1. home and garden

MARCH 2015
The Seed
News that grows on you
University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County, MD, Master Gardeners
Why Grow Houseplants?
By Adele Fein
In the Victorian Era, a nicely kept parlor was the symbol of middleclass respectability. Parlors usually included plants, especially those
adaptable to low light conditions, such as aspidistra, snake plants,
ferns, and palms.
Where: Fairgrounds
Click here for directions.
When: Thursday, March 5
9:30 a.m. mingle
10:00 Meeting
These days, rather than symbolizing social status, houseplants
are valued for the many other benefits they provide––offering companionship, purifying the air, and helping fragile bodies and souls to
heal. We grow them because they add beauty to our lives, they
help us connect with the environment, and they keep us healthy.
Working with them lowers blood pressure, eases stress, satisfies
our emotional need to nurture, and gives us pleasure.
On another level, they help remove air pollutants from our
homes, like those from carpets, pressed wood, insulation, paper
products, vinyl fabrics, detergents, glue, copying machines, and
printers. According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is one of the
fastest-growing environmental problems. In fact, NASA put spider
plants in spacecraft to purify the air in space capsules. Plants absorb
pollutants through their leaves; they take in the CO2 we exhale and
give back the oxygen we inhale. Their soils absorb pollutants, and
soil microorganisms break down the chemicals.
Continued on page 3
General Membership
Meeting — March 5
What: Growing Community
Gardens in Montgomery Parks
The prize of the parlor a pampered aspidistra.
Who: Pat Lynch, Community
Garden Coordinator for
Montgomery Parks Community
Garden Program. An MG since
2008, Pat also heads this program,
which has grown steadily over the
years. Pat will tell us about the
program, its history, successes and
problems, what it is now and what
is planned for future years.
Photo: whatsthatpicture via Wikimedia Commons
Introducing . . . the Class of 2015
Welcome to the 45
new Master Gardener
interns. And it’s just in
time, as the many MG
activities gear up for
Spring. The class of
2015 is larger than the
entire membership of
Montgomery County
Master Gardeners
back in April 1990,
when they started out
fielding phone calls
about gardening problems. Today there are 387 active members (and we’re not getting many
phone calls anymore.)
Photo by Sherry Marshall
Quick Links - see page 2 or click here
What’s Inside
President's Column ·················· 2
From the Garden ······················ 2
Quick Links ································ 2
SEED Team ································ 2
Announcements······················· 4
Stumped ··································· 6
Ask and Answer ······················· 7
MG News ·································· 8
Weed of the Month ················· 8
Continuing Education ·············· 9
PAGE 2
The Seed Team
Sherry Marshall
Alison Mrohs
Co-Editors
Deborah Petro
Julie Super
Production Co-Editors
Ruth Burke
Photo Editor
Claudia Sherman
Editor, Continuing
Education Corner
Editor, Ask & Answer
Diyan Rahaman
Editor, STUMPED
Tech Support
Betty Cochran
Copy Editor
Quick Links
Board Meeting Minutes
Board Members,
Committees and Services
Derwood Demo Gardens
Discounts for MGs at Nurseries and Stores
GIEI Blog
Green Sheets
Home & Garden Info Center
Insect Data Base
Join the Listserv
MG Information Sheet
MG Policies/Guidelines
MG Website
Monthly Membership
Meetings
Native Plant Center
Photo Permission Form
Plant Clinics
Propose New Activity
The Seed
MARCH 2015
The President’s Column
By Janet Young
Digging Deeper: Still Digging This Year
Last year I proposed starting a Master Gardener reading club to discuss scientific
articles on horticulture related to our mission. Unlike an ordinary scientific journal
club that is often fraught with stress over finding the best article to impress
colleagues, our group is a fun-loving, snack-enjoying, chat-engaging group of
gardeners. And most important – you do not have to have a science background
to attend. The mission is twofold. First, we explore the background behind
science-based recommendations from Extension scientists. Second, we go to the
science behind articles in the popular press that are often incomplete, emphasize
minor points, or are sometimes incorrect. Summaries of our meetings are published in The Seed, so all can
read our discussions and conclusions even if unable to attend meetings.
