down. We continue to maintain, weed etc. Plants are thriving and blooming well. Blooming now, Black Eyed Susan, Zinnia, New England Aster, Goldenrod, Butterfly Bush, Coryeopsis and more. MG workers continue to do a wonderful job keeping our gardens in great shape. We have many bees, butterflies, including Monarchs in our gardens and some preying mantis.

The veggie garden is now its own project so if you are interested, please see the Veggie Gardening at The Dairy Farm Newsletter.

If you are interested in the Dairy Farm Project, please feel welcome. All are invited, including interns.

Our next scheduled work session is Saturday, October 8, and Thursday, October, 27 from 8:00 – 11:00

We may or may not have a final session in November.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE SHIFTING TO SUMMER HOURS FROM 8:00 TO 11:00 TO AVOID THE HEAT.

We have tools, but please bring your own as well as gloves, water, etc.

NOTE REGULAR SECHEDULED WORK SESSIONS ARE THE SECOND SATURDAY AND THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 8:00 -11:00

If you have any questions, please contact one of us. 

Main Gardens, Malcolm Doying, oldcelt100@aol.com  

Veggies, Pat Shema, pshema@aol.com   

Hancock's Resolution

Early in the month Master Gardeners worked in the lavender field raking out weeds and seeding with crimson clover. An air conditioner problem developed in the barn/visitor center, so with no restroom facilities and the predicted rain, the park did not open on Sunday, September 11. Family Day, September 18, brought 42 Hancock descendants and guests. Talking points in the garden included the hops flowers that were quite aromatic, an orb spider with a captive bee, cotton flowers bolls and raw cotton, the broomcorn (sorghum) some reaching fifteen’ high with impressive tassels, and milkweeds whose split pods released the silks and seeds with each passing breeze. On the 25th Master Gardeners cleaned out and edged garden beds and offered tours. 

Sundays, October 2 and 16 will be workdays from 1:00-4:00 with volunteers continuing efforts to clean out and edge beds. October 9th is the Harvest Festival and War of 1812 Remembrance with extended hours from 10:00-4:00. Master Gardner volunteers will guide visitors in making decorative broomcorn door swags.

If you are interested in volunteering, email me at willnancy3@verizon.net of call/text 410-952-9554.

Leave the leaves

Nancy Allred 

Happy gardening,

Nancy

If you are interested in volunteering, email me at willnancy3@verizon.net of call/text 410-952-9554.

Leave the leaves!

Nancy

Presentation Project

RePollinate Anne Arundel

A year in the making.  We started the donation process for distributing plants from the Native Plant Nursery to over 52 community organizations and residents in Anne Arundel County. Forty-Five different species totaling over 2600 plants are being distributed to support our pollinator habitat.  

Thank you to the US Geological Survey, USGS (Bee Lab), Anne Arundel County Watershed Steward Academy, and Master Gardener‘s for their support and help. A special thanks to those Master Gardener’s and Watershed Stewards who came out to help with this project.

Tawes Garden

We have been very busy this month preparing the Tawes Garden Plant Mural for our Unity Gardens Planting Day in October. Volunteers have been putting in sweat equity to make room for new native perennials: removing nandinas, transplanting Joe Pye weed and other perennials, clearing up existing beds of natives and perennials and amending the soil for the new planting to be done in the next few weeks. And did I mention weeding? We encourage anyone who would like to help us on Planting Day, Tuesday, October 4th, to join us. Rain date is Wed., Oct. 5th. Interns are especially welcome to come and check out the Tawes Garden. A special thanks this month to Ginny Klocko, Sandy Patterson, Meg Hosmer, Cindy Ferris, Wendy Boardman and Maryanne Mento.

Tawes also was the site of some excellent outdoor entertainment on Sept. 21st when the Friends of Tawes Garden sponsored a free outdoor concert on the patio of the DNR building. A group of about 40 lucky spectators enjoyed an hour-long concert of Crosswinds, a 3-woman group featuring a flute, bassoon and oboe. They played classical selections as well as popular show tunes and it was a fantastic way to enjoy the beautiful first day of autumn.



If you have any questions, contact one of us.

Cindy Wells Cwells5953@cs.com

Kathy Devine Kathy.j.devine@gmail.com

Vegetable Gardening at the Dairy Farm

Greeting all Mg’s.

I am pleased to announce that the veggie garden at the Dairy Farm project is now its own separate entity. So if you are specifically interested in growing food, please join us.

This year we have grown lettuce, broccoli, kohlrabi, carrots, beets, three kinds of beans, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes: red white and sweet, summer squash, okra radish and flowers to pollinate.

Our last two sessions we rebuilt two small beds into one and we will rebuild our last bed in the Spring.

There will only be two more sessions next month where we will put things to bed for the Winter.

I will send out an announcement in early Spring so you can sign up if you wish to join in. Watch your newsletters and Friday Flashes.

Looking forward to another great year,

Pat Shema, Chair pshema@aol.com 410-721-7610

Save the Date - Tuesday, December 13!

The Master Gardener Holiday Party returns with a much-anticipated, in-person gathering on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. Party time will be 7 to 9 PM.

Our venue is still to-be-determined, so watch this space (or the Friday Flashes) for more information.

Meanwhile, it’s a good time to start planning for an exciting raffle. Items can be raffle “baskets” of themed goodies, such as chocolate, coffee/tea, birds, pets, gardening items, etc.,

or artwork, pottery, handwork, plants, quilts, photography, and anything-goes. Limited only by the imagination of the donor. We all thank you for your creativity!





Mark Your Calendar!

Fall Vegetable Garden Evaluation: Is it time to redesign your garden?

Live Zoom Event

October 10, 2022

12:00 - 1:30 PM

Registration link - https://umd.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tV7oQBnMTNOLDKuseyYJvw

Host: State office continuing education

Anne Arundel County Extension Fall Festival

97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills

October 14, 2022

1:00 – 5:00 PM

Host: Anne Arundel County Extension Office

Click here to lean more.

Hydroponic How-To

Live Zoom Event

November 3, 2022

12:00 PM

Registration link - https://umd.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2p5H3nJpThWRxbRhOqnTgg

Host: State office continuing education

Fall 2022 Basic Training begins September 6th! Welcome our new interns!