a p r i l 2 0 1 4 the seed - university of...
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome Class of 2014
The Seed News that grows on you
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
University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County, MD, Master Gardeners
What’s Inside
President's Column·················· 2
Green Gardening ····················· 4
Photo of the Month················· 4
Ask and Answer ······················· 5
Submitting Articles ·················· 5
Announcements ······················ 6
Growing Gardening Kids ········· 7
Stumped ··································· 8
Continuing Ed ··························· 9
A P R I L 2 0 1 4
April meeting--March 27. May meeting--May 8. Fairgrounds.
By Anne Abend
Forty nine intrepid gardeners made up this year’s class. As is typical, there was a mix of retirees and those still working, and women outnumbered men. According to MG Coordinator Steve Dubik, this was his 24th MG class, and the members were a flexible bunch. They were tested in more ways than one by all the snow days, which added four make-up days and forced numerous reschedulings of class speakers to the already tight schedule.
By Nancy Moses Greenblatt
Look, I'm not here to tell you that good cholesterol is now bad cholesterol, or bad caffeine is now good. But an EPA expert panel says a responsibly maintained lawn is good for the Chesapeake Bay.
The discussion about the merits of having a picture-perfect lawn or not is debated with the intensity of championship tennis volleys on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
In the extreme, some neighbors exhibit their treasured turf, while others are shunned for allowing weed seeds to roam free. Lawn-maintenance time
and costs aren’t the biggest household expenses, but some may feel they are in excess—and relentless.
Still, people keep lawns because the alternative feels daunting. After all, it is relatively easy to find and hire a mowing service. However, if you decide to turn your lawn into planting beds, it is nearly impossible to find someone who knows how and when to prune, weed, deadhead and divide at a reasonable cost. Meanwhile the effects of fertilizers and pesticides have resulted in state laws that may be difficult to understand, not based on science, and impossible to enforce (see Feb 2014 Seed, Spreading the Word About Fertilizing).
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Photo by Julie Mangin
EPA says stop LAWN from being a four-letter word
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Goodbye Winter and Hello Spring-- Finally!
The President’s Column By Janet Young
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 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 Tech Support Julie Mangin Photo Editor Claudia Sherman Editor, Continuing Education Corner Diyan Rahaman Editor, STUMPED Tech Support Betty Cochran Copy Editor Pam Hosimer Editor, Growing Garden Kids Anne Abend Contributing Writer
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This was a hard winter for many, and all of us have their own plant woes to report. Mine involves my first-ever low tunnel, constructed in an hour, for $65, using the method taught by Master Gardener Gordon Clark at the Briggs Chaney Community Garden back in the fall.
Through December 2013, I had thriving lettuce, broccoli, arugula, thyme, and kale. But snow and temperatures too cold (-2°)--for too long--lead to survival of only thyme (now red-leafed) and kale. Next year I will experiment with other techniques to increase heat, perhaps trying an internal cover of 6 ML plastic or a small raised bed of composting manure - but this will definitely require more research.
But enough of winter! We have plants to grow, gardeners to help, interns to mentor. So let’s get started! We have no shortage of volunteer opportunities for spring and summer. Here is a reminder of our activities, and their leaders who have been working throughout the cold season to have everything ready to go. To track notices requesting your help, follow The Seed’s monthly “Announcements Column,” sign up for our main LISTSERV and those of other committees (SWAT, Derwood Demonstration Garden, etc.), or contact the names below through our online membership directory to get started.
GARDENS: Derwood – Darlene Nicholson and Maria Wortman;
Fairgrounds – Marion Mistrik and Mike Parizer;
Community— Joe Davis;
School – Jenny Brown and Ken Hoyle;
Black Hill Butterfly— Marsha VonDuerckheim
GIEI: Terri Valenti
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Len Friedman and Sheryl Freishtat
PLANT CLINICS: Sue Kuklewicz and Paula Knepper
SPEAKERS: Merikay Smith
SWAT—One Day Events and Retail Events: Anne Mulford and Lynn Furrow
THERAPEUTIC HORTICULTURE: Joann Mueller and Alyce Wertheimer
Janet
December 2013 February 2014 March 2014
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 3 The Seed
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What’s a person to do?
