Washington County Master Gardeners Newsletter • November 2024
| |
Please note! Your email provider may show an abbreviated version of this newsletter, so if you see the words "[Message clipped] View entire message" or something similar at the end of this email, be sure to click on "View entire message" so you don't miss a thing!
Having said all that, the Garden Thyme is best viewed in your browser (instead of viewing it within your email). So, to view the Garden Thyme in its full glory, just click on the link at the top of this page that says, "View this email in your browser."
| |
NOVEMBER MEETING
"Festive Florals"
| |
Hope to see you at our monthly meeting, Tuesday, November 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington County Extension Office.
Our guest speaker is Casey Kennedy, who will show us that using florals for festive holidays offers Master Gardeners a unique way to showcase their skills and creativity. Beyond simple arrangements, holiday floral displays can incorporate a wide variety of plants.
| |
DECEMBER MEETING
Holiday Potluck and Place-Setting Competition
| |
We are excited to announce that our December 3 meeting will feature not only our annual potluck, but also a place setting competition! We will be joined by a special guest—4-H member Annabelle Servis, the 2024 Washington County fair youth winner of the place setting division.
Annabelle has been honing her table setting skills since she first entered the Washington County Fair at age 5. Now age 11, Annabelle has six years of fair competition under her belt. She will share insights on proper place-setting etiquette and will also serve as the judge for our competition.
The meeting will be held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, located just east of the Washington County Extension Office. Please remember to bring your own place setting. It’s a great opportunity to learn, have fun, and put your design skills to the test.
We look forward to seeing everyone in December!
| |
We will vote on these items at our monthly business meeting. | |
From Your President
LIZ HALE
| |
Your Votes Are In: The 2025 Membership Meeting Site Is . . .
Thank you for making your opinions known about where you wish to meet in 2025. Of our 289 members, 118 of you (40.83% of our membership) cast ballots. As you can see from the chart below, the winning venue is Alton Activity Center at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2925 North Old Missouri Road (at East Rolling Hills Drive intersection), Fayetteville 72703.
| |
Alton Activity Center at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, WCMG's 2025 meeting location. | |
Please mark your 2025 calendar. Every monthly meeting will be at the Alton Activity Center except two:
- March 4 project and committee fair at Thompson Hall on the Washington County Fairgrounds
- June 3 potluck picnic at a to-be-determined sanctioned project
We definitely need a dedicated pool of program committee volunteers to set up, tear down, and clean up after each meeting. The two-level chair-stacking roller carts require people of average to tall height, as well as upper body strength. Please contact Mariette Spidel, 2025 vice president and program committee chair, at kmspidel@gmail.com if you wish to join the committee and volunteer a time or two or more.
Washington County Master Gardeners are renting Alton Activity Center for $250 per meeting, for a total of $2,500 (because two meetings annually are at a different venue).
Thanks go to every Master Gardener who reached out to find a venue, including Jim Sposato, Karen Hanna-Towne, Darielle James, Alfi Anderson, Mariette Spidel, Stephanie McGuire, Patsy Louk, Martha Haguewood, and Marilyn Misenhimer.
| |
The Gardening Year is Winding Down . . .
KATHYRN BIRKHEAD
WCMG Membership Committee Co-Chair
| |
And our weekly time together is drawing to a close. This gives us a chance to reflect on how much we enjoy being Master Gardeners, with the fellowship, learning, and joy that come with our gardening together. With that end-of-year reality, though, comes the need to be mindful of a few things:
Do you know how many volunteer and education hours you need to have?
- If you’re a trainee, you need 40 volunteer hours (at least 50% in sanctioned projects) and 20 education hours on top of the time you spent in class.
- If you’re a returning Master Gardener, you need 20 volunteer hours (at least 50% in sanctioned projects) and 20 education hours.
- If you’re a Lifetime Master Gardener, thank you for the years you’ve given to us. You don’t have to do any volunteer work, but we’re grateful when you do. If you want to earn credit for years past your 15 Lifetime years, you do need to report 10 hours of volunteer work.
- If you’re on a Leave of Absence or a Sustainer, you don’t have to report any hours, but we always enjoy your company. Feel free to join us any time. If you need to request a Leave of Absence or wish to become a Sustainer, go to https://wcmgar.org/member-resource-guide/ and select the Forms tab. Scroll down past the Awards information to find the Membership Status Forms. Please submit your Leave of Absence request by November 1.
Do you know the reporting deadline?
- You have till December 15, but we’re begging here: Please, please, please don’t wait till 8:00 PM on December 14 to log on for the first time. If you run into problems, you might have a real hard time finding help in your hour of need.
Speaking of logging on, do you know how to log on to report your hours?
