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Anne Arundel County Master Gardener News | |
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June Meeting: Annual June Yard Visit
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Residence of Master Gardener, Anne Muecke
4640 S. Polling House Rd.
Harwood, MD 20776
Tuesday, June 14 at 6 - 8 p.m.
Self-guided tour, arrive and leave when you like.
We are so excited to finally be able to reinstate our annual June yard visit! Master Gardener, Anne was approached right before Covid if she would like to show off her gardens, and three Junes later, we’re coming!
You can find a list of over 300 plants on the property at www.horticopia.com/mg, a resource she created herself. There you will also find detailed directions.
Anne Muecke, host for our June yard visit, has shared the following information about
her property:
In January 2004, the property was six acres of land edged with trees and covered with briars, grasses, poison ivy, honeysuckle, very few trees, but lots of ticks. However, Ann recognized the potential for supporting gardens. Thus, she created HORTICOPIA® Trial Gardens. Her goals were to:
- get rid of as much grass as possible.
- research and self-educate the botany of available plant material in order to communicate knowledgeably with Horticopia software users. This software allows users to search, view and print pictures of plants and data.
- acquire new plant material.
- photograph plant changes through the seasons.
You are encouraged to visit: www.horticopia.com/mg/ for lists of plants on the property. These may be downloaded lists are updated frequently. Before and after pictures will be available for viewing during the yard visit.
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Coordinator's Corner
Rachel Carey, Master Gardener Coordinator
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Hello Master Gardeners, and happy June. | |
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First I want to say congratulations to our eleven Spring 2022 interns who have just completed their training! Nearly all of the interns have taken their exams early with 100% pass rate so far. I’m also tickled to watch their group emails as they continue to be each other's most encouraging fans while beginning their service. We are so happy to have you a part of our county.
I have had the pleasure of getting out to 13/18 of your Master Gardener projects - All of which are self-sustaining wonderfully, or are on their way to self-sustaining wonderfully, which is the goal. I still need to meet with the five remaining projects in June, and really look forward to it! Thank you all for helping UME educate and beautify the community.
In the world of my new role, I was assigned a mentor this month, who will be gently keeping me focused on being an educator in the community, myself, as is my duty as a faculty member. My mentor’s name is Rachel Rhodes and she holds my same position in Queen Anne’s County. We met, leaving me feeling supported and enthused about my upcoming years. She does a lot of her educating through a podcast that she co-hosts with those of our same position in Talbot and Dorchester County called The Garden Thyme Podcast. I love their trio! Give their podcast a listen - it's an easy and fun way to get your UME gardening info.
As always, call or email if you need support from me. Talk to you throughout June!
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Master Gardener Project Reports
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The new season for the Apprentice Garden is well underway. The family plots are (mostly) fully planted. The Master Gardeners have completed planting the common spaces inside the garden and the strips of perennial plantings on the outside of the fence. One family had to drop out of the program due to work schedules, and another family was added quickly, and very happily, from the waitlist.
By the end of May, the families had settled on their initial plans for their 8’ by 42” planting space. The three families who are participating for the second year are real pros, very comfortable with the timing and spacing of their vegetables, and offer helpful advice to the new families. Their vegetable selections are interesting - repeating the crops that grew well for them, or for other families. In all the spaces, there are lots of greens, small root vegetables, beans, basil, tomatoes (of course) and peppers. One of the new families planted brussels sprouts, and we’re all looking forward to their success. Two families planted radish sets, and both harvested red radishes by mid-month.
In the common space gardens, the Mediterranean herb garden is growing well; lavender, rosemary, garlic chives, oregano, thyme are all thriving, and the sage is blooming beautifully. Mint is planted in two pots to attempt to corral the rhizomes. The strawberry patch is full of green berries, and by the end of May, a few berries ripened enough to be picked by the children. The lettuces are full, and families are picking the leaves for salads. The potatoes have recovered after the early leaves were damaged by the low temperatures. Tomatoes and cucumber have been planted, and poblano peppers are planned. A corner bed of flowers, including yarrow, sunflowers, snapdragon, and zinnias will attract and feed pollinators
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Master Gardener volunteers have done a terrific job participating in work parties, tending the gardens on Wednesdays, and most especially, working with our families, helping to plan, space and plant, answering questions, tending and watering. Many thanks to the Master Gardener volunteers: Kathy Albers, Wendy Boardman, Kathy Enderle, Lourdes Hergenroeder, and Kristin Silva.
Throughout the season, April through September, the project meets at 6:30PM every Wednesday at the community gardens at Kinder Farm Park in Millersville. Please consider volunteering in the Apprentice Garden. Volunteers, and interns are welcome anytime. You can do the Wednesday meetings, and/or do other-day garden checks and extra watering. Your children are welcome to join you. There is always a sign-in sheet in the garden mailbox for noting your presence and recording your hours. Many thanks.
