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The Seed News that grows on you Continued on page 3 FEBRUARY 2012 University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County, MD, Master Gardeners by Frank Lostumbo What Can We Do About Deer? Monthly MG Meeting: Now through May at Fairgrounds What’s Inside Cover: Dealing with Deer.......1 President’s Column ................2 The Seed Team .......................2 Small Dues; Big Benefits ........2 Garden Trends ........................3 Ask & Answer .........................4 Photo of Month ......................4 Stumped..................................5 Reading Our New Format......5 Announcements .....................6 Edible Landscaping .................7 MG Speakers 2012 .................7 Continuing Education.........8, 9 Board & Newsletter Facts....10 Quick Links Board meeting minutes GIEI Blog Green Sheets Home & Garden Info Center Join the Listserv MG Information Sheet Native Plant Center Plant Clinics Deer damage has been a problem for many years. So what is stimulating state and local offi- cials to actively explore managed hunts and other solutions to curtail the exploding deer popula- tion? They are responding to increasing reports of extensive landscape damage, deer collisions with autos and bicycles, the spread of Lyme disease, plus an alarming decrease in the number of song- birds. Unfortunately these reports are countered by some who object to most actions against the vast overabundance of deer. Populations of white-tailed deer are growing in exponential numbers, and the environmental habitat available to them is steadily de- creasing. Without more action now, the likelihood of confron- tations between deer and county residents can only escalate. Biologists say that 10 deer per square mile is all that a healthy forest can support, but the population has reached 40 to 50 in some rural areas, with various esti- mates as high as 100 deer per square mile in our highly devel- oped Eastern sub- urbs. Deer thrive in "edge" ecosystems, where forests meet farm fields or the cultivated vegeta- tion of subdivisions and office parks. As their den- sity increases, deer wipe out plants, woody shrubs, and tree saplings that make up the forest understory—anything from ground level up to about six feet. This damage creates tremendous ecological consequences. With protective ground- covers gone, small creatures from frogs to song- birds disappear. Invasive plants like Japanese knotweed crowd out ferns and other native plants. As the forest floor is denuded, homeown- ers’ landscapes and public plantings provide a bountiful feast for deer, at a significant economic A call to collect and convert personal deer stories into a strong public advocacy effort. . .

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Page 1: FE RUARY 2012 The Seed - University Of Maryland€¦ · FE RUARY 2012 PAGE 2 The Seed ny demo gardens The Seed Team Trade in your shady garden for our sun-Nancy Moses Greenblatt Editor-in-

The Seed News that grows on you

Continued on page 3

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County, MD, Master Gardeners

by Frank Lostumbo What Can We Do About Deer?

Monthly MG Meeting: Now through May at Fairgrounds

What’s Inside

Cover: Dealing with Deer ....... 1

President’s Column ................ 2

The Seed Team ....................... 2

Small Dues; Big Benefits ........ 2

Garden Trends ........................ 3

Ask & Answer ......................... 4

Photo of Month ...................... 4

Stumped .................................. 5

Reading Our New Format ...... 5

Announcements ..................... 6

Edible Landscaping ................. 7

MG Speakers 2012 ................. 7

Continuing Education ......... 8, 9

Board & Newsletter Facts .... 10

Quick Links Board meeting minutes

GIEI Blog

Green Sheets

Home & Garden

Info Center

Join the Listserv

MG Information Sheet

Native Plant Center

Plant Clinics

Deer damage has been a problem for many years. So what is stimulating state and local offi-cials to actively explore managed hunts and other solutions to curtail the exploding deer popula-tion?

They are responding to increasing reports of extensive landscape damage, deer collisions with autos and bicycles, the spread of Lyme disease, plus an alarming decrease in the number of song-birds. Unfortunately these reports are countered by some who object to most actions against the vast overabundance of deer.

Populations of white-tailed deer are growing in exponential numbers, and the environmental habitat available to them is steadily de-creasing. Without more action now, the likelihood of confron-tations between deer and county residents can only escalate. Biologists say that 10 deer per square mile is all that a healthy forest can support, but the population has reached 40 to 50 in some rural areas, with various esti-mates as high as 100 deer per square mile in our highly devel-oped Eastern sub-urbs.