- If you became a Master Gardener in 2022 or later, you’ve always used your email address as your username, but folks who have been around for a while used to have a more complicated one. If you were a Master Gardener before 2022, don’t forget that your username is your email address. If you don’t remember your password, click on Forgot Password to be sent a link to set a new one. Again, please don’t wait till the last minute to make sure you know the steps!
Questions? Annette Pianalto (annettepianalto@gmail.com) and Kathryn Birkhead (kathrynbirkhead@gmail.com) are here to help. And the sooner, the better!
| |
In an effort to ease the bookkeeping burden on our beloved Extension Service office staff, we have unveiled a new and improved way to pay WCMG dues: online via the "Pay Your Dues" page in the Members Only section of the WCMG website, using a secure form created by the Extension Service staff. You will need the top-secret password to access the Members Only section. If you can't remember the password, message Susan Young at 479-442-6117 and she will share it with you once she confirms you are indeed a bona fide WCMG. :)
If you want to bypass the WCMG website and go right to the secure online form, just scan this QR code using the camera app on your phone:
| |
At our November 5 meetings, WCMG treasurer Marilyn Misenhimer and WCMG/Extension staffer Mariette Spidel will be on hand to guide you through the online payment process. (WCMG dues are due no later than December 1.)
We encourage you to use this new online method for paying dues—it's safe, easy, and will make life a lot easier for the good folks in the Extension Office. However, you will still have the following options for paying dues by cash or a check made payable to WCMG:
- in person at the November 5 WCMG meeting
- in person at the Extension Office during regular business hours (Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
- by mail to Washington County Extension Office, 2536 N. McConnell Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704-5521
| |
Meet the Trainees
OLIVIA HARRINGTON and LYNETTE TERRELL
| |
STEPHANIE McGUIRE
My husband and I both grew up on farms just a few hours east of Fayetteville. Gardening was a part of both our lives.
In 1991, we moved to Northwest Arkansas to go back to school and wound up putting down roots in Farmington. We incorporated gardening and farming into raising our son and daughter, but mostly from a suburban perspective—several raised bed vegetable gardens, a pathetic flower bed, and cattle on leased land. After raising our children, we sold our home and moved into a condo on a golf course, thinking we would see what retirement could look like. It didn't take us very long to see that it wasn't a good fit for us. So, we bought nine acres in Lincoln and have been working to make it a home.
Betty Swope piqued my interest in the Master Gardener program several years ago. My husband and I were both interested but also too incredibly busy with our family to consider it at that time. But when we became able, we attended training and joined a sanctioned project that is so meaningful to the community in which we live. My husband and I both have come to love the Master Gardener program and its community focus. We look forward to many years of community involvement and forever friendships within the various sanctioned projects and community outreach programs.
| |
How to Make a Crescent Dough Cornucopia (and Slay Thanksgiving)
TALYA TATE BOERNER
| |
Photo by Talya Tate Boerner | |
Can we all take a moment to celebrate my crescent dough cornucopia?
Isn't it a wonderful thing to create something, anything, that exceeds expectations? Part of the beauty of this crescent dough cornucopia is its simplicity. Yes, I am all about kitchen shortcuts and fun foodie surprises. And, I'm all about sharing what I've learned. . . .
Click here to continue reading this blog post by Talya on her website, Grace, Grits and Gardening.
| |
Congratulations to our September 2024 Busy Bee Award recipients. From left: Steve Brizzi, Courtney Kirkpatrick, Terry Hedden, Peter Gavin, Steve Lisle, Jill King, Annette Pianalto, Kathryn Sampson Stinson, Nancy Sloan. Not pictured: Jim MacLean, Vicki Mayo. | |
October Photo of the Month Contest:
"Flowering Perennials"
| |
FIRST PLACE
"Morning Sparkle" by Delcina Cunico
| |
SECOND PLACE
"Royal Red" by Judy Smith
| |
THIRD PLACE
"Pretty in Pink" by Leslie Bailey
| |
The November Photo of the Month Contest theme is "Colorful Trees in the Garden." Deadline for submission is November 15. Contest details are available on the WCMG website. | |
Actual photo of a WCMG volunteer photographer from days gone by. Ok, not really. It's an unidentified photographer somewhere in Washington, DC, circa 1915. Courtesy Library of Congress
| |
WCMG Vice President-Elect Mariette Spidel is currently recruiting for a photographer within our membership.