The names of Apprentice Garden volunteers are provided to the gatekeeper so there is no entry fee for people participating in the Apprentice Garden project. So, please advise Deb if you are new to the project.
You are welcome to join us in the Apprentice Garden this summer, and if you would like more information, please contact Janet or Deb.
Co-chaired by Janet Clauson and Deb Fritz
janetclauson301@gmail.com, 410.987.2027
debfritzdesign@gmail.com, 410.279.1077
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Students Celebrate Earth Day with Native Plants
by Joni Miller
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For Earth Day this year, we tried something completely new at the Arnold Elementary Youth Garden. The goal: every student would put a plant in the ground at the school for Earth Day. And you know what? It happened!
To understand the “something completely new” about this project, you first need to know what was there before. The Arnold Youth Garden was started about seven years ago, however after two years, the school was demolished. A new school was built, but then students learned at home for almost two years. Finally in Spring 2021, a beautiful new native garden was created by Master Gardener volunteers and parents at the school. In Fall 2021, MG’s gave tours of the garden to students and that’s when we saw how much the kids wanted to touch and feel the plants. That was the seed for the Earth Day planting.
To prepare for this ambitious project, Master Gardener volunteers and parents from the school committed to two full days of leading classes of students in planting. Over 550 native perennials were purchased in flats. Leading up to the planting day, MG volunteers organized the native plugs in batches for each class so that when the bell rang for school, we’d be ready to go. We rallied all the trowels, scoops, and watering cans we could muster.
On Thursday and Friday of Earth Week, class by class, the students came out with their teachers. Volunteers first talked to each class about how plants help build habitat and that natives in particular grow best in Maryland. Here is where the students couldn’t wait to tell you about the ladybug they saw in their yard, the Black-eyed Susans their mom planted, or the monarch caterpillar they saw on milkweed last summer. Many of these kids knew their stuff! After the chat, each class of 20-25 students was escorted by 3-4 volunteers to areas around two trees marked with their teacher’s name… and pandemonium ensued.
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The kids loved being able to plant and everyone wanted to be first. Somehow, we were able to cycle through every single class in the school over two days and every child planted either milkweed, echinacea, zizia aurea, hyssop, phlox, or another native. At the end of the week, 550 plants were in the ground and we were some exhausted Master Gardeners and parents. Lest a child miss the chance to plant, we even came back a week later for a make-up day for absent kids.
A big, big thanks to Master Gardeners Kim Morrow, Kathy Albers, Barbara Wynn, Rita Crowe, and Denise Ney for braving the two days with students. Also, a shout out to Serena Boyd, Chris DeSimone, and Clare Harig-Blaine for helping prep the plants. Maintenance, as always, is the trickiest part of any garden. Teachers and class parents are helping water the plants but we do need more volunteers to help water over the summer and maintain this and our “big” native garden, which is looking pretty spectacular this spring. In particular, I am in need of a new Chair for this project as this is the last year I’ll have a student at the school. I’m willing to co-chair at first while a new MG volunteer learns the ropes. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering for summer watering, general maintenance of in a leadership role. Just email me at jonisralla@gmail.com
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Composting and Native Gardens | |
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In May, members of the compost team have been busy turning, harvesting and spreading compost in the native plant beds as well as weeding and planting new natives.
We’ve held two compost demonstrations for the public so far this year. The first was part of Quiet Waters Park’s Earth Day celebration.
If you haven’t attended a demonstration, please join us at 10am at the compost site on Sat. June 18, Sat. July 16, Sat. Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Wed. Oct. 5 , Sat. Oct. 15 or Sat. Nov. 5. Attendees receive a free compost bin courtesy of the county’s Recycling Office.
Pam Dennison, project chair
Composting and Native Gardens at QWP
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Greeting from the Dairy Farm Project.
MG workers continue to do a wonderful job keeping our gardens in great shape. Blooming now is Salvia, Spirea, Coreopsis, Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Baptista, Chives, Lavender, Sage and others. We spotted a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar on the fennel.
Our workers weeded and thinned out crowded plants so things are looking much neater now.
Malcolm repaired and painted the picnic table and all of the benches. Malcolm and the guys dug out the rotted timbers along the front entry garden and will replace them in stages. Many thanks to Suzy Urick and Home Depot for their $100.00 donation to acquire most of the supplies.
The veggie garden is struggling with an infestation of Flea Beetle. We have never had that before. Sweet potato, eggplant and some tomatoes will need to be replaced. The crops under the row cover are doing fine. We harvested Kale and lettuce. The peas are flowering and the beans are doing well. Also, squash and potatoes are doing well. Seeds planted are not germinating well, so also need to be replanted. This is gardening folks, win or lose. I have heard similar problems from other gardeners.
If you are interested in the Dairy Farm Project, please feel welcome. All are invited, including interns.
Our next scheduled work session is Saturday, June 11, from 9:00 – 12:00
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 9:00 -12:00
If you have any questions, please contact one of us.
