We have Agent Associate / Master Gardener Coordinator positions open in Charles County and Baltimore City. Apply today or share with others who may be interested!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered at this year's fair! We had 3,617 visitors at the Learning Garden including a few important members of Extension and even Smokey Bear! Here are some photos and stories to recap the event. Just a reminder that if you were unable to make your shift and you still have your ticket and parking, please mail them back to our office:

UME Master Gardener Program

12005 Homewood Road

Ellicott City, MD 21042

Robert Cook with Dr. Jinhee Kim (Director of Extension), Stephanie Pully, and Jon Traunfeld

We would love to replace the shed that currently resides at the Learning Garden. If you have any connections who might be willing to donate one, please let us know.

Kokedama Workshop

Friday, October 13, 2023 | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Baltimore County Extension Office

Kokedama is a ball of soil covered with moss on which an ornamental plant grows. The idea has its origins in Japan where Kokedama are very popular. Kokedama is a style of Japanese bonsai, where a plant's root system is simply wrapped in moss and bound with string, transforming it into a sculptural art form. Loosely translated, ‘koke’ means moss, and ‘dama’ means ball. The original Japanese form of Kokedama had miniature sculptured bonsai trees displayed on handmade pottery or pieces of driftwood.

Young Choe is a kusamono artist who studied traditional art in her native Korea before moving to the United States and earning her BS in horticulture from the University of Maryland. While volunteering at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, she brought her artistic talent together with her knowledge of horticulture to create kusamono. As her interest developed, Young traveled to Japan to study the unique art form with the master kusamono artist, Keiko Yamane, a former student of Saburo Kato. She worked for many years with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) including the U.S. National Arboretum. Young is considered a leader in the field and enjoys conducting workshops and lectures nationally as well as internationally.



If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully at pully@umd.edu or (410) 531-1754 on or before September 29, 2023.

For the discounted ticket price, remember to enter the Master Gardener promo code: UME_MG_Koko_Ticket

From tidal wetlands to woodlands, this guided experience will increase your knowledge of the native flora and fauna in the park as well as its indigenous cultural significance both past and present. Participants will walk through one of the 6 Piscataway Park trails and discover trees and other plants indigenous to Piscataway Park, learning and using key identification techniques to identify plants significant to the Piscataway People both past and present. This is an outdoor 1.5 hour walk with periodic stops, through mildly uneven terrain, during which participants will cover a distance of less than 2 miles.

Please dress appropriately for the weather, wear closed toe shoes, bring bug repellant/sunscreen or other appropriate measure, bring a refillable water bottle, and pack lightly as we will be walking for a good portion of the tour. Materials such as ID cards, ID sheets and pencils, etc. will be handed out during the hike.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Stephanie Pully at pully@umd.edu or (410) 531-1754 on or before October 18, 2023.

UME Agents Annette Cormany, Ashley Bachtel-Bodkins, and Sarah Llewellyn will begin our program with an educational session about our native evergreen plants. Following the presentation, we'll channel our new appreciation for these hardy trees and shrubs by creating our own holiday wreaths!

Most supplies will be provided, but please bring your own pair of gloves and hand pruners.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Stephanie Pully at pully@umd.edu or (410) 531-1754 on or before November 24, 2023.

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.

Pepper Report

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener

How are Aquatic Plants Pollinated?

By Anahí Espíndola, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.