Our group started last July and met four times last year. At the first meeting, we explored the Extension
recommendation that certain Stink Bug traps may not be particularly effective in discouraging these insects
from consuming our plants. This meeting had the added attraction of attendance by several Master
Gardeners who participated in the study that was led by Chris Sargent and Mike Raupp at the University of
Maryland. Our August meeting focused on the challenges and development of GPS mapping in studies of
climate change. In September, Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp directed us to scientific articles on the bee crisis
showing that neonicotinoid pesticides are only one of many factors affecting bees. At our final 2014 meeting
in November, our group found a preponderance of scientific evidence for the safety and benefit of GM plants,
including rice with vitamin A, potatoes with additional protein, and chestnut trees with a wheat gene making
them resistant to Cryphonectria parasitica, the cause of chestnut blight.
We now have a Google Group where we will keep for future reference all the articles we review. Our first
meeting this year is Thursday, February 26 at 10 am in the Conference Room at Derwood. The topic is the
perceived and actual environmental hazards of GM plants. If you would like to join Digging Deeper Google
Group, send an email to me and I will send you an invitation. Not sure if you can attend the meetings? Feel
free to join the group and get to see the articles we plan to explore.
Janet
From the Garden
Photo by Kathy Gaskill
Scroll or Return to Table of Contents
In honor of St. Patty’s Day, we
bring you a lovely photo from
the Irish National Study
Japanese Gardens in County
Kildare, Ireland. This is one of
the 137 amazing photos taken
in 22 countries by 29 master
gardeners and presented as
the Master Gardener
Worldwide Garden Tour 2014.
Skillfully assembled by Len
Friedman, all of the photos
can be enjoyed at https://
www.extension.umd.edu/
sites/default/files/_docs/
programs/master-gardeners/
Montgomery/2015%20MG%
20Travel.pdf.
PAGE 3
Houseplants
continued from page 1
Like animal pets, plants welcome us home when we’ve been
away; they respond to our care by
growing healthy and strong to
draw us into very real relationships with them. In nursing
homes, rehab centers, schools,
and other situations where outdoor gardening is not possible,
working with plants provides a
green connection that enhances
healing, decreases frustration, and
stimulates memory. Working with
plants has been known to shorten
recovery time for hospital patients
who have undergone surgery.
Studies have shown that plants in
the workplace decrease absenteeism and increase productivity.
School systems have been advised
to keep plants in classrooms, halls,
and cafeterias, where CO2 levels
can be as high as five times what
they should be. Reducing those
levels helps students stay alert.
Best of all, plants are nice––
they never reject you!
The Seed
MARCH 2015
Landscaping for Cavity-Nesting Birds
“Look, Ma, no cavities!” may explain a lot if she’s wondering why the
bluebird of happiness never visits her garden. If you share Ma’s concerns
about having bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds as part of your
garden environment, think about providing the trees and shrubs that
they favor for food as well as nesting. Here’s a list provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to get you started. You may even wish to become one of Cornell’s certified NestWatchers, a nationwide monitoring
program that tracks reproductive biology of birds. Find out
An Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
more at www.nestwatch.org.
in winter plumage, eating the
Bluebird, Eastern (Sialia sialis) - Fruits of elderberry,
bright red berries of a Weeping
hackberry, serviceberry, sumac, flowering dogwood,
Holly tree. Photo by Ken Thomas via
holly, red cedar, fox grape, and Virginia creeper
Wikimedia Commons
Chickadee, Black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) Serviceberry, bayberry, winterberry, and viburnum
shrubs, as well as pines and birches
Chickadee, Carolina (Poecile carolinensis) - Various
fruits and conifer seeds (pines, spruces, etc.)
Flicker, Northern (Colaptes auratus) - Wild strawberries, fruits of elderberry and blueberry shrubs,
dogwood trees, and the seeds of clover and grasses
Flycatcher, Great Crested (Myiarchus crinitus) Insects mostly, but will eat mulberries, cherries, wild
grapes, and sassafras fruit
Kestrel, American (Falco sparverius) - Dead snags
containing nest holes of flickers and woodpeckers,
hunts open land where it finds grasshoppers, mice,
and reptiles
Eastern Screech Owl red-phase
Photo by Epeterwolf via Wikimedia
Commons
Nuthatch, Brown-headed (Sitta pusilla) - Pine tree
seeds
Nuthatch, Red-breasted (Sitta canadensis) - Seeds
of pine, spruce, and fir trees
Woodpecker, Hairy (Picoides villosus) - Blackberries,
hazelnuts, acorns, and beechnuts
Nuthatch, White-breasted (Sitta carolinensis) - Maple, oak, and pine trees for food and shelter; they
also like beechnuts and hickory nuts
Woodpecker, Pileated (Dryocopus pileatus) - Fruits
of serviceberry, blackberry, wild strawberry, elderberry, hackberry, and red mulberry shrubs; also
searches foliage for insects
Screech Owl, Eastern (Megascops asio) - Cavities in
large trees, leave snags standing if they do not
threaten property
Master Gardener
Snow Day Policy
Swallow, Tree (Tachycineta bicolor) - Berry-like
succulent cones of juniper and small waxy fruits of
bayberry and wax myrtle shrubs
If Montgomery County Public
Schools are closed, all classes
and meetings will be cancelled
that day. If Montgomery County Public Schools start late, we
will start on time.