Personal circumstances—responsibilities for family members and jobs as well as declining health-- make demands on our abilities to maintain our homes. The exterior may be the first task to be last addressed. So the decision on what to do is quite personal.
EPA’s report advocates LAWNS for environmental reasons
Last spring, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report by an expert panel based on its review of hundreds of research projects on the subject of whether a "dense vegetative cover of turf grass" on a lawn reduces pollution and runoff. The report concluded that if your lawn is thin and sickly, pollution and runoff from a lawn increases dramatically. The research shows that a responsible program of lawn fertilization will actually improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Conventional "wisdom" up to this point and the attitude around EPA was that fertilizing your lawn was bad for water quality. In fact, the opposite is true.
According to the Ohio Turfgrass Association’s webpage: Besides providing a foundation for some of our favorite activities, turfgrass plays an important role in our environment. In fact, the healthier the turf, the better it can protect the environment. Healthy turfgrass reduces run-off, minimizes erosion, cleans the air, neutralizes pollutants, and absorbs rainwater.
Commenting on the report is MG Marie Rojas, an IPM consultant for homeowners, nursery growers
and property managers as well as a beekeeper on her 92-acre county farm. She said, “I think the EPA report illustrates that dense cover, no matter what the plant
material, is good for reducing runoff. Sure,
diversity's going to feed wildlife and provide habitat, etc., but turf gets a bad rap just for being turf. The educated master gardener knows that it's not so black-and-white!”
For a full copy of EPA’s Expert Panel Report click here.
The report contains all of the actual data regarding runoff rates and nutrient capturing rates for various nutrients on different types of turf and actually addresses water quality issues, etc. It also includes homeowner practices in regard to fertilizer applications. The 9-member panel included two members from the University of Maryland: Dr. Stu Schwartz (UMBC) and Dr. Gary Felton (College Park).
Report Supports Lawns
MG Marie Rojas showed interns how to diagnose plant problems and identify plants. Photo by Julie Mangin
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For the past five years, the class divides into small groups to present research projects of their choice to the full class. This class chose topics that included shade gardening; composting; milkweed growing; poisonous plants; vertical and companion planting; understanding plant diseases (including the new Boxwood Blight); and reviewing the Three-R’s—Replace, Recycle, and Reuse.
“Terrific talks all,” said Steve. But the most all-consuming conversation was, of course, the weather.
Congratulations to all our new members. We encourage you try out the many and varied volunteer activities that the organization offers!
Welcome Class of 2014
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LAWN. Photo by HGIC, University of Maryland
“The research shows that a responsible program of lawn fertilization will actually improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. “ EPA's Expert Panel Report 2013
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 4 The Seed Three Ways to Garden Green
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With the season of customer questions coming up, it's good to be able to share the top three ways to garden responsibly.
1. Match the right plant with the right place
Count the hours of sun and shade at your plant site. Sun-loving plants need 6+ hours of sun.
Most shade-loving plants need some light but not much direct sun.
Test soil to know its pH. Match plant and soil types (e.g. azaleas are acid-loving plants).
Group together those plants with similar sun, nutrient and moisture needs.
Use plants that resist diseases and pests (e.g. deer, rabbits, and insects).
2. Conserve water use
Use drought-tolerant plants and lawn types.
A two- or three-inch layer of mulch in garden beds retains moisture. Keep mulch away from tree trunks.
Skip the sprinkler! Use drip hoses or systems that minimize run off and evaporation. Try rain barrels.
Water 1 inch at a time, only when needed, ideally in early morning to reduce evaporation and disease.
Let grass go dormant in blistering summer heat and save on your water bill.
Consider a rain garden in yard low spots.
3. Be careful with pesticides and fertilizers
Scout out your garden regularly to solve bug, pest or fungus problems. Use the least toxic and most effective products to control pests. Less harmful products include insecticidal soap and horticultural oil.
For a healthy living soil, apply compost, preferably homemade or local brands.
Cut lawns 3” or higher with a mulching mower, leaving clippings. This retains moisture and nutrients.