Deer thrive in "edge" ecosystems, where forests meet farm fields or the cultivated vegeta-tion of subdivisions and office parks. As their den-sity increases, deer wipe out plants, woody shrubs, and tree saplings that make up the forest understory—anything from ground level up to about six feet. This damage creates tremendous ecological consequences. With protective ground-covers gone, small creatures from frogs to song-birds disappear. Invasive plants like Japanese knotweed crowd out ferns and other native plants. As the forest floor is denuded, homeown-ers’ landscapes and public plantings provide a bountiful feast for deer, at a significant economic

A call to collect and convert personal deer stories into a strong public advocacy effort. . .

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 2

The Seed

The Seed Team

Nancy Moses Greenblatt Editor-in-Chief Deborah Petro Julie Super Production Co-Editors Katie Mcle Senior Editor, Editor, Ask & Answer Michele Fain Photo Editor Lauren Rubenstein Editor, Continuing Education Classes Diyan Rahaman Editor, STUMPED Tech Support Betty Cochran Copy Editor Darlene Nicholson Photographer

Anne Abend, Faye Miner, Rachel Shaw,

Contributors

Montgomery County Master Gardeners

18410 Muncaster Road Derwood, MD 20855

301-590-2836

Email: [email protected]

Website

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The President’s Column

There’s a special

connection

between

volunteering and

owning a project

that may be the

answer to some of

our gardening

dreams.

Trade in your shady garden for our sun-ny demo gardens

I’ve often heard folks say it’s a good thing February is the shortest month of the year –all that cold and snowy weather certainly limits a gardener’s fun. At least we have the pleasure of new nursery and gardening catalogs arriving in the mailbox – each one singing its siren song of new introductions and old favorites.

We dream of the perfect plant, burgundy foliage, an earlier maturing berry, wilt-resistant clematis, heritage tomatoes, a beautiful water lily..….we’re ready to order, then we remember – our garden is too small, with very little sun, there’s no pond, we don’t know anything about growing vegetables, and what about those marauding deer?

But wait a minute, as Master Gardeners we have other gardens. They come with full sun or shade, ponds, deer-deterring fences, and resident experts. If we have to have that plant that’s impossible in our home garden, or we long for sun to experiment with natives and herbs, or if we want to learn more about vegeta-ble gardening, let’s talk to Maria Wortman and Darlene Nicholson, Derwood Demo Garden co-chairs, or Tom Stanton and Mike Parizer, Fairground’s Gardens co-chairs, about working in our “other” gardens.

There’s a special connection between volunteering and owning a project that may be the answer to some of our gardening dreams. It’s also a great way to have fun, acquire more gardening know-how, and earn our service hours, too.

Julia

Small Dues BIG Benefits

discounts at many area nurseries;*

free gardening lectures at monthly meetings;

The Seed, our monthly e-newsletter;

listings of continuing education classes;

volunteer opportunities;

open garden tours at our members’ homes;

Maryland State Master Gardener Bulletins on gardening news;

periodic discounts on new gardening books;

plant and gardening book swaps;

interacting (peer support); and

teaching a new generation of gardeners

Renew your membership for $25 (tax-deductible) for 2012 and enjoy these benefits

Make checks payable to MC-EAC (Montgomery County—Extension Advisory Council, a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization). Mail checks to Treasurer Elizabeth Bradford, 11458 Fruitwood Way, Germantown, MD., 20876.

*Nursery Discounts: American Plant Garden Centers, Good Earth Garden Market, River Hill Garden Center, Country Nursery, Roozens, Johnson’s Florist and Garden Centers, Seasons, Potomac Garden Centers, and Susanna Farm Nursery. For a full listing with discounts and locations, click on Gardener Discounts.

MG BENEFIT

by Julia Horman

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 3 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

DEER continued from page 1

Deer Hunts Extend to More Parks

Managed hunts aiming at thin-ning the deer population in Mont-gomery County parks have been scheduled from late last October through March in 19 parks and two golf courses, according to the Ga-zette newspaper on September 26, 2011. On specific dates, park police sharpshooters are employed to shoot deer between 5:30 p.m. and sunrise, when the parks are closed.

