December 2023 Master Gardener News

December 2023

The year 2023 was a very impressive one for Suffolk Master Gardeners. What a noteworthy demonstration of your individual and collective leadership in so many different efforts.

Well-deserved press coverage in Newsday, the East End Beacon, and the Northforker Magazine brought more widespread attention to your exemplary efforts in public and community gardens. As noted below, Master Gardeners in this year's MG Training are leading the way in the sale of native plants of Long Island provenance. The Master Gardeners who have collaborated on Suffolk Alliance for Pollinator (SAP) initiatives have engaged the public through free garden tours, library programs, and are discussing more pollinator-friendly ordinances with local municipalities.

Quite a few of you are addressing food security. A good number of you are engaged in the restoration and maintenance of demonstration gardens throughout Suffolk County. Reviving the MG Summer Camp experience for children is the mission of another group of Master Gardeners. Renovation of the Herb Garden is the goal of another group. A couple of you have connected with the Seed Libraries of Long Island Roundtable for your seed saving expertise. How proud of you all I am. Master Gardeners are clearly leaders, not weeders!

HOLIDAY GATHERING

WED. DECEMBER 6, 11AM-1PM

AG HALL Suffolk County Farm

Let’s celebrate the end of this year together. I’m looking forward to seeing as many of you as can join us for the annual Master Gardener Holiday party. Bring whatever you want to share for the pot luck.

One of you recently suggested a very good idea: LABEL the ingredients of your goodies. Too, bring your own beverage, utensils and plates as we’re trying to reduce our paper and plastic waste. There’s a sink for rinsing your dish in Ag Hall. I’ll bring the red embroidered MG patches for stocking stuffers.

SAVE the DATES for 2024

SPRING GARDENING SCHOOL, March 9

Thanks to those of you who came forward as instructors, Master Gardeners will be offering 40 sessions at SGS 2024 INDOORS in Calverton on Saturday, March 9th. Next month’s newsletter will feature the brochure and registration form for the full day of gardening programs.

MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE, April 27

The early Spring Gardening School date and new venue also meant that we had to find another opportunity for the Master Gardener Plant Sale. The MG Plant Sale will return to Suffolk County Farm on Saturday, April 27. In 2024, the Plant Sale will include annuals, perennials and native plants.

Master Gardeners have been busy as the photos below reveal. MGs Courtney Quinn and Terry Sajewski played a key role in the planting over 100,000 bulbs at Camusett State Park, Lloyd Harbor and Huntington. Wreath making wraps up the volunteer year for our MGs at Vanderbilt. Thanks to student interns from Stonybrook University who contributed volunteer hours as their alternate break at the Medford Train Station. A cartload of native plants proudly displays their "Native to Long Island" labels designed and affixed by our Master Gardeners.

MASTER GARDENER LEADERSHIP

MGs Beth Sutherland, Carol Holmes and Anahi Walton-Schafer collaborated on their Action Project in the 2023 MG Training. They explored the example of the Piedmont (VA) Master Gardeners in promoting the sale of local native plants. And so the labeling of native plants of LONG ISLAND provenance took shape.

Suffolk Master Gardeners identified eight retail plant sellers. Six of the eight recently shared their positive reactions to the label initiative and want to participate next year. Retailers said customers noticed the ‘Native to Long Island’ labels (in the image above) which had been created and fastened to the containers by our Master Gardeners. One retailer wrote, " there was a positive vibe about the plants that had (the label) on the pot." The labels acted as a lure for those looking for native plants and a conversation starter for others. A Facebook page was created to generate interest and, so far, 186 followers are connected.

MG Beth Sutherland also completed a list of 1500 LI native plants shrubs and trees. This has been helpful to the nursery owners because they now have a guidebook to answer patron questions. Too, this will give them guidance in ordering native plants.

The Master Gardeners are exploring funding sources to expand the program and generate more awareness in 2024. They are hoping other Master Gardeners “adopt” their favorite local nursery and help spread the word (and labels) to incorporate more native plants to attract pollinators, improve the health of our soil, and make a positive impact on our environment.

