Volunteer Spotlight: Martha Kirk | | |
Colorado Master Gardener℠ (CMG) volunteers are a dedicated group of individuals who are knowledgeable and passionate about sharing gardening, landscape and horticulture education. This month we are highlighting Martha Kirk. | |
When did you join the Colorado Master Gardener program and why did you join?
I joined the CMG program in 2004. When I moved here in 1995 from another state, I was shocked at how different and challenging the soils and climate were. I had to know more. I wanted to learn why things worked and why they failed and help others so they would have an easier time of gardening. When I had time to commit to the program, I applied and was accepted.
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Feeding People and Pollinators
By Dawn Fradkin, Arapahoe County Master Gardener Coordinator and Assistant Horticulturist
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Honey bee pollinating a melon blossom. Photo: Dan Wyns | |
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The CSU Grow and Give program is in its third season and is “growing” stronger than ever. In 2022, many new features and resources were added to the Grow and Give website. A new Real-Time Donation Results page has been added to see the impact of the program live, as well as many new videos and resources in Spanish on the Spanish “Grow” Resources page. The program has partnered with Fresh Food Connect this year. Fresh Food Connect has a mobile app that makes it easier to connect gardeners and food banks so that extra produce can be shared with food-insecure families.
This season, Arapahoe County Master Gardeners donated over 5,023 pounds of fresh, healthy produce through the Grow and Give program. CMGs maintain seven demonstration gardens throughout the county. Six of these gardens grow vegetables and one provides food and habitat for pollinators. Here’s a look at the 2022 season:
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Putting Summer Blooming Bulbs to Bed
By Pam Rosendal, Colorado Master Gardener
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Dahlias, Photo: Wikipedia Commons | |
Who hasn’t marveled at the beauty a dahlia, gladiola or canna adds to the summer garden? Did you know it is possible to store those tender bulbs over the winter to enjoy that same vibrant display next year? It is and here’s how.
“Tender bulb” is a generic term used for any summer blooming bulb, rhizome, tuber or corm that will freeze and die if left outdoors during a Colorado winter. Some examples include dahlia, calla lily, elephant ear, gladiola or a four o’clock
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Retiring Dr. Klett Honored With Ohio Buckeye
By Lucinda Greene, Colorado Master Gardener
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Dr. Jim Klett, Photo: courtesy of CSU | Dr. Jim Klett is retiring in January 2023 after a 42-year career at Colorado State University as a professor of Landscape Horticulture, Ornamentals and Nursery Management. In addition to developing strong relationships with the green industry in Colorado, Dr. Klett has been a long-time friend to the Colorado Master Gardener program. Through his publications, Dr. Klett has enriched volunteer education in botany, plant identification and diagnostics. Alison O’Connor, the Horticulture Agent in Larimer County said, “I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Klett for 17 years and his respect for Master Gardener volunteers is unsurpassed. He truly enjoys working with CMGs and understands the influence and importance they have on their local communities." | |
Plant and Insect Diagnostics: Always Something New to Learn | |
My colleagues and I hosted a plant and insect diagnostic workshop in October, a collaboration with CSU Extension and the Plant Diagnostic Clinic at the CSU Spur campus in Denver. About 45 Extension staff and Colorado Master Gardener volunteers gathered to build relationships and learn more about plant pathology and insects. While I taught portions of the workshop, I am always humbled to remember the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.
For instance, I learned that we have a weedy species of bluegrass (Poa trivialis, rough bluegrass) that can be fairly common in lawns. When the weather heats up, this type of bluegrass goes dormant. The grass turns a slightly purple color before turning brown. This is a great reminder that it is so important to know the plant identification before solving the problem. Brown spots in lawns often are caused by gaps in the irrigation systems, but it’s worth identifying the grass species to see if it could be rough bluegrass. The solutions for irrigation gaps and removing a weedy species in the lawn are entirely different.
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Lisa Mason
CSU Extension Horticulture Agent
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Rings, Donuts, Diapers and Bags -
How To Really Water A Tree
By Donnetta Wilhelm, Colorado Master Gardener
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Purdue University states tree dormancy can be divided into three phases: early rest, winter rest, and after-rest. Each of these phases has a specific physiological process that helps keep the tree's living cells unfrozen and active, but on a reduced level that still allows the tree to survive freezing temperatures. Keeping the cells hydrated during winter months is critical to each of these phases, as well as to long-term tree health. If a tree cannot find the needed water due to drying winds, no snow cover, and warm days, expect poor health and a stressed tree the following spring. What is the best way to hydrate trees during winter months? | |
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Tree Irrigators: Rings and Donuts
Search big box stores, garden centers, and the internet, and a variety of watering gadgets can be found. It is easy to fall prey to many of these because they can simply be filled with water and the human can walk away.
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Watering ring, Photo: samsclub.com | |
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Preserving Timeless Beauty
By Judy Cale, Colorado Master Gardener
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Geraniums are associated with happiness, health and friendliness. This symbolism has made them a common housewarming gift and a beloved plant of timeless beauty that adds vibrant colors to any garden. Did you think that geraniums were just an annual plant? Well, I did. But they are actually perennials and can survive our winters if you place them indoors before the first frost. Are they worth preserving for the next year? You decide. | |
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I Didn't Know That!
By Martha Kirk, Colorado Master Gardener
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Mulching Leaves
Did you know leaves are a nutritional supplement for turf grass? They can help reduce the amount of fertilizer applied to the lawn. So, when leaves begin to fall, mulch them into the lawn with a lawnmower. How much is too much? If you still see green turf, it’s good. Too thick a cover can smother turf, possibly killing the turf or contributing to snow mold. Excess leaves that are mowed and bagged can be applied to garden beds as a mulch or composted. One year, I forgot leaves in a black plastic bag. The following spring, I found rich dark beautiful composted organic matter. Nature was hard at work while I wasn’t.
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PHONE
(303) 730-1920
EMAIL
mastergardener@arapahoegov.com
LOCATION
6934 S. Lima St., Suite B
Centennial, CO 80112
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CSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. | | | | | |
