The CCEDC Master Gardener Volunteers 31st Annual Fundraiser & Plant Sale | Article photos property of CCEDC | Our annual plant sale takes place in May, organized by Master Gardener volunteers and CCE staff. | |
The 31st annual fundraiser kicked off at 10 AM, on Friday morning with a large turnout. Many people arrived early to shop for their favorite plants, but even then, there was no guarantee that they could take everything home on their list. Predicting which plants will be popular and in high demand can be challenging. With the fundraiser only lasting for two days, it's important to assess what will sell well and what won't. We offer a diverse selection of annuals, perennials, vegetables, and herbs, including both traditional favorites and new introductions.
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The feedback from the community was extremely helpful in implementing new practices that sped up the check-out process this year. We were thrilled to see that the changes we had made led to smiles all around. There were numerous positive comments during the sale about the updates.
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The weekend had fantastic weather, bright sunshine, and great conversations. There were many new varieties this year to select from and with all the plants looking gorgeous and full of vigor, it was hard to pick which plants to take home. By Saturday afternoon, there was not much left on the sales floor. All the planning, hard work, and long days had paid off.
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This year's annual plant sale fundraiser was a huge success and we couldn't have done it without your help and support. Thank you all who came out to help! CCEDC staff, Master Gardener volunteers, friends and family all came together to volunteer this year and it was truly wonderful to see the camaraderie among the group. | |
2024 Vegetable Variety Trial Gardens (VVTG): CULTURAL ROOTS of EASTERN EUROPE | |
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This summer, come by CCEDC and learn about our Vegetable Variety Trial Gardens (VVTG). They are located in the front of the Farm and Home Center.
What is VVTG? Cornell Cooperative Extension programs and community partners from around New York State are cultivating vegetable demonstration gardens as outdoor classrooms for their communities.
Our 2024 trial, Cultural Roots of Eastern Europe, will feature vegetables that are grown from seeds provided by Hudson Valley Seed Company. Through this trial, we hope to inspire you to try some of these varieties in your own gardens. The excess harvests from the 2024 trials will be shared with our local food pantries and other Seed to Supper programming. For more information on this trial or to learn more about food gardening, contact our Community Horticulture office.
The companion program, Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners, is a citizen science project that provides an interactive site for vegetable ratings and links to seed sources. Each year, Cornell Cooperative Extensions conduct a demonstration trial for several varieties of vegetables and herbs. The information we gain from the trial is also used for updates to the "Selected List of Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners in NYS," a resource from Cornell Garden Based Learning. This resource can be used by counties and vegetable gardeners to know which varieties have been shown to do well in varying conditions across NYS. Cornell Cooperative Extensions and affiliated gardens across NYS plant and maintain the trial vegetables and demonstrate techniques for ecological gardening. They then rate the trial varieties on the Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners website.
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 |  | Have you heard about Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners (VVfG)? For centuries, gardeners have been asking each other, "What varieties will grow best in my garden?" The Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners (VVfG) web forum provides a platform for gardeners to share their knowledge. The concept is simple: Gardeners visit the VVfG site and report which varieties perform well – and not so well – in their gardens. Other gardeners visit the site to view the variety ratings and read the reviews, helping them decide which varieties might work well for them. The VVfG citizen science project also provides an opportunity for researchers to involve knowledgeable and motivated citizens. With a multitude of gardener observations at their fingertips, researchers can gain new insights into the performance of vegetable varieties under a wide range of conditions and practices. At the same time, gardeners can receive advice from a larger community of gardeners to help decide which varieties to try in their gardens. The most recent version is posted at gardening.cornell.edu/vegetables – Vegetable-Varieties-list-2023.
Watch a brief tutorial on how to use the Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners database.
Rate these and other varieties, find seed sources and more at: http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu
Information provided by www.gardening.cals.cornell.edu
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2024 Schedule
- July 5: Japanese Beetle Management | Aphid-Eating Insects
- August 2: Spotted Lanternfly Update | Box Tree Moth Update
- September 6: Back to School: Bed Bugs | Head Lice
- October 4: Identifying Pests in Your Home
- November 1: 2024 Tick Blitz Results | No Spray Needed
- December 6: Feed the Birds | Repurposing a Holiday Tree
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Not Your Average Nature Walk | Exploring Dover Stone Church
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Presents
Trail & Ecology Speaker Series
Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 6:30-8:30 pm
Dover Stone Church
9 School St
Dover Plains, NY 12522
What is nature? How do we view ourselves within an ecosystem? The timescale of human habitation is a blink of an eye in geological terms, yet great changes have occurred to our environment. The land and waterways in Dutchess County tell a rich story from past glacial activity, the gradual formation of soils, the growth of great forests, and of human inhabitance pre and post colonization.
