AAMG News

The annual MG Holiday Party is Tuesday, De-

cember 13, from 7-9 PM, at Harundale Presby-

terian Church in Glen Burnie.

It’s time for your best holiday dishes!!

Appetizers or Salads – Last Names’ Initials N through Z

Main Courses – Last Names’ Initials A through G

Desserts – Last Names’ Initials H through M

Remember to bring serving utensils ~ Sorry, still no access to electric outlets but feel free to bring Sterno heaters. Attendees may bring One Adult Guest. Please consider donating a Raffle Item! See you there!

December Meeting—Annual Holiday Party

Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners December, 2011

Volume 15, Issue 12

AAMG Project Reports

Apprentice Garden

B&A Trail Bay-Wise Dem-

onstration Garden

Dairy Farm

Hancock’s Resolution

London Town Tour

Guides

London Town Plant Propa-

gation

Woodland Gardens

2-5

News from State MG Office 6-7

Inside this issue:

The Coordinator’s Corner Mike Ensor, Anne Arundel County Master Gardener Coordinator

Cindy Wells, MG, and Janet Clauson, MG

As the Holiday Season is among us and our gardens are somewhat at rest, we to need to take time to sit back with family and friends to relax and focus on what the true meaning of what this time of the year is all about.

At this time of the year, I give thanks for the many blessings and natural beauties around us. I also want to thank each of our Master Gardeners and truly appreciate your dedica-tion, support, and time for helping to make our Anne Arundel Master Gardener Pro-gram a true success that shines across the county, state, and nation.

I hope to see everyone at the Annual Anne Arundel Master Gardener Holiday Celebra-tion on December 13. Please watch for newsflashes and see further information in the newsletter concerning the celebration.

At this time I have many announcements to make.

Now, I can finally announce the Interna-tional Search for Excellence Awards at this past year’s International Master Gardener Conference. Maryland had 3 of the 19 win-ners in the International Search for Excel-lence competition. The Maryland winners were: Anne Arundel County for “Grow It Eat It Summer Camps”; Montgomery County for “Therapeutic Horticulture Program”; and Calvert County for “Garden Smarter Program”. These 3 Maryland winners sub-mitted posters at the International Confer-ence.

Anne Arundel County alone had 4 projects submitted out of the 9 submitted for the state of Maryland at the International Mas-ter Gardener Conference. Besides the “Grow It Eat It Summer Camps” chaired by Lisa Winters; Anne Nourse submitted “Apprentice Gardens at Kinder Farm Park”;

(continued on page 8)

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The Apprentice Garden areas have been readied for their win-ter’s nap and now’s the time to relax, reminisce about the past season and enjoy the upcoming holidays.

MANY THANKS are sent to all MGs who gave their time, ef-fort, knowledge and good spirits to the Apprentice Garden families.

Come January, 2012, our minds will start thinking about the gardens we’ll have once spring comes and what projects will interest us so we can participate in some. I’m very lucky that MG Trish Lilek will be my co-leader again for 2012 and many of you will be coming back and joining us in, hopefully, what will be a better growing season.

We’re always open to new ideas and projects so if you think of any, please let us know. We’re also looking for those MGs who may want to be guest speakers on topics such as Composting, Herbs, Insects, Beekeeping, Native Plants and will be asking those who visited us last year again. However, we’d like to expand our project with creative learning experiences when it rains and would like to hear from you.

It’s a busy time now with festive events coming up (including our Holiday Party).

We wish all of you a beautiful winter celebration and wonderful New Year. Season’s Greetings!

Apprentice Garden Anne Nourse, MG, Project Chair

ANNE ARUNDEL MASTER GARDENER PROJECT REPORTS

Our plots on the B&A Trail were put to bed on 05 November. The Virginia Sweetspire and Sedum were still sporting their glorious fall col-ors and there was one small Purple Cone-flower in bloom but the rest of the plants looked ready to

slumber until spring.

Sandy Patterson, Ginny Klocko, Lisa Schick, Mary Ellen & Paul Keck, Noreen Krispin, Terence Wright, and Polly Katauskas made quick work of raking, trimming, weeding, and trash re-

moval.

Our four plots are located in Glen Burnie in the 600 block of Greenway Avenue between Aquahart Road and 5th Avenue.

B&A Trail Bay-Wise Demonstration Gardens

Polly Katauskas, MG & Mary Ellen Keck, MG, Co-Chairs

Virginia Sweetspire with its glorious fall color

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Dairy Farm Elizabeth Matarese, MG, Project Co-Chair

HURRY! BEFORE WINTER SETS IN…

Work has never been more productive than when you hear

“Time’s winged chariot drawing near!” So, there has been a

flurry of activity at the Holly Glen and the Copse

at the Dairy Farm. Before the real flurries arrive!