Ten of the parks are closed for nighttime hunts on dates in January through March, including the Agri-cultural History Farm Park and at-tached segments of Rock Creek Stream Valley Park in Derwood. Among the others are the North-west Branch Recreational Park in Aspen Hill, Rock Creek Regional Park in Rockville, and Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton. The Parks Department began the man-aged hunts in 1996 at a small num-ber of parks.

cost for all who are affected. This massive deer overpopulation also increases the risk of Lyme disease through deer ticks that transmit the disease to humans and pets.

With the number of deer crossing roads, accidents are increasing. Nationwide, cars encounter 1.5 million deer a year, causing more than a billion dollars in vehicle damage, according to an Institute for Highway Safety report. See the county government’s own “pin-map” (Page 1) of where hundreds of accidents occurred in 2010 due to deer.

It’s time that we all resolve to help our officials deal with this ex-ploding problem. Send us accounts of your own or your friends’ experiences with deer so that we can incorporate these vignettes into a strong public advocacy effort.

Address your accounts to Frank Lostumbo at [email protected].

Editor’s note: See sidebar story (above) on the county’s increasing the number of parks where deer hunting season has been extended through March.

Round-up of 2012 Garden Trends

Water conservation (no large water features), drought tolerant plants, rain gardens, and retention ponds;

Small space landscaping and the rise of “urban knights:” green-minded Gen X and Gen Y gardeners who plant in every pocket of space, including rooftops, vacant lots, front yards;

Container gardening and the use of dwarf conifers and fruit trees;

Front yards as areas of intensive gardening;

Edible landscaping, combining edibles with ornamentals;

Vertical gardening and green walls—more arbors, trellises, and climbing plants in containers;

Low maintenance/high impact plants: tried and true varieties with high disease resistance, long bloom periods, and/or interesting structures and foliage;

Native plants;

No lawn (or less lawn) vs. lawns;

Growth of Locavores: people who commit to eating locally grown food; and

Neon and tropical colors, black and amber plants: amber heucheras and flower carpet roses;

Source: Anna Hall’s presentation at the International MG’s Conference 2011, websites of Bet-ter Homes and Gardens; About.com, Organic Gardening; The Vancouver Sun; and the Garden Media Group.

- Anne Abend (MG- 2007)

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Ask & Answer

P A G E 4 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Photo of the Month

Planted in the Derwood Demo Garden by Martha Fisher, Rosa New Dawn is a baby from her mother’s garden. When presented to the world in the 1930s, it received the first plant patent ever granted by the U.S. Government. (Patent expired 1947.) New Dawn rose is a tough, ever-blooming sport of an old, ironclad rambler named 'Dr. W. Van Fleet.' It may be maintained as an open, arching shrub, but because of its extraordinarily vigorous growth, it is usually grown as a climber. Because it tolerates less than ideal conditions, it's a good selection for a difficult site.

Photo by D. Nicholson

Q. The warm winter weather has caused my daffodils to sprout early. I also see buds on some of my flowering perennials. I’m worried about losing these plants if the winter suddenly turns cold. Do I need to worry?

Signed, Weather Watcher in Wheaton

A. Fluctuations in temperature during the winter can warm up the soil enough for some plants to start growing, and even for some seeds to begin germination. However, most plants will not be bothered during the warm-winter weather because they rely on the length of the day to pro-duce, not just on temperature. This reliance on length of day is called photoperiodism.

Some bulbs will react to warmer temperatures by sprouting prematurely. Some foliage growth dur-ing subsequent freezing temperatures will not affect the flowering later in the season. The foliage will normally turn yellow and die back, returning the bulb to dormancy. If flower buds appear, the buds should be protected. Use mulch of some kind – shredded leaves, straw, broken evergreen branches, sawdust, even burlap – to protect the flower buds. When the weather warms up, remove the extra layer of mulch.

Flowering trees and shrubs that produce buds early because of warmth may lose those buds if the warm winter weather suddenly turns extremely cold. Generally, the worst case scenario for the home gardener is that there will be fewer flowers on these plants in the regular blooming season. Small shrubs can be covered with burlap for protection from the fluctuating temperatures.

