ANNUAL MASTER GARDENER RECOGNITION
What a treat to celebrate Master Gardeners at our Annual Recognition Lunch at Suffolk Farm. The much-deserved NY State MG colored pins were awarded based on volunteer hours and years of service. Those earning the green pins for the initial 125 hours were MGs Deb Davenport, Rita Moloney, Cynthia Ackerman, Kathy Dhundale, Karen Andres, Marty Garbarino, Carmela Carlin, Anahi Schaefer, Nancy Dickey, Carol Holmes, and Beth Sutherland. For 350 cumulative hours, the red pins were awarded to Lory Henning, Ginger Baer, and Khadja Yannin. Blue pins for 700 cumulative hours were awarded to Bonnie Yellin, Pat and John Sperandeno. The purple pin is awarded to a Master Gardener with over 1000 cumulative hours and 20 years of service. This year we had one purple pin awarded to Nancy Smith. Congratulations to all the award recipients!
In Suffolk County we also honor one Master Gardener Volunteer each year for many outstanding contributions. Lynn Maher, MG Volunteer of the year 2021, finally got her sunflower pin. (Thanks for your patience, Lynn.) This year Hope Kranidis earned that Master Gardener award. Of special note. There is no NY State MG pin for more than 30 years of service. How fortunate we are to have MG Lin Schyler who has been volunteering all these years. We honor Lin her with a sunflower pin as well. To all, wear your pins in pride.
MG shirts from another year found their way to our celebration. One of the questions around the pile of t-shirts was inevitable. "When can I buy the vest, the apron and the denim shirt?" The answer is regrettably outside my control. Cornell informs us when and only when the (copyright) MG swag is for sale. And there’s been no mention of a sale this calendar year. One of our MGS had a good idea. Why not send Cornell an order for a number of items? I’m exploring this approach.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
As you know, educational outreach is a key mission of the Master Gardener program. Master Gardeners are advocates for the best gardening practices across Suffolk County. When we collaborate with kindred organizations, Suffolk Master Gardeners are joining others in spreading the word and examples in their communities. Five recent examples deserve recognition. I’ve included photos when available.
A Methodist Church in Dix Hills asked for an Master Gardener site visit to their community garden on the church property. They wanted to figure out how they can improve their garden soil, increase vegetable output and levels of participant engagement. Thanks to MGs Carolyn Gee and Bonnie Yellin who made the site visit. They met with the Dix Hills leadership at their garden and advised them going forward.
On Saturday, September 14th, Suffolk Alliance for Pollinator Master Gardeners Alexandra Carnicorm (event organizer), Hope Kranidis, Carolyn Gee, Tara Sammis and Nancy Dickey hosted the last Plant Swap of the season at the Huntington Station Library. Plant selections available were houseplants and perennials along with a large selection of native plants including butterflyweed, cardinal flower, rudbeckia,coneflower, and goldenrod. The word about the importance of native plants is spreading in Western Suffolk.
A special thanks to our MGs Kathy Dhundale and Jeanne Branna who served as the key resources for Long Island librarians. Working directly with the Long Island Librarian Network who curate seed libraries at their home libraries, the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators/Mid-Suffolk hosted a pollinator garden tour for twenty-eight librarian participants in September. Starting at the ReWild-supported garden at the Havens Homestead in Center Moriches, the librarians learned the benefits of offering native seeds to their patrons and gathered seeds for use in their home gardens. At nearby Ketcham Inn, they toured the vegetable garden where produce is grown to donate to local food pantries, the all-white-plant boxwood garden, and the kitchen garden. Of course, the librarians also visited the Book Barn at the site!
Members of the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators/North Fork, hosted Seed Saving program demonstrations at the Southold library. Thanks to MGs Deb Kimmelman, Nancy DePas Reinertsen and Linda Carlson who shared the message how to save the native plant seeds for the next season.
Also on the North Fork, the Southold Civic Association held a garden tour session with the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) and ReWild. MG Nancy DePas Reinertsen guided this effort that included a residential meadow and garden adjacent to the Peconic Bay. Gardening strategies to deal with storm water runoff on residential properties were featured.
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