Joe Marsala gifted the Dairy Farm Project with

50-60 New York Ferns from his inadvertent Fern

Propagation unit. Co-Chairs Sue Owens, Susan

Knisely, and Elizabeth Matarese dug ferns for a

couple of hours…along with Joe, who found

several other plants he would part with, and

they were all natives! Naturally. Even a native

Rhododendron (R. periclymenoides).

The 2012 proposal for the DF is in, and we have big plans! An-

other trail along the ridge of the Holly Glen, more

plantings, more invasive removal, and more peo-

ple participating in this great endeavor.

During the past week, just on a day or so notice,

people showed up to plant the ferns from Joe’s

place. All the available chips have been spread,

and we await more chips from Chris Coates, our

arborist; these will be welcome throughout the

winter.

There are some really hardy folks who will con-

tinue to work in the Holly Glen on the new trail throughout

the winter when the temperatures spike into

the 50’s…and they will! This kind of work is

best done when the weather is cool anyway,

and there’s no worry about heat prostration or

heat stroke. Master Gardeners sure are smart

people! The before and after pictures are be-

ing compiled as part of our work history. They

are an impressive tribute to what can be ac-

complished when many hands make light

work.

Do you have Christmas Ferns (Polystichum

acrostichoides) to donate? We would come and dig them and

take them to their new home in the Glen. In case you

need it, a picture of the fern is below:

Below are some more of the MG workers on the latest

DF project; there are many more; we will have a list in

January to share. We are so proud of the energy, enthu-

siasm, and time contributed to the DF!

Thelypteris novebora-

censis (New York Fern).

A beautiful native fern

that resembles the Lady

Fern. The base of the

frond is the identifying

component.

Athyrium filix-femina

(Common Lady Fern)

Lacy, soft fronds that

reflect light in the

forest and add atmos-

phere.

Tipularia Discolor (Crippled Cranefly, a

native orchid). It sends up its leaves in the fall

and a flower in the spring. Watch this

space for the flower!

From Left: Terence Wright, Kay Stringfellow, David Gillum, Malcolm Doying,

Susan Knisely, Kelly Hutcherson, Sue Owens

Serenity: To think this was a tangle of poison ivy and grapevine a few short months ago…and nearly impenetrable. Now look!

Thanks to the Master Gardeners, Harry DeLong, Terry Wright, and Gloria Sprague for the gardening at Han-cock's Resolution. Gloria for working on the Door Yard Garden and the men for spreading the Compost and pulling out the spent plants. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays! Stay warm and cozy looking at the mail order seed catalogs until next Spring.

Hancock’s Resolution Sue Betz, MG, Project Chair

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Our small committee conducted at least 15 tours this season of the lovely woodland garden (and sometimes also the colonial garden) at Historic London Town and Gardens. The groups ranged from avid gardeners who came with their garden club to casual visitors and our tours were adapted according to their needs but we always are able

to share some of the history of the gardens and some gardening knowledge that they can take back with them to their own gardens. And, of course, we encourage them to return to London Town in other seasons so they can enjoy the year long changing display in the gardens.

London Town Tour Guides Diana Keener, MG, Project Chair

London Town Plant Propagation Marilyn Kinkel, MG, Project Chair

The Master Gardener volunteers this Fall were very busy until the end of October. August found us digging and potting and planting before the big Fall Plant Sale. Lilly of the Valley were dug out of the garden and potted. Veggie seeds were also planted for the cooler season. We focused on which plants we wanted for the sale. September was really getting exciting knowing what was ahead in preparation for our Fall Sale. We brought in plants from our own gardens, cleaned them up, and potted those. Many ferns and Fall Ageratum were labeled and also Dawn Redwoods were potted. We had quite a group photo shoot with the Capital Newspa-per and back to work with peonies which were labeled, priced and bagged. We weeded the shade house, set up for the sale and this year added gardening books to sell, along with the plants.

September 24 was a rainy, gloomy day with sun coming thru occasionally. This didn't stop the early birds from their sales. They were slow but constant. Considering the weather, people were in good spirits, and happy to find their plant treasures! In October, more Winter cleanup was done to the green-house and the shadecloth was removed. We potted up the Peonies and repotted large trees and shrubs left over from the sale. It was also a time to brainstorm for next year's Spring Sale. Many customers specifically want plants from London Town gardens so that is a must. They enjoy knowing that fact! On October 28, we held our end of season lunch at the Severn Inn.

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Woodland Garden Bonnie Pavlak, MG, Project Chair

As part of the Woodland Garden Project, we are removing invasive vines at Kinder Farm Park. Our next workday is Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 10 AM until noon. Wear long sleeves and long pants, sturdy gloves, a hat and bring pruners, loppers, and handsaws (if you have

them). We'll meet at the Visitors Center and then walk across the parking lot to begin working. Contact bonnie@pavlak.net if you plan to come.