Titmouse, Tufted (Baeolophus bicolor) - Acorns, as
well as the fruits of bayberry, elderberry, hackberry,
and serviceberry
Woodpecker, Downy (Picoides pubescens) - Fruit of
serviceberry and wild strawberries, dogwood,
mountain ash, and Virginia creeper
Woodpecker, Red-bellied (Melanerpes carolinus) Pine seeds, acorns, and the fruits of shrubs such as
elderberry, bayberry, red mulberry, and flowering
dogwood
Wren, Carolina (Thryothorus ludovicianus) - Fruits of
native bayberry shrubs and leaf mulch, where it
probes for insects
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, based on The
Bird Garden, by Stephen Kress, with thanks to MG
Vivienne Burke.
Scroll or Return to Table of Contents
The Seed
PAGE 4
MARCH 2015
Announcements
Last Call
for 2015 Dues
Reminder––if you haven’t paid
your 2015 dues, now’s the time.
Your continued support is vital to
our work. And you continue to
receive all the benefits of belonging (as detailed in the January
issue of the Seed).
Dues are tax-deductible. Make
your check in the amount of $25
payable to MC-EAC (Montgomery
County— Extension Advisory
Council, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
organization). Dues may be paid at
the monthly general meeting, or
by mail, to our treasurer,
MG Ken Hoyle, 24395 Hilton
Place, Gaithersburg, MD 20882, or
delivered to MG Linda Waters at
the Derwood office. Already renewed? Thanks!
Starting March 17 & March 24
Derwood Demonstration Garden Needs Volunteers
,
When: First work day for current volunteers: Tuesday, March 17, 8 am to noon
When: First work day for new volunteers: Tuesday, March 24, 8 am to noon
Where: MG Demonstration Garden in Derwood
By Lily Bruch
The Derwood Demonstration Garden needs a lot of volunteers during the season. Come whenever your
schedule allows you to join us, once a week or once a month! Our primary goal is to reach out to the public to
share our gardening experiences and knowledge. Our second goal is to furnish a fun learning environment for
Master Gardeners in our award-winning demonstration garden. Here are some of our activities:
 Offer hands-on education to Master Gardeners
 Demonstrate plants that can grow successfully in our region
 Demonstrate Integrated Pest Management practices
 Provide plant material for use in the Therapeutic Horticulture program
 Provide therapeutic horticultural activities for autistic children
 Supply fresh vegetables to Manna
 Participate in public events such as Grow It Eat It and Harvest Festival
 Provide scheduled tours for county organizations
The award-winning
Derwood Demo Garden
wants you!
Consider working in these areas: composting, turf plots, therapeutic
gardening, children’s gardening, plant labeling, irrigation, kitchen gardening,
herb/fragrance gardening, potatoes, butterfly gardening, shade-loving
plants, ponds, conservation gardening, mapping, small fruits, 100-square-foot gardening, fencing,
and . . . whew! Yes, the Demo Garden team knows how to get our hands dirty.
Please join us! Regular workdays are Tuesdays from 8 am to noon, starting March 17 (current) or March
24 (new) to November 3. Shade garden team meets on Thursdays. Contact MG Darlene Nicholson,
[email protected], MG Bill Newman, [email protected], or MG Lily Bruch,
[email protected], for more information.
Wednesday, March 25
Let’s Get Herbal with the Herb Society
of America
If you believe there’s more to herb gardening than basil and pesto, you’ll enjoy this
special culinary event co-sponsored by Montgomery County Master Gardeners
and the Potomac Unit of the Herb Society of America. On Wednesday, March 25,
at Derwood MG and GIEI chef Maro Nalabandian will show you how she gets creative with herbs in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. The demonstration
will depend on what’s fresh and available, and you’ll get to sample what she whips
up. Come at 11 am to mingle with Herb Society members, learn more about what
they do, and tell them about MG activities. Chef Maro’s program will run from
11:30 – 12:30.
Herbs and veggies look healthy
and delicious even before they
go in the soup pot.