Shell Ginger (Alpinia Zerumbet), shown here at the Naples Botanical Garden, is winter hardy in zones 8-10, although it may survive in zone 7 with winter protection. Otherwise, use as an annual. Photo by Julie Mangin
Photo of the Month
Ask & Answer
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 5 The Seed
Are there flowers that bloom in the winter—Tra-La. . .?*
Q. I am looking for plants which will flower in late winter/early spring and which are also deer-resistant. Can you recommend anything? My yard is unfenced, next to the woods, and in need of color! Signed, Drab and Deer-browsed in Damascus
A. Your question is a challenging one! No plant is completely deer proof. If deer are hungry enough, they will eat anything in order to survive. Finding plants that bloom in late winter and early spring is challenging. However, we can definitely find plants that deer tend to resist and that also flower early. In general, deer will resist plants with strong scents and tastes, such as lavender and other herbs. They will also resist plants with thorny or prickly leaves, and plants with hairy leaves. Some of the late winter/early spring flowering plants fit into one or more of these categories.
Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) – this is a holly-like shrub or small tree with a strong perfume. Highly deer resistant because of its scent, it produces delicate white flowers in winter.
Buttercup winter hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) – this shrub has pendulous chains of pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers in the early spring. You can also cut the branches and force blooms indoors. Its beauty in the landscape is spectacular; it is deer-resistant because of its fragrance.
Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei) – this is another shrub with fragrant, yellow blooms. It has tough, prickly leaves; both its fragrance and the leaves contribute to deer-resistance. However, be warned that this plant can self-sow.
Lenten rose (Helleborus sp.) – this is one of my favorites. It is highly deer-resistant. It is disease-resistant when not overcrowded, and produces lovely, pendant blooms in winter, in a variety of colors.
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) – MG Liz Hofmeister loves her winter aconite for its beautiful yellow blooms in winter, its hardiness, and its deer-resistance. Winter aconite is a bulb in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is known as one of the earliest spring flowers to bloom and will naturalize over time.
Daffodil (Narcissus sp.) – Highly deer-resistant, who can help but love these bright yellow harbingers of warmer weather with their nodding, waving heads in the cool winds of late winter and early spring?
Crocus (Crocus sp.) – These bulbs produce small white, yellow, purple, or variegated flowers in late winter and early spring. They are not as deer-resistant as daffodils, but remain high on the list of deer-resistant plants.
Source: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/
*. . .breathe promise of merry sunshine. “ Dear Readers: If you know this reference, albeit loosely quoted, please write The Seed editor, [email protected]. Winners with the correct answer will get their names in the next issue.
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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.
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis). Photo by MG Liz Hofmeister
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 6 The Seed
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BOOK SALE COMING UP
WHAT: Group Garden Book Sale; 50% Discount; FREE SHIPPING
WHEN: Deadline is April 11
One of the benefits we have as Master Gardeners is the opportunity to order books at a 50% discount if the organization orders a total of at least 15 books. That is never a problem for us!
We can order from any of the three companies. Timber Press specializes in gardening books, Storey Publishing has gardening books as well as books covering numerous other areas, and Workman Publishing (which includes other publishers) covers many subjects, including books for children. To see what each offers, go to the following web sites:
http://www.timberpress.com
http://www.storey.com
http://www.workman.com
Some of the books shown are not yet shipping, but you can order them now and they will be shipped when available at the same discount.
If we exceed any other thresholds where additional discounts are offered, such as a high number of books or dollar total, that amount will be donated to the MG treasury. We have only done this once and there is no way to know in advance whether that might happen.
When you decide which books you want to order, just write down the title and the list price and then compute the 50% discount. Do this for each book, being sure to round up each time. Because we do not have to pay shipping costs this time because of a promotion offered by the companies, add up the price computed for each book. This will be your total price for which you will write a check payable to Montgomery County EAC. Mail both a copy of the list and the check to MG Frances Smithson. Contact information can be found in the online MG directory.
An example:
Green Flowers $24.95 $12.48
Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs 79.95 39.98
Total amount of your check: $52.46
The deadline for this order is April 11. This means you can give your order to Frances at the April membership meeting (to be held on March 27) if you wish. The books will be here in time for distribution at the May meeting.