Source: http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/warm_winter/

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 5 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The SEED’s

New Format:

More Features

Scroll Down to Read Us and Print Out

Our switch to Publisher enables you to print out indi-vidual pages or the whole newsletter to read at your leisure. While most articles will be shorter, they will be finished without clicking for continuations.

Other features:

Click on a Table of Content listing to go directly to that page.

Click on the bottom orange bar of each page and back you go to the Table of Con-tents.

Click on Quick Links in side columns or within articles to visit websites for more information.

Here are some home-gardener questions that came to the MG Extension office, plant clinics and to HGIC recently. There will be those questions we could answer, and those that had us -- STUMPED!

Rotting Roots

A resident came to the Brookside Gardens Plant Clinic bringing with her a huge fungal bract almost the size of a dinner plate that she said was growing around the rotting tree stump that was from a maple tree in her yard. She was also seeing browning of the leaves on the sweetbox ground cover that was growing around the base of the tree and had already lost a couple of viburnums that were growing nearby.

On closer examination by the Extension Specialists at Derwood, the fungal fruiting structure was found to be consistent with that of Ganoderma fungi. Ganoderma lucidum is typically characterized by the presence of plate like fruiting bodies with shiny, reddish-purple tops and cream-colored edges and undersides. Usually, these "conks" are produced at bases of infected trees, but occasionally they are pro-duced on diseased roots and can emerge from the soil 10 feet or more from affected trees. In northern states, conks appear in late summer and usually deteriorate beyond recognition by midwinter. G. lucid-um is rare on forest trees, but common on maples (and other trees) in urban environments.

The presence of these Ganoderma conks indicate that there may be significant saprophytic fungal activity in the soil nearby and this could have some impact directly or indirectly on water and nutrient uptake in the surrounding plants like the sweetbox and viburnums.

Blackened Buds

A resident from Mt.Airy, MD sent in a sample of crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) branches that were covered in a black soot-looking substance which he said would start every year, forming first on the trunks, then covering the leaves and finally the buds. He wanted to know what he could do to prevent this from happening.

That black, sooty stuff is aptly described as “sooty mold.” Sooty mold is a charcoal black fungus that appears as a black coating on the surface of leaves, fruits, twigs and the branches of many deciduous and ever-green shrubs and trees. This fungus is not pathogenic to plants, but obtains its nourishment from insect honeydew. Honeydew is a sweet, clear, sticky substance secreted by insects, such as aphids, mealybugs, scales and whiteflies. The honeydew drops from the insects to the leaves and twigs. Wind-blown sooty mold spores (seeds) that stick to the honeydew then have a suitable medium for growth. When spores germinate, they send out black fungus strands (mycelial threads) that bring about the discoloration. A heavy coat of black mold may build up on twigs during more than one growing season. To control or prevent sooty mold, control the insects causing the honeydew deposits. The insects have to be in large numbers somewhere, on the infected plants or tree branches overhead.

Stumped

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P A G E 6 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 The Seed

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Announcements

Open Your Garden for MG Visits

Get Free Advice and Hours

The Open Garden Program is a great opportunity to see members’ diverse gardening styles. The intent of this program is not to compete but to share our garden experiences. It’s an opportunity to get ideas, ask questions and expand our knowledge.

Other benefits include: attendees earn one hour of continuing education time; hosts count service hours for prepa-ration of plant lists and presentation; and hosts have a great incentive to start/finish projects. Please contact Taffy Turner and get on the schedule for 2012: [email protected] – 301-681-9133.

The Open Garden program began in 2008 with our pioneer hosts Carole Gala-ti, Lili Hishmeh, Gerri Hall and Margie Richards. In 2009, we saw the gardens of Merikay Smith, Stan Fisher, Audrey Eng-strom, Sue Smith, Len Friedman, Taffy Turner, Julia Horman, Karen Eppinger, and Marnie Bruce. The next year 2010 brought us the gardens of Karen Shavel, Liz Hofmeister, Nancy Moses, Wendy Bell, Karen Buscemi, Carole Carrier, Judi Moline and Gail Klein. This past year 2011 Don Snyder, Jan Rieke, Carolyn Oakford, Barbara Knapp, Monica Bulat and Christopher Lewis shared their gardens.