Space is limited for this special event, so sign up with MG Pat Kenny at the MG monthly meeting on
March 5 or, thereafter, via email to Pat at [email protected].
Photo by Pat Kenny
Scroll or Return to Table of Contents
PAGE 5
MARCH 2015
Announcements
(continued)
Monday, March 30
How to Submit
Articles and
Pictures
MGs are invited to submit articles
and pictures for the newsletter,
but keep in mind that submissions
may be edited and/or not used
until a later month. Please limit
stories to 350-400 words.
Send submission as an
attachment to your email by the
12th of the previous month to
[email protected]
Photos must come with basic
information that includes name of
the person in the photo, subject
matter or caption and either a
signed photo permission slip from
those in the picture or an email
from them saying they allow us to
use their picture in the newsletter.
Click here for the form.
If you have your name, email
address and/or phone number in
your article, please give us
permission to use them. The
newsletter can be accessed
through the internet. Without the
permission, we will delete the
contact information.
Therapeutic Horticulture Workshop – You’re Invited
By JoAnn Mueller
The Therapeutic Horticulture Committee will hold its annual workshop on Monday, March 30, from 9:30 am to
12:30 pm in the Multipurpose Room at Derwood. If you’d like to find out more about our programs, you are
welcome to attend. The purpose of the workshop is to share ideas for horticulture-related projects for our
programs.
Our target population is County residents with special needs, from youth to seniors. Most of our programs
are with seniors at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, but we also have a program for children and
teens with autism in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. Last summer we led a container gardening
project at a local women’s shelter in Rockville; we also have a small indoor gardening project at NIH for patients with emotional illnesses. No matter what the special needs are, there are many therapeutic benefits
gained through the three components of our programs: group programs, hands-on activities, and a horticulture-related educational component.
We currently have 18 ongoing programs and are in the process of starting two new ones at St. Raphael’s
Assisted Living in Rockville and Byron House Assisted Living in Potomac. We are also in need of additional help
at Kensington Nursing Home, Brooke Grove Retirement Village and the gardening project for youth with autism in the Demo Garden. There are many opportunities to become involved.
Please contact MG JoAnn Mueller for further information: [email protected] or 301-421-9657.
Donations Needed for Backyard and Community Gardens
By Terri Valenti
Thank you to everyone who donated supplies for Backyard and Community Gardeners. We are still in need
of items listed below, which can be brought to the March 5 monthly meeting or to the Nancy Ballard Phone
Room. If you have a question about where to bring a donation, please contact MG Melissa Siegel at
[email protected]. If you have a question about an item to be donated, contact the lead for
Growing Vegetables with Manna Clients
(program lead MG Robin Ritterhoff)
□ Hoe
□ 5 gallon nursery pots (1 gal. pots no longer needed)
□ 5 gallon buckets (with lid ideal, no lid okay)
Jr. MG (program lead MG Sue Kuklewicz)
□ Hoses (5/8) inch
□ 50 ft and 100 ft hose reels
□ Small watering cans
□ Watering wands
□ Gardening gloves, small - medium size
□ Hand pruners
□ Hand trowels
□ Wheel barrow / garden cart
□ Bucket tool belts
□ Magnifying glasses / hand lens
□ Dish tubs
□ Garden markers
□ Large pots
Boy Scouts/GIEI Events
(program lead MG Terri Valenti)
□ Annual flower seeds that are easy to direct seed
(can be self-collected)
□ Spading forks
□ Lawn/leaf rake
□ Garden rake
□ Round point shovel
More than 1 group (program lead MG Melissa Siegel)
□ Wooden Clementine Boxes - a few more needed
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PAGE 6
The Seed
MARCH 2015
Stumped
When gardeners are STUMPED, they seek expert advice from MG Extension,
a plant clinic, or HGIC.
Winter Damage or Something Else?
As winter winds down and spring is in the air, homeowners venture out to look at
their yards, sometimes discovering tattered plants that they send to the Derwood Extension office to find
out if they are suffering from winter damage or something worse. Here are examples of some brown spots
on pachysandra and discolored hemlock branches that, under closer examination, were found to be the
symptoms of more serious problems than winter injury.
Volutella blight of pachysandra
Volutella blight, also called leaf and stem blight, is the most destructive disease of pachysandra
(Pachysandra terminalis) in the Northeast. It is caused by the fungus Volutella pachysandricola.
Patches of wilting and dying plants in a bed of pachysandra often indicate the presence of volutella
blight. This fungus is considered an opportunistic pathogen that attacks weak plants. It can infect
leaves, stems, and stolons. Leaves develop irregular tan to brown blotches, often with concentric
lighter and darker zones with dark brown margins. These necrotic blotches gradually increase in size
until the entire leaf turns brown or black and dies.