Please contact Frances Smithson if you have any questions about the book order.
MG BENEFIT
Announcements New MG QR Code Convenient for Smartphone Use
MG Mary McKnight recently used software to make a QR code (Quick Response code) for our customers with smartphone apps to access the Montgomery County Master Gardener website. The box-like design (optical image) shown below is the QR code.
To use QR codes most effectively, you need to have a QR Reader application on a smartphone, iPad, or other device. With this app, you point your device at the box design that is printed on a brochure, magazine advertisement, business card, commercial vehicle, etc., as if you were taking a picture of it. Your device scans it and will then show whatever is meant to be displayed. For this Master Gardener QR code, it is the home page of our website. The QR code replaces spelling out our looooong website address and expecting a customer to keystroke it.
“In the future,” said Mary, “we can develop other QR codes that would lead to other pages on the MG website.”
We used this convenient QR code on our publications for the 2014 Spring Conference. If your committee wants to use this optical image on its publications, it is available for download on our website here.
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 7 The Seed Growing Gardening Kids
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Editor’s Note: Many of us would like to work with a younger generation to pass along our infectious enthusiasm and knowledge but don’t know where to start. This occasional column hopes to help with that!
Celebrate Trees with Kids
Trees are bursting with blooms and kids are bursting with energy, especially after our harsh winter. Harness these dual energy sources to learn about trees.
First, get that energy outdoors. Visit the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC during the 2014 National Cherry Blossom Festival running from March 20 – April 13. Before you go, check out two terrific books from your local library - Eliza's Cherry Trees: Japan's Gift to America, about the history of the cherry trees, and Pie in the Sky, a fun story about growing cherries, with a cherry pie recipe to make at home.
Take your celebration of arbor, the Latin word meaning “tree,” a step further by also observing Arbor Day. National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April but many states observe it on another date according to their best time for tree-planting. Maryland’s Arbor Day is the first Wednesday in April, falling on April 2, 2014. Join the City of Rockville for their Arbor Day Tree Planting on April 22, 10 am at Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue. Plant your own trees with video tips from Casey Trees website, then get your inner tree-hugger busy doing Casey’s “Arbor Kid” Tree Education activities.
Are your tree ID skills rusty? Check out Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs or the handy phone app Dirr’s Tree and Shrub Finder and head outside with confidence. Give kids the Trees Fandex to identify trees with needles or leaves and discover fun facts along the way. Or log onto Nature Explore, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, and download their Family Resources’ “Club Kit.” It has 15 colorful activity sheets about tree related topics, each of which includes additional facts, books and online links.
Resources
Aronson, S. M. (1997). Trees: Trees Identified by Leaf, Bark & Seed. New York, NY: Workman Pub. (A Fandex Family Field Guide)
Casey Trees - www.caseytrees.org
City of Rockville - http://www.rockvillemd.gov/index.aspx?NID=1433
Dimensions Educational Research Foundation - https://www.dimensionsfoundation.org/
Dirr, M. (2011). Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
Ehlert, L. (2004). Pie in the Sky. Orlando: Harcourt.
National Cherry Blossom Festival - http://dc.about.com/cs/familyactivities/a/CherryBlossom.htm
Nature Explore - http://www.natureexplore.org
Zimmerman, A. G., & Chen, J. (2011). Eliza's Cherry Trees: Japan's Gift to America. Gretna, LA: Pelican Pub.
How tall is
that tree?
This activity must be done on a sunny day with a partner.
Measure your height with a tape measure.
Go outside and have your partner measure the height of your shadow.
Pick the tree you want to measure. Measure the height of its shadow.
Use the following equation to solve for the tree’s height:
(tree shadow height x your height)¸ your shadow height = tree height
From Casey Trees “Arbor Kids” http://caseytrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/arbor-kids-2011-how-tall-is-that-tree.pdf
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 8 The Seed
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Here are some home-gardener questions that came to the MG Extension office, plant clinics and to HGIC recently. Some questions we answered and some had us -- STUMPED!
What is springing up in my yard?