The Friends Retirement Community invited us to see their wonderful community vegetable garden in 2009, 2010 and 2011. They served yummy treats made with herbs from the garden, had tomato tastings and sold honey made from their hives.

MG Seed Swap at March Meeting What better way to get spring started than participating in our Master Gardener Seed Swap after the March membership meeting?

What: March Seed Swap

When: March 1, 2012 after general membership meeting

Where: Fairgrounds

You can bring your own or purchased commercial seeds. Here are guidelines on packaging your own seeds.

Seed Packet: Place at least 20 seeds in a resealable plastic baggie.

Labeling Seed Packet Baggie: Use a white label for the information, or use white paper taped to the baggie. Include as a minimum the following: plant name (common and Latin if known), date for planting (if from a seed packet use the date on the packet; if you saved seeds last year, then use 2012), growing conditions, and where you collected the seeds, or purchased them.

Questions? Contact Janet Young at [email protected] or 301-854-0388.

General Membership Meeting

County Fairgrounds

February 2, 2012

9:30 a.m. mingle 10 a.m. meeting

Speaker: Susan Reimer, Baltimore Sun columnist and garden blogger

Topic: Gardening information on the Internet: How to learn, plan, chat, shop and otherwise garden without getting your hands dirty.

Click for Directions

Apply for MG License Plates

The one-time cost for the MG plates is $45, which is separate from your vehicle registration fee, a recurring cost. $25 of the cost goes to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the $20 balance is a contribution to the MG program (discuss with your tax advisor). For a complete description of the program, visit the MG State web-site.

Garden Book Swap after February Meeting

Want some new garden books to read during the dark winter months when you can't dig in your garden? A garden book exchange will be held after the February monthly meeting. Bring up to 12 books related to garden topics. Any unclaimed books will be donated to the county’s library system or a charity. Recycling helps our environment. Email Penny McCrea at [email protected] if you have a question.

MG BENEFIT

By Taffy Turner

MG BENEFIT

MG BENEFIT

MG BENEFIT

MG BENEFIT

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 7 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Edible Landscaping Goes Mainstream Edible landscaping has grown so popular that it is moving beyond trendy

and into the gardening mainstream. Combining vegetables and fruits with orna-mentals is a tremendous asset, giving us more space to grow food, creating beautiful color combinations and adding both textural and structural interest.

Don’t overlook shady locations to enlarge your planting area. When chosen carefully, many vegetables will grow cheerfully and well in some shade. Vertical gardening and container gardening both provide impact and additional space. Experiment with different kinds and varieties of vegetables. The possibilities are endless:

Peppers provide hot pops of bright color and varied shapes in the gar-den.

Varieties of chard and kale add color to the later season garden.

Try planting strawberries as edging or ground cover.

Consider a hedge of blueberries rather than the typical privet or other shrub.

Miniature and dwarf fruit trees can be grown in large pots or wooden barrels, or as a focus in your small garden.

Salad and leafy greens, particularly those which bolt easily in hot weather, will have a longer grow-ing season in a shady location (but expect to harvest smaller or baby leaves) or window/deck boxes.

Some herbs will take shade, among them chives, cilantro, golden marjoram, mint, oregano, and parsley.

Likewise, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, radishes, peas, beets, and beans can all be grown in some shady spots.

Salad greens, herbs, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, beans, chard, beets, radish, squash, cukes, pota-toes, and more can all be grown in containers. (Look for dwarf or bush varieties).

Grape vines can be grown up a deck or trellis; raspberries can also be trained to grow vertically.