Good housekeeping helps
prevent volutella blight of
pachysandra.
Photo: University of
Massachusetts
Volutella blight can be managed by following an integrated approach that includes sanitary,
cultural, and chemical measures. Fall cleanup to remove any fallen leaves or plant debris from the
bed helps to improve air circulation and reduce moisture levels. When infections are detected, all debris
and severely diseased plants should be removed and destroyed. It is also helpful to periodically thin the
planting to prevent dense growth and increase light and air circulation.
Elongate Hemlock Scale
The elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa) is a serious armored scale insect pest of hemlocks (Tsuga)
that also feeds on many other species of conifers, including firs (Abies), pines (Pinus), spruces (Picea), cedars
(Cedrus), Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and yews (Taxus). It is believed that this armored scale
insect was unintentionally introduced into the United States from Japan. It was first observed in Queens,
New York, in 1908 and now occurs in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Rhode Island, and Virginia.
The waxy covers of this species can be observed on the lower needle surface as well as on new cones.
The flattened, elongate, light yellow-brown to brownish-orange waxy cover of the adult female is about 1.5
mm long. The adult female's body beneath the waxy cover, eggs, and crawler stage are yellow. The white,
waxy cover of the male is smaller. Adult male scales have only one pair of wings. Sometimes waxy
secretions from settled crawlers may build into a mass of tangled strands. These waxy strands may be so
abundant that it gives the lower surface of infested needles a white appearance.
Elongate hemlock scale may be
most noticeable on conifers in
May-June.
Photo: Charley Eiseman,
bugguide.net
There is an abundance of crawlers from late May through early June. This is an ideal time to treat with a
registered insecticide formulation applied according to label directions. For effective crawler management,
repeat applications may be needed until mid-September. Maintaining healthy trees may reduce the
chances of an increase in the population of this pest. Two small wasp parasitoids, the lady beetle, Chilocorus
stigma, and several species of lacewings are natural enemies of this scale insect that provide some
population reduction.
Scroll or Return to Table of Contents
PAGE 7
The Seed
MARCH 2015
Ask and Answer
New monthly feature
in The Seed
Word of the
Month:Imbibition
The uptake of water by dry seed
is called imbibition (imbibition
means to drink: seeds imbibe
water, you do not imbibe seeds).
As seeds imbibe water, they
expand and enzymes and food
supplies become hydrated. Hydrated enzymes become active
and the seed increases its metabolic activities to produce energy
for the growth process. In addition, the water causes turgor
pressure to increase in the cells
and they are able to enlarge.
Source: Roger Hangarter, Indiana
University, Dept. of Biology
Basil Downy Mildew: Advice from the Expert
Downy mildew of basil (BDM) is a relatively new, destructive disease that apparently is here to stay. First
reported in Florida in 2007, it has been observed yearly in Maryland since 2009. The SEED consulted with
Dr. Margaret (Meg) Tuttle McGrath, a vegetable disease expert at Cornell University, who has worked extensively on BDM.
Q. What are the symptoms of basil downy mildew?
MTM: Early symptoms include a yellowing of the leaves (sometimes in
distinctive bands delineated by major veins) that can be mistaken for nutritional deficiency, but the key to diagnosis is observation of clusters of tiny
black spores on the underside of the leaves. Eventually, all leaves will turn
yellow and fall off and the plant dies. Often BDM is not recognized until the
plant completely declines. For photos, see http://tinyurl.com/q78qxno and
http://tinyurl.com/qcuwfap.
Q. How is it spread?
Telltale sign of downy
mildew on underside of
basil leaf. Photo: University
of Maryland Extension
MTM: The pathogen, Peronospora belbahrii¸ can be seed-borne or dispersed via air-borne spores. The tiny spores are not visible until they cluster
on the underside of leaves. Unlike impatiens downy mildew, the BDM pathogen cannot survive in soil over
winter. The pathogen needs high humidity (at least 85%) or wet leaves to infect.
Q. Are all species of basil equally susceptible to the disease?
MTM: The common sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, is very susceptible to the disease, while exotic and
ornamentals such as the red types, Thai, lemon, lime and spice basils, are less susceptible. Sweet basil varieties
with some resistance are starting to become available. The first, Eleonora, has moderate resistance, which
means it will become severely affected more slowly than varieties without resistance.