You can reach these Master Gardeners at centerport@gmail.com

Master Gardener Volunteers

Congratulations to MGs Karin Falcone-Kreiger and Mary Richardson who met their initial 125 volunteer hours. MG Nancy Dickey also satisfied her 125 hours and made a donation to the Master Gardener Program. NY MG Green pins will be awarded to them at our Fall Recognition gathering. Congratulations also to Patty Collins, our MG Volunteer of the Year.

MG Volunteer HOURS

Thanks to the Master Gardeners who submitted volunteer hours in November.

But there are still some holdouts among you!

This is the FINAL BOARDING CALL for 2023 volunteer hours. The record of your volunteer hours are very important as I need to complete 2023 reporting soon for county, state and federal review. Remember to include your best guess on a total of your 2023 hours as well as your legacy number of hours since you became a Master Gardener.

Here’s the Qualtrics form for reporting your hours.

https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aiagRHzCO3z8smO

A related point.

I reserve a considerable amount of space in my office for Master Gardener files. When I add new MG folders, I enjoy seeing the rest of your names in the file cabinet.

Yet there are names of Master Gardeners on file folders who have not submitted hours for YEARS. Here’s the dynamic. You may be volunteering, but not reporting these hours. I know this very well as I was guilty of not reporting. I volunteered, but I didn’t report my hours thinking that no one else needed to know about my MG contributions. Wrong. One of my predecessors tossed out my Master Gardener file and those of dozens of others who didn’t report hours. Except for the ‘MG Volunteer of the Year’ Award on my wall, and my multiple binders of MG Training notes, there’s no longer any record of MG Roxanne Zimmer, Class of 2005.

Sarah Osborn and I will be assigning “INACTIVE STATUS” to those MGS without any 2023 volunteer hours. Although I’m not tossing your documents, your records are moving from the office into a supply closet box of Inactive Master Gardeners. Of course, there may be extenuating circumstances that have curtailed your ability to volunteer. Remedy that by sending me a note as I fully appreciate that circumstances change. In short. To avoid ending up in the supply closet, PLEASE submit 2023 hours for your volunteer record or drop me an explanatory note in the next few days, not later in the month, as we're going through the files very soon. rz378@cornell.edu

I repeat as is custom in airports. This is the FINAL BOARDING CALL for 2023 volunteer hours.

Here’s the Qualtrics form for reporting your hours.

https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aiagRHzCO3z8smO

CONTINUING EDUCATION

As you may know, the USDA recently released a new hardiness zone map. Check out the changes since 2012, including a new gardening zone, 7b, for many of us.

Two sources to put the new map in perspective:

Margaret Roach's A Way to Garden

NPR on new USDA map

The Long Island Organics Council has spearheaded a food scraps project in Riverhead that deserves our attention. Watch the short video on how to properly collect your food scraps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSqsJshN7-o

Diversity of Solitary Bees

Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 7:00 PM

Solitary bees comprise more than 90% of bee species. Though many are familiar with social bees like honey bees, the biology of solitary bees is poorly known. Cornell professor Bryan Danforth will cover solitary bees’ nesting biology and host-plant preferences.

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=p4dbbwfab&oeidk=a07ek2ejjfleb95c3ad

Rethink what gardeners should do in the LATE FALL. Less is more. Don't deadhead plants. . LEAVE THE LEAVES See also this Xerces Society webinar with staffer Emily May.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dV4onHWfMo

________________________________

This newsletter is posted on our MG webpage linked here.

If you have photos or news to share in the newsletter, you can email me at rz378@cornell.edu

Or...

Did you take any recent photos of your MG gardens?

Post photos, events and news on our Master Gardener facebook page. Here you'll find information about volunteer work days/times at the Medford Train Station, LINPI, VA and Ketcham Inn. Please join us on facebook with the Suffolk facebook page

Happy Gardening!

Roxanne Zimmer

423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY 11901-3071

631-727-7850

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is funded in part by Suffolk County through the office of the County Executive, and the County Legislature.