- Anne Abend (MG- 2007)

Capsicum annuum connoides

Photo by R. Holland

MASTER GARDENER SPEAKERS 2012

MONTH SPEAKER TOPIC LOCATION

5-Jan Catherine Zimmerman Meadow Gardening Fairgrounds - Heritage

2-Feb Susan Reimer Gardening on the Web Fairgrounds - Heritage

1-Mar Anne Brooks Volunteers of the Garden Fairgrounds - Heritage

5-Apr Dr. Matt Taylor Cold Hardy Camellias, Longwood Gardens Fairgrounds - Heritage

3-May Chris McComas Getting to Know UME's Home & Garden Info Center Fairgrounds - Heritage

7-Jun (PICNIC) Gary Carver American Chestnut Tree Ag History Farm Park

5-Jul Michael Szesze Carnivorous Plants Ag History Farm Park

2-Aug Melanie Chookas-Bradley City of Trees Ag History Farm Park

6-Sep Maxine Levin Soil Science Ag History Farm Park

4-Oct Adrian Higgins Chanticleer - a Pleasure Garden Ag History Farm Park

1-Nov Mini-conference Ag History Farm Park

6-Dec Holiday Party Fairgrounds - Heritage

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P A G E 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Continuing Education by Lauren Rubenstein

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Feb. 4, 9 am - 2 pm. Stand Up for Trees. Casey Trees, 3030 12th St NE, Washington, DC. No fee; RSVP required. Register

Citizen Forester-qualifying course. Citizen Foresters serve as volunteer tree ambassadors to the commu-nity on behalf of Casey Trees and teach new volun-teers how to properly plant and care for trees.

Feb. 8, 6:30 - 9 pm. What’s Bugging D.C.?: Our Urban Forest Pests. Casey Trees Headquarters, 3030 12th St NE, Washington, DC . No fee; RSVP required.

Feb. 9 - 12. Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education 2012 Annual Conference. Fulfilling Environmental Education's Promise: Authentic Learning & Real World Impact . Clarion Fountainebleau Resort, Ocean City. See registration program at www.maeoe.org. Email [email protected]. 443.824.1953.

Feb. 11, 11:30 am – 1 pm.

Harvesting and Beyond! Course 158001. $15, registration required. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center Adult Class-room. www.brooksidegardens.org

Feb. 25, 9 am – 4:30 pm.

Perennial Plant Association, Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting Sheppard-Pratt Conference Center. www.mdhorticulture.org or 410.821.5561.

Feb. 24, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Green Matters: Urban Farming Pioneers. Brookside Gardens--Visitors Center Auditorium. Brookside Gardens highlights innovative ap-proaches to feeding the world's population. Fea-turing notable authors and urban agriculture ex-perts, Green Matters will kindle your inner urban

farmer and entice you to think about food produc-tion in wholly different ways. For more infor-mation, including detailed session descriptions, speaker and registration information, visit Green Matters online. Registration fee of $89 covers the day's events, including lunch. Happy Hour immedi-ately following the symposium-- $15. Register Online for course #159849 or download a Regis-tration Form. www.brooksidegardens.org

Feb. 25, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm.

Conifer Workshop: Chamaecyparis or Calocedrus? National Arboretum, Visitor Center trailer. $19; registration required. www.usna.usda.gov

Feb. 25, 8:45 am – 3:45 pm. Perennial Plant Association, Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting: Perennially Inspired! Sheppard-Pratt Conference Center, Towson. Mar-yland Horticultural Society. $89 for members ($99 after Feb. 3); $99 for non-members ($109 after Feb. 3). Learn what's happening with perennials from notable authorities David Culp, Carol Long, Allen Bush, Thomas Rainer & Dan Benarcik. Dead-line for registration is Feb. 20; no tickets are availa-ble at the door. Seating is limited; register soon. For program of events, speaker topics, registration call 410.821.5561.

MG BENEFIT

Continued on page 9

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 9 The Seed

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Youth Gardening Education

This will be a joint MG/ Food Supplement Nutrition Education (FSNE) program. We’ll have panels on starting gardens, managing kids in the garden and engaging different age groups. We’ll also have presentations of safety and resources and break-out sessions on Grow-Lights, Cooking with kids, Raised beds, Container Gar-dening, and the Growing Healthy Habits Curriculum (you’ll be able to attend 3 break outs). Participating MG’s will be encouraged to contribute at least 5 hours of volunteer time in the area of youth education. Pro-gram will go from 9:30am-3:30pm and will be repeated in 3 locations:

Baltimore County Extension Saturday Feb 25, 2012

Washington County Extension Friday, March 2, 2012

Sheridan Street Garden (PG Co.) Saturday, March 3, 2012

Registration fee: $30. For a complete description of the program and to register, go to the MG State website