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News from the State MG Office

Robin Hessey, State Master Gardener Advanced Training Coordinator

MG ANNUAL TRAINING DAY- SAVE THE DATE

MG Annual Training Day 2012 will be on Wednesday, May 23

If you have any recommendations for speakers, please let Robin Hessey know (410-531-1754, rmhessey@umd.edu.) MG STATEWIDE ADVANCED TRAINING for 2012- early announcement (with more to follow) Youth Gardening Education This will be a joint MG/ Food Supplement Nutrition Education (FSNE) program. We’ll have panels on starting gardens, manag-ing kids in the garden and engaging different age groups. We’ll also have presentations of safety and resources and break-out sessions on Gro-Lights, Cooking with kids, Raised beds, Container Gardening, and the Growing Healthy Habits Curriculum (you’ll be able to attend 3 break outs). Program 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 For a complete description of the program and to register, go to the MG State website at: http://mastergardener.umd.edu/AdvancedTraining/YouthGard.cfm UPDATE MG on License Plates: These plates are fabulous and folks will take notice - so send in for yours today!\ Vehicle registration fees are separate from new plate fees

1. Motor Vehicle Administration charges you a regular registration fee and gives you a current sticker.

2. If you want new MG plates it will cost $45 total (see below). It doesn’t matter when your registration expires. If you buy

new plates, they will send you a replacement for your current sticker as well. In other words, your registration expiration is irrelevant to your getting new plates. The $45 you pay for new plates is a one-time fee. You’ll never pay it again as long as you have the same plates. After this initial purchase you will continue to pay the same registration fee for the sticker that you would if you had regular plates.

So, that all being said – why not go ahead and get a new Maryland Master Gardener license plate! We’ll all appreciate the in-creased visibility of both Extension and the MG program. Let’s show the world who we are. We recently changed the MG logo to include the word “Extension”, so we needed to re-start the license plate program with new artwork. The MVA has the new artwork, but we still need a few more completed applications before they will actually make the new plates. (No need to exchange or buy new plates if you already have the older version of the MG plates, but it would be great if we all had the word “Extension” on our MG plates.)

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Plates’ one-time cost will be total of $45; $25 of this goes to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles and $20 will go to the MG program. After initial purchase, you pay the same renewal fees each year as those with regular plates. If you want to get a complete description of how the program will work, go to the MG State website. Who Can Order a MG License Plate? Any certified Master Gardener may register their passenger car, multi-purpose vehicle, truck (1 ton or less) and motorcycle with Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles to display the new Organizational Maryland Master Gardener License Plate. You may register more than one vehicle for an organizational plate. However, the Master Gardener must be either the owner or co-owner of that vehicle. If you are interested, please send your name, current tag number and contact info (email, phone, address, and MG county)

to Robin Hessey, 410-531-1754 or rmhessey@umd.edu. Robin will send you the necessary paperwork and instructions.

News from the State MG Office

Robin Hessey, State Master Gardener Advanced Training Coordinator

Pam Dennison submitted “Composting and Native Gardens at Quiet Waters Park”; and Joyce Donlon submitted “Rainscaping Campaign at the Chesapeake Ecology Center”. I especially want to congratulate all of these Project Chairs and their committees for a job “well done” and once again our Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners shine across the County, State, Country and even In-ternationally.

Also congratulations to Anne Nourse for receiving a pin for being a nominee to receive Maryland’s 2011 AARP Andrus Award for community service for the Apprentice Garden at Kinder Farm Park Project. This is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award for community service. The award symbolizes an individual’s power and ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

A special congratulations goes to our new 2011Interns who completed their basic training and a special congratulations to our 2010 class for completing their service hours and becoming official Master Gardeners.

I want to thank everyone for getting their “End of the Year Reports” and “Project Proposals” in.

Over the past year I want to thank Sharon Smith for “stepping up to the plate” of becoming our new Database Manager and Erin Lassen for “stepping up to the plate” serving as Newsletter Editor. Also a special thanks to Audra Russell for taking care of the Calendar of Events.

Last but not least I thank all of our Master Gardeners for everything you do. You are all awesome!

On behalf of the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, I wish that each of our Master Gardeners and their families have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) conducts the Maryland Master Gardener Program.

The Master Gardener Program’s mission is to edu-cate Maryland residents about safe, effective, and

sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities.

We’re on the web! Visit us at

www.annearundel.umd.edu/MasterGardeners

It is the policy of the University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, and University of Maryland Extension that all persons have equal opportunity and access to programs and facilities without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital or parental status, or disability.

Anne Arundel County Master Gardener

Program

Anne Arundel County Extension (410) 222-6757 FAX (410) 222-6747 Anne Arundel County Government Office Building 7320 Ritchie Highway, Suite 210 Glen Burnie, MD 21061

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