November 2022 UME Master Gardener Program Announcements

November 2022 UME Master Gardener

State Office Announcements

We're in the season of festivals, crisp air, and holidays! We hope this is a time of coziness and reflection for you and your family.

Our November newsletter includes a survey to help us plan the future of our program and offerings, upcoming and recent continuing education opportunities, GreenScapes Symposium 2023 registration, and new Maryland Grows Blog articles.

Please Complete Our Survey

Greetings,

The UME Home & Garden Information Center needs your help! We are building a strategic plan to help us better meet client needs and address big issues like climate change, invasive species, and food insecurity. Collecting information from clients, stakeholders, and partners is an important part of the process.

UME Master Gardener Volunteers are major users of HGIC's online information and services. We would very much appreciate it if you would take 10 to 15 minutes to complete an online survey. Your feedback will help guide future decisions.

The online survey is available through December 2^nd. Click the link below to open the survey. Select "UME Master Gardener Volunteer" at the top of the survey. Please don't share the link.

Thanks,

Jon Traunfeld, Director, Home & Garden Information Center

Steph Pully, Master Gardener Program Coordinator

Take the Survey

VMS Demographics

In an effort to become an increasingly more diverse and inclusive program to better serve all Maryland communities, it is important that we understand who our program represents today. VMS will prompt each Master Gardener to complete or update their demographic information upon logging in. As always, sharing your demographic information is voluntary, but please consider filling this out so that we can continue to improve the Master Gardener program in alliance with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect (DEIR) Strategic Plan.

While you're logged in to VMS, don't forget to submit your 2022 volunteer and continuing education hours. Thank you!

AGNR's DEIR Strategic Plan

Continuing Education

Native Seed Sowing

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 | 10 am - 12 pm

Queen Anne's County 4-H Park | $10

Native plants have different requirements and growing habits compared to other commercially sold seeds. Successful native seed sowing depends on techniques to break dormancy and germinate; this makes winter seed sowing an easy and rewarding practice. Join Senior Agent Associate Mikaela Boley to learn about selecting native plant species for the growing environment, how native seeds have adapted to different growing conditions, and engage in sowing seeds for winter.

The $10 registration fee goes towards supplies for participants to bring home 2-3 four inch pots with native seed. A variety of species will be provided for different growing conditions.

Buy Tickets for Native Seed Sowing

Virtual Winter Plant Painting Party

Saturday, December 10, 2022 | 10 am - 12 pm

Zoom | $8

Join your fellow Master Gardeners via Zoom to paint this beautiful Amaryllis watercolor with instruction from Mary Ellen Carsley!

Mary Ellen will lead us in painting this beautiful Amaryllis in watercolor! This will be Mary Ellen's second paint instruction event for UME MGs. Mary Ellen is a scientific and botanical illustrator, as well as an art educator.

This two hour program will begin with a brief introduction to medium of watercolor and basic materials. Then the instructor will demonstrate how to paint a flower in watercolor. Participants are encouraged to “paint along.” Advice on different watercolor techniques, basic composition, and keeping a “Gardener’s Sketchbook” will be included. The demonstration will be followed by a question and answer session.

Buy Tickets for the Winter Plant Painting Party

Catch Up on Continuing Education

Did you miss our recent continuing education webinar?

Check out the recording below! You can always see both upcoming continuing education opportunities and recorded webinars on the State MG Continuing Education webpage.

Hydroponic How-to

An introductory overview to hydroponic growing with a focus on home-scale gardening. Participants will learn the 3 main methods of growing hydroponically and see examples of each. The presenter will also explore hydroponics in the built environment, exploring ideas presented by futurists as well as the ‘here and now’ of hydroponic living walls.

Watch the Recording

GreenScapes Symposium

February 17, 2023 | 9:30 am - 4 pm

$45 per person | Live Zoom Event

The GreenScapes Symposium is an annual program sponsored by Brookside Gardens since 2004. The symposium explores the latest topics related to landscape sustainability and the environment. This event appeals to a broad audience ranging from landscape architects and designers to master gardeners, horticulturalists, and urban planners. Environmental stewardship is a core value of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Brookside Gardens’ parent organization. As such, we strive to provide timely information and viable solutions to environmental challenges that help create a healthy planet for all people, plants and living things.

More Information

Maryland Grows Blog

The Maryland Grows Blog is a wonderful place for new and experienced gardeners to read timely tips on food gardening, soil improvement, trouble-shooting plant problems, and supporting pollinators in your landscape.