Q. What should I do if my plants have the disease? Can it be managed or prevented?
MTM: Infected plants should be removed and trashed, not composted. Put a plastic bag over the plant
and pull it up by the roots, containing as much as possible to avoid spreading spores. Prevention is key as BDM
is very difficult to manage with fungicides available to home gardeners. Inspect plants carefully at purchase for
any signs of disease. Minimize leaf wetness and reduce humidity by planting with full sunlight and good air
movement. Maximize plant spacing and use drip irrigation. I’ve had success with planting basil in pots and
bringing them in at night when humidity above 85% was expected or during periods of rain. See
http://tinyurl.com/ph9zn6k for my report on this experiment. If your high humidity in Maryland makes taking
pots in impractical, I still recommend planting in pots and placing them high, such as on a garden wall or deck,
to promote better air circulation.
Q. Is there anything Maryland Master Gardeners can do to help with your study of this disease?
MTM: Yes! Gardeners can participate in an ongoing monitoring program by making reports at:
http://tinyurl.com/p2b69an. Enter your observations in a line at the bottom of the spreadsheet and e-mail me
at [email protected] to notify me of the report. See http://tinyurl.com/q78qxno for further instructions on
reporting and submission of samples. This is my article that also contains what is known about the disease.
Q. What other research is being done on BDM? Are we going to have to live with this disease for the
foreseeable future?
MTM: BDM is here to stay, but can expect varieties with a high level of resistance in the future. Rutgers
University has made excellent progress and there are breeders elsewhere working on this.
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PAGE 8
Weed Spotters
MARCH 2015
MG News
If You Thought We Were Busy Last Year…
You’re right! Montgomery County Master Gardeners logged 23,425 hours in 2014, an average of 60.5
hours for each of our 387 active members. Just as impressive, we worked with, contacted, and otherwise interacted with 18,279 people in the County. With
two new programs this year (so far), it’s not unlikely we’ll
put in even more time and make more contacts.
Activities that absorbed the most hours were Demonstration and Historic Gardens (4,329 hours), Plant Clinics
(3,612), Internal Administration (3,504) and Backyard &
Community Food Production (3,350). (Internal administration includes activities such as: newsletter, website,
public relations, record-keeping, and volunteer recognition.)
Hairy bittercress, Cardamine
hirsuta, is in the Brassicaceae
or mustard family and is
quickly spotted in the garden
this time of year. It’s also very
easy to pull now, when it’s
small and the ground is wet.
On the other hand, the tiny
flowers are attractive to a few
early butterflies, including
spring azure and falcate orange-tip.
Photo by Alison Mrohs
Special Events (SWAT, Fair Week, Close Encounters,
etc.) generated the highest number of contacts (5,801
individuals), followed by Plant Clinics (5,699), Backyard &
Community Food Production (2,530), and Therapeutic
Horticulture (2,341).
Mary Hagedorn talks about stream
buffers and water quality during the
2014 Close Encounters.
Photo by Julie Mangin
MG Janet Young, President, noted that 16 MGs put
in 200 or more hours last year, and 63 MGs put in 100 or more hours. One dedicated MG put in more
than 1,000 hours.
Every hour and every contact entered by MGs by various means electronic or otherwise was collected, deciphered, approved and submitted to University of Maryland Extension by the indefatigable MG
Katie McIe. So let’s make her job a little easier this year and faithfully complete our hours and contacts
using the Online MG Tracking System at http://www.agnr.umd.edu/mg/index.html.
MG Demo Gardens Continue to Garner Awards
The Master Gardener Demo Gardens at Derwood and the Montgomery County Fairgrounds continue to rack
up awards in the “Keep Montgomery County Beautiful” awards competition.
The Farmer’s Triangle Garden and the Master Gardener 4-H Garden both won Awards of Excellence in
2014 in the Public & Institutional Category. The Heritage Garden at the Fairgrounds and Derwood Demo Garden both received awards for Sustained Maintenance, which may be earned after a garden has won the
Award of Excellence for three years.
Gardens that receive awards for Sustained Maintenance for five years may then qualify for the Golden
Trowel Award, and rest on their laurels. Heritage received the Sustained Maintenance Award for the first
time in 2014, and Derwood received it for the second year, so they are on their way to qualifying for this prestigious award, which is presented to very few gardens.
In addition to the Beautification Awards, there is a contest for amateur photography of county locations/residents, and for Adopt-A-Road Clean Sweep Awards. Get more information at:
https://montgomerycountymd.mygreenmontgomery.org/2014/10/keep-montgomery-county-beautifulbeauification-awardees-photo-contest-winners/. Keep Montgomery County Beautiful is sponsored by the
county Department of Transportation (MCDOT).