March 14 & April 4 - 9:30am-3pm (includes field trip) Master Composter

Location: University of Maryland Extension- Mont-gomery County (Derwood)

Registration Fee: $45 (plus any texts) Registration Deadline: March 7, 2012 Class Limit: 25

Learn all about composting from dedicated Mas-ter Gardener Composters. This advanced course, designed to teach the teacher, will enable you to improve your own composting techniques and empower you to share your knowledge with nov-ices and experts alike. You will be given instruction in both the science and the art of creating com-post and have an opportunity to hone your teach-ing skills. Complete description

UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER CLASSES:

All class information will be published in the Feb-ruary MG State newsletter and then will be post-ed, with registration forms, online at the State MG website.

April 18 Growing Fruit at Home with Joe Fiola, Ph.D & Chris Walsh, Ph.D, Washington Co.

June 6 & 14 Entomology & Ecological IPM with Mike Raupp, Ph.D., Howard Co.

June 19, 26, 28 Ask a MG with Dave Clement, Ph.D, Mary Kay Malinoski, Paula Knepper & Sue Kuklewicz, Montgomery Co.

May 30, June 6 & 13 Landscape Horticulture: Flowering Shrubs with Wanda MacLachlan’ Balto. Co.

June 20, 21 &22 Landscape Horticulture: Ornamental Trees and Vines with Steve Dubik, Harford Co.

June5, 12 & 19 Landscape Horticulture: Ornamental Trees and Vines with Bob Stewart, St. Mary’s Co.

July 18, 25, Aug. 1 Landscape Horticulture: Shade Trees with Wanda MacLachlan , Baltimore City

SAVE THE DATE-MAY 23

MG ANNUAL TRAINING DAY

If you have recommendations for speakers, please contact Robin Hessey at 410.531.1754 or [email protected].

Cont. Education continued from page 8

STATE MASTER GARDENING CALENDAR

Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Board Members, Committees and Services

How to Submit

Articles and Pictures MGs are invited to submit

articles and pictures for the news-letter, but keep in mind that sub-mittals may be edited and/or not used until a later month. Send submission as an attachment to your e-mail by the 12th of the previous month to: [email protected]. Photos must come with basic information that identifies the subject matter.

Other Information

Non-discrimination policies: Uni-versity of Maryland Extension programs are open to everyone without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, gen-der, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability.

Disclaimer: All opinions regarding businesses or their products are those of the authors and not of the University of Maryland.

Direct correspondence to:

Stephen Dubik University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Coordinator and Horticultural Consultant 18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood, MD 20855

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Our Vision:

The Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship.

Our Mission:

To support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities.

Board Members, Committees and Services

OFFICER OR CHAIR CO-CHAIR(S)

President Julia Horman

First VP Taffy Turner

Second VP Kathi Dyer

Treasurer Elizabeth Bradford

Secretary Katie McIe

Derwood Demo Garden Maria Wortman Darlene Nicholson

Gaithersburg Fairgrounds Tom Stanton Mike Parizer

Landscape Design Len Friedman Sheryl Freishtat

Newsletter Editor Nancy Moses Greenblatt

Plant Clinics Hayley Goris Sue Kuklewicz

Program/Education Joe Ginther Pat Kenny & Liz Hofmeister

Public Relations Kathy Eighmey Liz Hofmeister & Pat Dickey

Speakers Bureau Paula Jean Hallberg

External Special Events Taffy Turner Barbara Waite-Jaques

Internal Special Events Kathi Dyer Terri Pitts

Nancy Ballard Telephone Room Nancy Farrar Donald Snyder

Therapeutic Horticulture JoAnn Mueller Alyce Wertheimer

Strategic Planning Len Friedman Frank Lostumbo

SWAT Pat Lynch

Black Hills Butterfly Habitat Marsha Von Duerckheim

Mini-Conference Michael Parizer

Co Technology/Web Design Gary Cahn Joe Ginther

Youth Programs Ron Anderson

Class of 2011 Representative Katie McIe Terri Valenti

At Large Paula Knepper Janet Young

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