Meetings requiring a photographer are:
- January awards ceremony and officer installation
- March project fair
- June picnic and sanctioned project tour
- December holiday potluck and WCMG trainee graduation
If your inner shutterbug is encouraging you to give this a try, please contact Mariette at kmspidel@gmail.com.
| |
Thymely News
LYNETTE TERRELL
| |
"Thymely News" features WCMG and community projects. | |
Mock Park volunteers (from left) Chris Bell, Susan Snell, Linda Morrow, LaDeana Mullinix, Luanne Diffin, Karen Takemoto. Photo by Mock Park volunteer Sally Schoen
| |
MOCK PARK
Linda Morrow, project co-chair
Mock Park is located at East Buchanan and South Neal in historic downtown Prairie Grove. Begun in the 1980s, the project of the small city park and area around the public library fell into neglect when Millie Bowman, the first Master Gardener to attend the park, retired and moved. She and her young granddaughters put in many of the original flowers and shrubs. The City of Prairie Grove donated a large birdbath and a plaque of appreciation for her work. Mock Park was designated a Master Gardener sanctioned project in 2008. Lorraine Heartfield and LaDeana Mullinix became co-chairs in 2008, serving through 2023. Chris Bell and Linda Morrow are the current co-chairs.
As the project has grown over the past 16 years, many plants have been added to the shady side of the northwest corner and annual re-seeding flowers to the sunny side. In 2012 the City installed a watering system which was expanded in 2023 to include a new bed of low-growing sumac and flowering vines along a white fence. A mostly native garden was established in 2018 where a large sycamore was removed by the City. Where feasible, plants native to our area are added to create an enhanced habitat for butterflies, bees, birds, and other creatures native to the community. Within this garden is a monarch butterfly waystation where milkweed is planted and maintained. Milkweed and other pollinator-attracting plants are also placed along the east side of the old library. Plants and trees were labeled in 2016, and five garden areas were identified in 2023 by the WCMG plant labeling committee. As a result of this committee’s work, the labeling process has continued. Labeled memorial perennials attest to the support of late MGs and friends who were committed to Mock Park.
Project goals are to maintain the original plantings as much as possible, include more native plants ,add more colorful plants, focus on attracting pollinators and provide an information booth at the local farmers market. Educating the community on the importance of using native species and attracting pollinators is an integral part of these goals. Mock Park Master Gardeners sponsored a booth at the Prairie Grove Farmers Market where plants, seeds, and bulbs were given away.
| |
Mock Park WCMGs were recently recognized as "Hometown Heroes" by the Prairie Grove City Council for their service to the community. Back row, from left: Pam Salamo, Karen Takemoto. Middle row, from left: Chris Bell, Luanne Diffin. Front row, from left: Linda Morrow, LaDeana Mullinix, Sally Schoen. Photo by Linda Peck
| |
Mock Park is the site of the Prairie Grove Farmers Market and throughout the summer special events sponsored by the City of Prairie Grove are held at the park. The park is frequently used by local residents for graduation and family photos, and visited by passersby and dog walkers. Frequent expressions of gratitude from local residents are expressed to Master Gardeners during workdays in the park. In 2016 an historic horse watering trough was moved to the park and is now planted with annuals. Visitors see the Master Gardener project sign and often visit with MGs as we work and thus see the connection to their community with the Master Gardener Program and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Written evidence includes a proclamation in April 2021 from then-Mayor of Prairie Grove, Sonny Hudson, congratulating Washington County Master Gardeners on their 30th birthday. This project hosted the 2016 Washington County Master Gardeners Tour, the 2017 WCMG picnic, and the Farmington Garden Club in 2023. The Prairie Grove City Council and Mayor David Faulk presented project members with their "Hometown Heroes" award in September of this year.
The glue that makes this project successful is positive personal relationships. MG volunteers are committed to community service and to each other as evidenced by communication throughout the week, whether it be project issues or personal and family needs. The welcoming and inclusive atmosphere created by LaDeana Mullinix and Lorraine Heartfield results in group decision-making and enhanced social interactions by having breakfast together or coffee and treats at the conclusion of the workday. Often this team works on holidays if available, and celebrations are done in volunteers’ homes. Currently we meet to work on Monday mornings, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays if there is lack of sufficient rainfall. Despite the irrigation system, some hand-watering is still necessary.
The Mock Park project is funded through the City of Prairie Grove which also provides mulch, hauls off debris, removes and plants large trees, and reimburses for plants, in addition to installing and maintaining an irrigation system. This project is a success thanks to the sweat equity of thirteen volunteers and the support of the City. Mock Park volunteers have 460 work hours for 2024.
| |
JOHN KING
John William King was born March 31, 1938, in Butler, Indiana, and died on September 24, 2024, in Auburn, Indiana.
He earned a bachelor of science in agriculture from Purdue University, a master’s degree in turfgrass from the University of Rhode Island, and a PhD in crop science from Michigan State University. From 1970 to 1998, he was an associate professor of agriculture at the University of Arkansas, specializing in turfgrass research.
John was an avid gardener and in 2006 became a Washington County Master Gardener. He enjoyed working at Headquarters House and kept their lawn looking great. He was also a dedicated member of Rotary.
His full obituary may be found in the September 21, 2024, edition of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette or at the Feller and Clark Funeral Home website.
| |
NANCY BALLARD
Nancy Workman Ballard was born January 25, 1953, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and died there on October 1, 2024.