Main Gardens, Malcolm Doying, oldcelt100@aol.com
Veggies, Pat Shema, pshema@aol.com
| It's Springtime in the Village Garden! | |
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The Hancock’s Resolution Barn/Visitor Center has been a welcome addition, air conditioning, bathrooms, and space for exhibits (currently Truck Farming in Northern Anne Arundel County.) Volunteers have been busy planting and tending the kitchen and dooryard gardens around the 1785 farmhouse.
As we go to print, the project’s focus will be on hosting Jacobsville Elementary School 5th graders on Monday, June 6th. Intern Annette Sanders passed along some wonderful age-appropriate activities related to soil that Master Gardeners will conduct as part of 20-minute scheduled rotations of other farm activities hosted by Friends Hancock Resolution volunteers.
Sunday, June 12 from 1:00-4:00 is Lavender Appreciation Day. The lavender is approaching peak, so if you are an enthusiast, I suggest you visit in the next 2-3 weeks.
Wildlife predation makes growing edibles on the farm challenging. I have been able to harvest respectable quantities of asparagus and radishes. Potato, kale, turnips, onions, and garlic crops look promising. Cotton seedlings, thanks to Pat Shema, were planted.
We are providing for pollinators with an abundance of milkweed and experimenting with buckwheat this year. I have enough volunteers covering the June 6th school field trip. If you are interested in volunteering on a Sunday afternoon from 12:30-4:00, email me at willnancy3@verizon.net or call/text 410-952-9554.
Other times can be arranged….I am retired now. 😊
Looking forward to seeing Master Gardeners at Hancock’s Resolution and other locations around the County.
Happy gardening. Nancy Allred
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Native Plant Propagation | |
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Kathy Lough (AACO MG) and Lauren Toomey (AACO MG and AACO Watershed Steward) spent yesterday at the Beelab grouping and organizing the native plants that have been grown-out so far this year.
By Fall (which is the projected distribution timeframe) we will have truly respectful specimens busting out of their 6" inch pots to support community projects in Anne Arundel County that have submitted requests for native plants.
Kathy is presently constructing a spreadsheet that will capture the scientific and common names along with quantity, that will be shared once completed.
The Beelab is having open houses this week on both Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning. It provides a great opportunity to learn the latest propagation and restoration techniques, in addition to acquiring some native plants that are difficult or unavailable to obtain.
Lauren Toomey
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The presentation project met on April 27 with Rachel Carey joining and meeting us. Several updates were mentioned to several power points that are close to being completed. New required slides have been added to several completed power points. Carin Pearson graciously held a power point workshop before the plant swap to show us some ideas of how we can enhance some of our work. Several suggestions have been made to “level” the power points to audiences’ interests and experience. Rachel would like to have a venue to “train the trainer” for people willing to give presentations. Nancy Allred has suggested that presenters should go out in pairs for support – whether a live or virtual venue. Several presentations have been completed – Fall Yard Maintenance for Wildlife, Shade Gardens, Woodland Gardens, Native Shade Groundcovers, Monarch Butterflies, and Weeds.
The group met again on May 25 and welcomed Linda Ingersoll as a new participant. Rina Brown shared her moss and lichen power point. Comments from the group were given as to content. We also reviewed the tools power point and suggestions were shared as to format. Rachel has introduced the concept of using Google drive to share content which would facilitate several people working on power point modifications together. June will be our last meeting until September allowing members to work on topics over the summer.
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South County Senior Center | |
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The garden is beautiful and easy to volunteer at. We do workdays once a month with about 4 or 5 regular volunteers. In the summer, the workdays are Saturday mornings to try to stay as cool as possible. We plan to work on plant signs with scientific name, common name, and label them native, non-native, or invasive this year as an education/outreach tool.
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Master Gardeners continue spring clean-up at Tawes and the gardens are looking great!
On our May 3 work day Cathy Crowley, Sandy Peterson, Meg Hosmer and Cindy Ferris cleaned up the Norma Coulter Garden by weeding, raking and severing ivy climbing on trees. The hellebores and tiarella were blooming!
Our work days in June are:
Tuesday 6/7
Thursday 6/16
Tuesday 6/21
Thursday 6/30
Hours are 8am-12pm and you are welcome to come anytime during those hours. Remember a photo ID.
If you have any questions, contact one of us.
Cindy Wells Cwells5953@cs.com
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2022 is the Year of Soil Health!
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IPM for Backyard and Community Vegetable and Fruit Growing
Live Zoom Event
July 19, 2022
9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Registration link - https://umd.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P_sRam38S_-lF5Xp3aH7AA
Preserve Your Harvest
Live Zoom Event
August 30, 2022
9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Registration link - https://umd.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__Z1eR5hNTwmEn-Wc_6Q3sA
Reduce Your Waste With Composting
Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD
September 8, 2022
9:30 AM-4:30 PM
Register online
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