Spring is the season when most gardeners are eager to clean up the debris of winter in preparation for the new season of planting. During this time the Derwood Extension office gets many samples from curious home gardeners who want to know more about the strange plants springing up in their yards and taking over their landscape.
Scentless Chamomile
A gardener in Olney found this mass of weedy plants with shallow roots and carrot-like leaves in her landscape beds and wanted to know what it was. Since it was early spring and there were no flowers to make a positive identification, the guess was that it was scentless chamomile (Matricaria perforata), an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial forb that had germinated in early spring or late fall.
Perhaps intentionally imported from Europe as an ornamental, seedlings emerge in spring and can produce a dense mat, out-competing other species. Seeds and flowers are continually being formed, and a single plant can produce 300,000 seeds. The daisy-like flowers are white in color, ¾ inches and are solitary on each stem. Flowers have a yellow central disk surrounded by white petals. Leaves are alternate, fernlike, finely divided, and odorless when crushed. The stems can reach 6 inches to 3 feet tall and have numerous branches.
Quackgrass
This gardener in Gaitherburg found his flower beds being overtaken by a very tough-to-pull grassy weed and wanted to know what it was and how it could be controlled without the use of chemicals.
Quackgrass (Elytrigia repens) is a native of Europe, and is primarily found in the northern portion of the U.S. It is typically found in crop fields, roadsides, river banks, lawns, waste places and abandoned fields. It was
introduced into New England by the colonists for forage. Quackgrass is often used for hay and pasture and can grow in a variety of soil types, and has a high tolerance for drought and salinity.
Quackgrass is a creeping, sod-forming perennial grass, characterized by its straw-colored, sharp-tipped rhizomes (horizontal underground stems) and the pair of whitish-green, claw-like structures (auricles) that clasp the stem at the top of the sheath. It reproduces through seed and creeping rhizomes and can form large patches. Being a perennial grass, it is difficult to control in lawns but can be hand removed in landscape beds making sure to get all the underground rhizomes because new plants can form from any rhizome pieces containing nodes.
For more information refer: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/quackgrass
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
Stumped
Quackgrass (Elytrigia repens). Photo by Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University
Scentless Chamomile (Matricaria perforata). Photo by Peter Smith, http://www.weedinfo.ca/
Continuing Education Corner
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 9 The Seed
Visit Website for More Classes
The Accokeek Foundation
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
MG BENEFIT
April 3, 2-3:30 pm. Local Gardening 201: Tackling Common Challenges. Case studies of gardeners who have conquered problems like poor drainage, gardening on a slope, deer, planting in clay soil, etc. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center Adult Classroom. $18 ($15 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
April 3, 4-7 pm or April 4, 10 am-1 pm. Rain Garden Workshop. Learn techniques to evaluate your yard and create a rain garden using native plants and enhanced soils while taking advantage of the County’s rebate program. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center Adult Classroom. $15 ($12 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
April 5, 1 pm. Go Native. A discussion of native shrub and tree varieties and their uses in the landscape. Behnke’s Potomac Store. FREE; pre-registration requested.
April 10, 1-2:30 pm. Hardy Ferns and Allies: It’s Easy Being Green. A presentation of the many hardy ferns and relatives that prosper in the DC area, including deciduous, evergreen, new crested forms, and even a few colorful varieties. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center Adult Classroom; $6 ($5 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
April 12 or 13, 9:30 am-4:30 pm. 2014 Orchid & Heritage Plants Diagnostic and Re-Potting Clinic. Bring a heritage plant you are concerned about and learn how to care for and re-pot it. Heritage plants are ones that need specialized care or may have been in the family for a very long time, such as African violets, Christmas cactus, succulents and begonias. Behnke’s Beltsville store. FREE; no pre-registration required.
April 19 or 20, 9:30 am-4:30 pm. 2014 Orchid & Heritage Plants Diagnostic and Re-Potting Clinic. Bring a heritage plant you are concerned about and learn how to care for and re-pot it. Heritage plants are ones that need specialized care or may have been in the family for a very long time, such as African violets, Christmas cactus, succulents and begonias. Behnke’s Potomac store. FREE; no pre-registration required.