Nancy earned a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from Arkansas State University and a graduate degree in education from the University or Arkansas, along with a reading specialist certificate. She taught school at Asbell Elementary School and Vandergriff Elementary School, both in Fayetteville, for a total of 28 years.
A member of the Master Gardener class of 2021, Nancy volunteered at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, the Washington County Fair, and the Garden Gate Tour.
Her full obituary may be found in the October 9, 2024, edition of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette or at the Berna Funeral Homes website.
| |
Several WCMGs recently toured the Good Life Farms greenhouse in Bentonville. It’s an amazing operation and they’re happy to give more tours. They can only accommodate small groups at a time and of course require an appointment. Cost is $10 per person. For more information, visit the Good Life Farms website or Facebook page.
Pictured in the front row, from left: Sally Schoen, Marilyn Misenheimer, Luanne Diffin, Darielle James, Suzanne Wasiluk, Geri Alvis, Chris Bell. Back row, from left: Kathy Launder, Patsy Louk, Lynette Terrell. Photo by Grant Wilson
| |
|
SEASON'S END
Pam Johnson
Swirling thoughts, as this season ends
Swirling leaves, a new season begins
Swirling smoke and dampened ground
Swirling flakes make a crunchy sound
Through the garden, as I walk
Once beautiful plants becoming stalks
I close my eyes remembering well
The brilliant colors and stories to tell
I know that this is part of the plan
For in the spring, it will begin again
Excitement building for things to come
A chance to improve my own green thumb
I’ll take the current season of rest
To plan and learn how to do my best
And start the cycle over once more
Not thinking of gardening as a chore
But a contribution to nature’s goal
And how fortunate I am to know
That making the world a sight to behold
Is also a chance to feed my soul
| |
|
Gardening and Community Events
PAM BUTLER
| |
This calendar features events close to home. To stay in the know about MG and UADA gardening-related activities across Arkansas, sign up for the state calendar of events sent by the Extension Service headquarters in Little Rock.
NOVEMBER 3, 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. FALL FUNGI OF ARKANSAS: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE MEDICINAL. Ozark Folkways. $65. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 4, 11, and 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. 3-PART BEEKEEPING CLASS. Fayetteville Public Library, Event Center. Free. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 5, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. 2024 INSECT FESTIVAL. Washington County Fairgrounds. Hosted by U of A Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Free. For more information.
NOVEMBER 7, 12:00–1:00 p.m. GROW YOUR OWN GROCERIES: GETTING STARTED WITH HIGH TUNNELS. Zoom program by UADA extension agents. Free. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 9, 3:00–4:00 p.m. NATIVE WOODY PLANTS OF ARKANSAS. White River Nursery. Free. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 16, 2:00–4:00 p.m. NATIVE SEED SWAP. Bentonville Public Library, 405 S. Main Street, Bentonville. Hosted by the Ozark Wild Ones. Free. For more information.
NOVEMBER 17, 12:00–2:00 p.m. JAPANESE FLORAL ARRANGING. Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (BGO). $35 BGO members/$45 non-members. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 23, 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. HOLIDAY WOODLAND WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP. Ozark Folkways. $50. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 23, 11:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. HOLIDAY PORCH POT WORKSHOP. Westwood Gardens. 11:00 a.m. session is at Mission location in Fayetteville; 3:00 p.m. is at Rogers location. $75. Registration information.
NOVEMBER 30, 9:00–11:00 a.m. WINTER WATERFOWL AT LAKE FAYETTEVILLE. Hosted by Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society. Free. Registration information.
| |
The Garden Thyme email address is wcmgnewsletter@gmail.com. Please use this address for submissions and for questions and comments specific to the newsletter. For other needs, please contact the appropriate officer or chairperson listed in your WCMG Member Resource Guide.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
Judy Smith, managing editor/submissions; Mary McCully, editor/submissions and videos; Pam Butler, reporter; Olivia Harrington, reporter; Lynette Terrell, reporter; Susan Young, production assistant.
Send all newsletter submissions to Judy Smith or Mary McCully.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Liz Hale, president; Alfi Anderson, vice president; Kathy Launder, secretary; Marilyn Misenhimer, treasurer; Julie Murray, assistant treasurer. Members at large: Carole Ball, Marty Powers, Mariette Spidel. Ex officio: Joanne Olszewski, past president; Colin Massey, Washington County extension agent for agriculture and horticulture.
Banner photo of thyme courtesy Lucy Meskill/flickr
| |
WCMG Facebook Page
(public)
| |
WCMG Facebook Group (private) | |
|
|
Washington County
Extension Service website
| |
Take heed! If you unsubscribe to emails from Washington County Master Gardeners, you will no longer receive the Garden Thyme newsletter and WCMG-related news. | | | | |