Scroll or Return to Table of Contents
PAGE 9
The Seed
MARCH 2015
Continuing Education Corner
M
BENEGF
IT
Visit Website for
More Classes
Editor's note: Want to find the web link for an organization offering a class to get more information or
register? See the green column headed "Resources" at the side of the page, and click on the organization's
link to go directly to its website
The Accokeek Foundation
February 28, 9 am-2 pm (first of four quarterly
hikes). A Year at Boundary Bridge. Join the author
of A Year in Rock Creek Park, starting at Boundary
Bridge and follow the same 2.5-mile loop trail each
season, to admire and identify the rich plant life
along a scenic stretch of Rock Creek. (Walks
continue on April 11, June 27 and November 7).
Audubon Naturalist Society in partnership with
Rock Creek Conservancy. $42 per walk ($30 for
members); $143 ($102) for entire series;
preregistration required.
Much of Northwest Branch Park is preserved as
Montgomery County parkland, and it feels
surprisingly wild despite the urbanization
surrounding it. County forest ecologist Carol
Bergmann will lead this hike of 2.5-3.5 miles,
focusing on plant identification and ecology in a
search for the earliest signs of Spring. The trail will
be a natural surface path, with some
uphill/downhill and some limited rock scrambling.
Audubon Naturalist Society. $34 ($24 for ANS
members); preregistration required.
March 1, 1 pm. Garden Talk – Fruit Trees and
Berry Bushes: Planting, Pruning and Prep for
Spring. Behnke Nurseries. FREE: preregistration
requested.
March 22, 1 pm. Garden Talk – Planning an Old
Fashioned Cutting Garden. Learn about the nature
of cutting gardens and the best flowers to grow.
Behnke Nurseries. FREE; preregistration
requested.
Audubon Naturalist Society
Behnke’s
Brookside Gardens
Casey Trees
City Blossoms
Green Spring Gardens
Horticultural Society of
Maryland
Irvine Nature Center
Ladew Topiary Gardens
Maryland Native Plant Society
Meadowlark Botanical
Gardens
Merrifield Gardens
Montgomery College
Neighborhood Farm Initiative
Prince William Cooperative
Extension
State MG Advanced Training
United States Botanic Garden
Conservatory
US National Arboretum
March 7 (the first of 12 weekly classes), 10:30 am12:30 pm. Advanced Bonsai Workshop. Design
one or more projects that you will continue on your
own, with one-on-one instruction. Prerequisite:
Beginner Bonsai Workshop. Behnke Nurseries.
$300 for the series, plus plants and materials;
preregistration required.
March 7, 11 am and March 8, 1 pm. Garden Talk –
Your Edible Garden: Starting from Seed & Planting
Spring Vegetables. Behnke Nurseries. FREE;
preregistration requested.
March 7, 2-4 pm. Beginner Hands-On Bonsai.
Learn all of the basics of bonsai design (how to
select a tree, prune, transplant, landscape with
rocks) and create your own bonsai to take home.
Behnke Nurseries. $65 (includes materials);
preregistration required.
March 14 and 15, 9 am-5 pm. Orchid Diagnostic &
Repotting Clinic. If you have questions about an
orchid, bring it in and let Carol Allen take a look;
will repot for a fee and show you how. Behnke
Nurseries. FREE; preregistration requested.
March 21, 11 am, repeated at 2 pm. Garden Talk –
Getting Ready for Spring. Learn how to jump start
your garden and landscape projects now. Behnke
Nurseries. FREE; preregistration requested.
March 22, 10 am-1:30 pm. Botanical Gems in
Montgomery County: Northwest Branch Park.
March 24, 6-7:30 p.m. Introduction to Organic
Food Gardening. MG Gordon Clark, Montgomery
Victory Gardens, will discuss site and plant
selection, planting with the seasons, dealing with
pests and more. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center
Adult Classroom. $22 (FOBG $20); preregistration
required.
March 26, 4-7 p.m. and March 27, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.,
Rain Garden Workshop. Learn techniques to
evaluate your yard and create a rain garden that
uses native plants and enhanced soils to build a
watershed-friendly garden. Brookside Gardens
Visitors Center Adult Classroom. $15 (FOBG $13),
preregistration required.
March 28, 1 pm. Garden Talk – Controlling Insect
Pests in Your Garden: an IPM Approach. Behnke
Nuirseries. FREE; preregistration requested.