Join Julie Hart and Brian Straniti of Dutchess Land Conservancy along the trail to Dover Stone Church as we take a trip through time to examine the ways our landscape has changed, and delve into the more recent past to talk about our various perceptions of nature and how they change and are influenced.
This moderate hike is approximately 1 mile roundtrip with slippery rocks at times - appropriate footwear is required.
Register Here
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Fairy House Hunt
Locust Grove
2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie
Saturdays and Sundays in June!
It's that time of the year again to celebrate our historic flowers
and
trees in the gardens at Locust Grove with our annual Fairy House Hunt!
Tickets are $10/Person and children under 4 are FREE!
Tickets here: https://www.lgny.org/may
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SUBMIT UPCOMING EVENTS
Would you like information on an upcoming gardening event to be shared in this newsletter?
Please include the date, time, location, a short description, cost, and contact information for more details.
Send an email by the 15th of each month to be included in the next month’s newsletter.
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MASTER GARDENERS SPEAKERS BUREAU
Master Gardener Volunteers offer lectures on a wide array of subjects for gardeners.
Favorite topics include: Vegetable Gardening; Pollinator Gardens; Home Composting; Sustainable Gardening Best Practices; Gardening in Small Spaces; Deer Defense; Spotted Lanternfly; Jumping Worms, Spongy Moths, Putting the Garden to Bed in Fall; and Nature in Winter. Additional topics can be prepared to meet a particular group’s needs or interests.
The talks are 45 minutes in duration, followed by 10-15 minutes for questions from the group.
A fee of $100 per lecture (or 3 for $275) helps support our numerous community projects.
To arrange for a speaker and get more details on offerings, contact Francheska Kuilan at fk232@cornell.edu
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CCEDC Horticulture Hotline & Diagnostic Lab
Need Soil pH Testing? Need Lawn or Plant Diagnosis?
Have any gardening questions?
The Horticulture Hotline, (845) 677-5067 is now open for the season on Wednesday mornings 9-12
NEW!
We now have our own email
Horticulture and Diagnostic questions can be emailed to:
CCEDC Horticulture Hotline & Lab*
Include as much details of the issue as you can. See CCEDC Form for all the details needed.
Photos should be included when at all possible. Please ensure it is well-focused, and shows the whole or a larger section of the plant and a close-up view of the issue.
Diagnostic samples can be dropped off, by appointment only.
This will help ensure your sample will be as fresh as possible for the lab.
Call 845-677-8223 or email fk232@cornell.edu
*The CCEDC Diagnostic Lab is operated by our volunteers and is only open Wednesday mornings.
Please allow up to 7-10 business days for response.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we get this up and running.
For more information, including required forms and a listing of our current service fees:
CCEDC Horticulture Diagnostic Clinic
Cornell University Diagnostic Services:
Gardening Information:
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Websites for Gardeners - many topics, including bees, nuisance wildlife, mushrooms, invasive plants, certified arborists and weed ID.
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TRAINING IS PLANNED FOR THE FALL OF 2024
****ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN ****
Master Gardener Position Description
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CCEDC Master Gardener Volunteer training is held from September through December, in alternate years. Trainings are a mix of in-person, group practicums on weekends, and self-paced weekly online learning modules through the Moodle platform.
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If you are interested in becoming a Dutchess County Master Gardener Volunteer,
please fill out the Dutchess County Master Gardener Volunteer application and mail it to: Dutchess County Farm & Home Center, 2715 Route 44, Suite One, Millbrook, New York 12545-5566 or email it to Francheska Kuilan at fk232@cornell.edu
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You are the reason that our organization has been able to play a pivotal role in community and economic development in Dutchess County for over 100 years. Your continued participation and support of CCEDC has made direct impact this year.
Together, we can lay the foundation for a successful year ahead, ensuring the lasting impact of our programs and our ability to navigate challenges while seizing new opportunities.
Will you join us now in making this happen?
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Websites mentioned in Dutchess Dirt are provided as a courtesy to our readers. Mention of these websites does not imply endorsement by Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension or by the author.
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.
The programs provided by this agency are partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.
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