April 22, 1-2:30 pm. It’s Spring, and the Wildflowers are Up! A stroll of Brookside’s woodland boardwalk to see native herbaceous and woody species, discuss cultural practices, care requirements, and enjoy historical lore. Brookside Gardens Conservatory Entrance. $6 ($5 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
April 25, 10 am-1 pm. Make & Take Rain Barrels. Learn how to gather and store water from your rooftop and help control the storm-water impact on your yard. Rain barrel with fittings and instructions provided, limit one per household. (You will need a vehicle large enough to transport a 55 gallon barrel.) BYO bag lunch. Sponsored by Brookside Gardens and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. Montgomery College, Germantown Campus. $15 ($12 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
April 30, 1-2:30 pm. The Fragrance Garden. A tour of the Brookside Fragrance Gardens accompanied by tips and tricks for adding fragrant plants to your garden. Brookside Gardens Fragrance Garden. $6 ($5 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
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Continued on page 10
Editor’s Note: The responses to last month’s poll of The Seed’s readership were very helpful. Thank you! It revealed that only a couple of MGs venture out of Maryland for continuing education. As a result, we will no longer list continuing education opportunities in D.C. and Virginia in this column. Please note, however, that the US National Arboretum, the U.S. Botanic Gardens in D.C., and Green Spring Gardens Park in Fairfax County offer regular continuing education. Links to their websites and others are listed in the green sidebar, this page.
STATE MG ADVANCED TRAINING
Native Landscaping for Maryland Shade Gardens. (three different locations and dates below). Learn how the ecology and history of Maryland’s flora can inform native landscape design decisions; learn the most useful shade garden plants for your area including identification, design, cultural requirements, wildlife use, and basic research skills. Includes field trips.
April 22, 29 and May 6, 9:30 am-3:30 pm. Piedmont (Howard Co.), UME Howard Co. Registration deadline is April 14.
June 5, 12 and 19, 10am-4 pm. Coastal Plain (Kent Co.), Adkins Arboretum. Registration deadline is May 23,
September 20, October 7 and 14. Coastal Plain (Southern MD). UME Calvert Co., Prince Frederick. Registration deadline is September 23.
LOOKING AHEAD May 3, 1 pm. It’s Veggie and Herb Time! How to get the garden started and planting methods. Behnke’s Potomac Store. FREE; pre-registration requested.
May 7, 10-11:30 am. Hanging Baskets. Workshop includes lining a 14 inch wire basket with sphagnum moss and planting tips for best results. Fee includes all materials. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center Adult Classroom. $55 ($50 for FOBG); pre-registration required.
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/.
NC State Permaculture Classes (free): http://mediasite.online.ncsu.edu/online/Catalog/pages/catalog.aspx?catalogId=f5a893e7-4b7c-4b79-80fd-52dcd1ced715. Classes to choose from include Site Analysis & Design, Soil Ecology, BioDynamic Agriculture, Garden Ponds, and more.
WEBINARS There are many garden webinar choices posted on the Web, so MGs are encouraged to browse for what interests them. See the webinar policy accompanying this column for criteria for CE credits.
A P R I L 2 0 1 4 P A G E 1 0 The Seed
Webinar Policy
The following MC-MG guidelines for determining how webinars qualify for Continuing Education credit were developed by a Board ad hoc committee and approved by MG Coordinator, Steve Dubik.
Continuing Education:
1. Subject matter must be relevant to the field of horticulture.
2. Continuing education hours may be granted for webinars assuming:
*The duration of the program is a minimum of 30 minutes for which a MC-MG would earn 30 minutes of CE credit.
*The source is an educational or governmental organization (e.g., University of Maryland, Penn State University, Maryland Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture or Environmental Protection Agency).
*The webinar has been pre-approved by the state or local Master Gardener Coordinator.
At least five of the required continuing educational hours must be
earned in a face-to-face environment such as meetings, seminars or workshops.
If you have questions as to whether a webinar may be accepted for continuing education credit, contact the local Master Gardener Coordinator or designee.
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Continuing Education Corner Continued from page 9
Save the Date!
MG Annual Training Day: May 29 at the University of
Maryland College Park.