March 29, 9:30 am-1:30 pm. Budbreak at
Carderock. Join Natural History Field Studies
woody plant ID teachers Melanie Choukas-Bradley
and Elizabeth Rives for a walk devoted to the
identification and admiration of native trees and
shrubs as their buds break and their leaves and
flowers start to emerge. The 2-3 mile hike will
mostly follow the C&O canal towpath, but will
venture down to the Potomac River on Section B of
the Billy Goat Trail for a portion of the hike. This
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EDUCATION continued on page 10
PAGE 10
MARCH 2015
Continuing Education Corner
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.
Our Vision: The Maryland
Master Gardener vision is a
healthier world through
environmental stewardship.
Disclaimer: All opinions
regarding businesses or their
products are those of the authors
and not of the University of
Maryland.
EEO Statement: 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.
Montgomery County
Master Gardeners
18410 Muncaster Road
Derwood, MD 20855
301-590-2836
Email: [email protected]
Website
Direct correspondence to:
Stephen Dubik
University of Maryland Extension
Master Gardener Coordinator
and Horticultural Consultant
stretch involves some scrambling over rocks, a few
steep sections, and some up and down, but will
move at a slow pace. Audubon Naturalist Society.
$34 ($24 for ANS members); preregistration
required.
March 29, 12 noon. Garden Talk – Planning a
Hummingbird Garden. Behnke Nurseries. FREE;
preregistration requested.
March 29, 2 pm. Garden Talk -- Planning a Butterfly
Garden. Discussion of the different stages of
butterfly development and which plants are
beneficial for each stage. Behnke Nurseries. FREE;
preregistration requested.
(continued)
NC State Permaculture Classes (free):
http://mediasite.online.ncsu.edu/online/Catalog/p
ages/catalog.aspx?catalogId=f5a893e7-4b7c-4b7980fd-52dcd1ced715. Classes to choose from include
Site Analysis & Design, Soil Ecology, BioDynamic
Agriculture, Garden Ponds, and more.
WEBINARS
Seed Savers (not approved for CE credit). Recorded
webinars include: Population Size; Planning Your Fall
Garden; Pepper Seed Saving; Eggplant Seed Saving;
Planting Garlic; Dry Seed Cleaning; Growing Biennials
for Seed. www.seedsavers.org.
March Events
(not qualified for CE credits)
STATE MG ADVANCED
TRAINING
Look for future issues of the The Seed to learn what
the newly hired Advanced Training Coordinator,
Alicia Bembenek, has planned for 2015.
February 28 to March 1 and March 6-8 (two
consecutive weekends). Maryland Home and
Garden Show. Over 300 home improvement
exhibits, landscaped garden displays, a plant
marketplace, seminars and more. Maryland State
Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. $12 ($10 for seniors).
Go to http://mdhomeandgarden.com/spring for
more information.
LOOKING AHEAD
March 5, 10 am- 10 p.m.. 4th Annual Philadelphia
June 4, 2015. Master Gardener/Master Naturalist
Flower Show Bus Trip with Kathy Jentz. Leaves from
Annual Training Day. It’s never too early to Save the Behnke Nurseries at 10 am. Sign up deadline is
Date!
March 1. For information and registration go to
http://behnkes.com/website/images/stories/event
s/2015/PhillyFlowerShow-Behnke2015.pdf.
MORE WORKSHOPS
AND TRAINING
Environmental Concern, Inc. in St. Michael’s offers
courses on wetlands.
The USDA Graduate School offers a Natural History
Field Studies Certificate Program.
The University of Maryland Extension sponsors the
Maryland Naturalist Program. Sessions are held in
different areas of the State.
http://extension.umd.edu/masternaturalist.
The Center for Environmental Research &
Conservation of Columbia University has online
classes for its Certificate in Conservation &
Environmental Sustainability.
http://www.cerc.columbia.edu/.
March 14 & 15, 9 am-5 pm. Friends of Brookside
Gardens Orchid Show and Sale. Behnke Nurseries.
March 21, Behnke Nurseries Spring Open House.
Demonstrations, wine-tasting, door prizes and orchid
clinic & repotting. “Getting Ready for Spring” by
Christopher Lewis presented at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
March 28, 9:30 am – 2 pm. Native Plant Sale. This
annual sale features a collection of local nurseries
offering an extensive collection of high quality, locally
grown native plants. Growers on site for expert
advice. U.S. National Arboretum R Street parking lot.
(Offered in conjunction with the Lahr Native Plant
Symposium; attendees of the symposium get 8:30
early admission to the plant sale.)
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