February 2023 UME Master Gardener Program Announcements

February 2023 UME Master Gardener

State Office Announcements

While we may be in the depths of winter, a Japanese proverb says, "One kind word can warm three winter months." We hope February brings you much love and kindness to get through the cold!

Our newsletter this month introduces our GIEI theme for this year, new continuing education events, and more!

2023 is the Year of the Sweet Potato!

Dive deep and learn more about this versatile, climate-friendly crop!

Please download and share these Year of the Sweet Potato Graphics to help us spread the word. If you'd like to host Year of the Sweet Potato programming, please feel free to use and adapt our presentation template Let's Grow Sweet Potatoes!

See the Resources

Spotted Lanternfly Update Webinar

February 21, 2023 | 10 am - 11:30 am| Free | Zoom

Join the UME MG program as we learn the latest updates about the spotted lanternfly from MDA Entomologist Kenton Sumpter.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully in the State MG Office at pully@umd.edu or (410) 531-1754 before February 13, 2023.

Introduction to Permaculture and Site Design for Master Gardeners

Friday, April 21, 2023 | 10 am - 2 pm| $50 | Pearlstone Center

This hands-on session will introduce permaculture site design as a useful framework for making observations and plans. We'll share helpful tools, examples, and stories in an inclusive and uplifting session of peer-to-peer learning. It includes lunch with fresh local food, some even grown on-site! Come learn with your fellow MGs at the beautiful Pearlstone Retreat Center in Baltimore County!

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully in the State MG Office at pully@umd.edu or (410) 531-1754 before April 7, 2023.

Purchase a Ticket

Save the Date for UMD Giving Day!

Save the date! On March 8, join together with fellow University of Maryland alumni, faculty and staff, students, and volunteers for an extraordinary day of giving back. On #GivingDayUMD, please consider making a contribution to the Home and Garden Information Center Fund to help support sustainable gardening resources and education.

More Info

City Nature Challenge

Join our friends at the National Aquarium in supporting the Baltimore Metro Area in the City Nature Challenge, a four-day international competition to see which city can observe the most species!

Learn More and Participate

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

Catch Up on Continuing Education

Did you miss any of our continuing education webinars last year?

Check out the recordings 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

Helpful HGIC Resources

Check out the Yard & Garden section of the University of Maryland Extension website to find all of the resources provided by the Home & Garden Information Center. Here are a few timely resources for the start of the gardening season:

Vegetable Planting Calendar (in English and Spanish)
Soil Testing and Soil Testing Labs
Planting a Tree or Shrub
Building Raised Beds for Vegetable Gardening | Salad Tables & Boxes
Landscape Designs With Native Plants

Maryland Grows Blog

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