december 2012 the scoop€¦ · greenery and traditional plants. natural plants are wonderful...

M a s t e r G a r d e n e r s o f R u t h e r f o r d C o u n t y Volume VIII Issue 12

THE SCOOP DECEMBER 2012

Vegetable Gardeners

Corner

2

MGRC Gardens 3

Recipe of the Month 4

Awards & Christmas

Dinner Details

4

Calendar & Events &

Announcements

5

MGRC Officers &

2013 Officers Elect

6

About MGRC

Inside this issue: T his time of the year everyone is excited about decorating their homes to celebrate the

holiday season. Many of us turn to their gardens and/or their neighbors for natural greenery and traditional plants. Natural plants are wonderful décor.

The Tree: The fir tree is the variety of most trees sold for Christmas trees. What

fun it is to hunt for the “perfect” tree. The fir’s natural aroma is one reason we use the fir in our homes during the holidays. Should you opt for a live tree, please be sure to care for it properly. Have the “tree merchant” make a fresh cut on the

trunk before bringing home your beautiful tree. This fresh cut should not be exposed to the air any longer than 3-6 hours. If you cannot set up your tree immediately, put it in a bucket of water located outside. Trim the lower branches off your tree so that it fits the stand. Before inserting your tree in the stand, be sure to scrub the stand with soap and water then rinse with 10% bleach water. Be sure you keep an adequate supply of water in your stand (as full of water as possible) and keep the temperature around your tree cool. Now your tree is ready to decorate and become the center of attention. If you do not want a “live” tree, just gather/purchase fir boughs and tuck them on your mantels, in center pieces, in vases, etc. to give your home “the aroma of Christmas” throughout the holiday season.

The Flower: The poinsettia has been referred to as “The Flower of the Holy

Night”. There is so much you can do with this plant as far a décor goes. You can tuck the plants around your Christmas tree, group them on a mantle or dining table, etc. You can cut the individual “blossoms” and tuck them into your green-

ery or make a Poinsettia tree. If you cut the blossoms be sure to sear the stem ends. Most of us purchase our poinsettias each year because they are reasonably priced and readily available. You can keep your poinsettia to see if you can make it bloom the following Christ-mas, however they are “touchy”. Be sure to fertilize the plant with an all-purpose plant food around January First and around the first of each month following. Keep the plant in a place where it will receive indirect sunlight for about six hours each day. Poinsettias must have darkness to “bloom”. Begin in mid-September to give your Poinsettia eight hours of dark-ness each day. Any light whatsoever during the dark night will prevent your plant from blooming. During the day move the plant the sunlight. Decreased length of days is the trig-ger for blooms. Whether you buy new plants each year or save them from the previous year, enjoy their beauty on winter days.

(Continued on page 3)

See Our New Website:

www.mastergardeners-rc.org

Newsletter Editor: Katherine Smith, CMG

USING TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY PLANTS By: Katherine Smith, CMG, Editor

Fraser Fir

Poinsettia

See Pg. 4 for

Details on Dec.

Meeting!

http://www.mastergardeners-rc.org

https://www.facebook.com/#!/MasterGardenersRutherfordCounty

Master Gardeners of Rutherford County

THE SCOOP Volume VIII Issue 12

Checklist for Preparing Your Garden Now for Spring Planting:

Once temperatures reach winter lows, most plants go dormant until temperatures become ideal again for grow-ing. When a freeze is predicted, watering plants helps to protect them. If temperatures reach below freezing, the leaves may become damaged; therefore, this technique doesn’t provide much for winter harvests. It does, how-ever, provide a head start for spring plants.

If you haven’t already, it is not too late to clean the rows in your garden to help prevent insects and diseases.

Spread manure, rotted sawdust and leaves over the garden and plow them under; you’ll be surprised at the dif-ference this organic matter will make in the fertility, physical structure and water-holding capacity of the soil.

Save your leaves for the compost heap.

Test your soil. Now is a good time to add lime if it is necessary. Why not get started early for next year?

Start planning next year’s garden. Think about which crops did well and which didn’t so that you can order better varieties. Think about the quantity of each crop and whether it was enough or too much.

Before sending in your seed order, draw a map of the garden area and decide the direction and length of the rows, how much row spacing is needed for each vegetable, whether or not to plant on raised beds, and other details. That way, you won’t order too many seeds.

This same advice applied to the flower garden. Try new cultivars, add more color, change the color scheme, layer the colors by having taller and shorter plants – don’t do it the same way year after year.

You may have seeds left over from last year. Check their viability by placing some in damp paper towels and ob-serving the germination percentage. If the percentage is low, order new ones.

You would be wise to order flower and vegetable seeds in December or January, while the supply is plentiful.

Review the results of last year’s garden and order the more successful varieties.

Now is a good time to look around for garden tools and supplies that you are missing and add them to your holi-day gift list! Find garden gifts for others too. ᴥ

THE VEGETABLE GARDENERS’ CORNER

By: Jack Smith, CMG, TAB



In the Butterfly Garden

THE MGRC GARDENS By: Nancy Nelson, CMG

(Continued from page 1)

HOLIDAY PLANTS IN YOUR DÉCOR

Use a fir on your porch or at the base of your front steps to welcome guests. After the season, you will have a beau-tiful tree to nurture and use again for years to come.

Use pine cones and magnolia leaves for arrangement for your mantle or tables.

Instead of the usual tree skirt, use poinsettias under your tree.

Use greenery around arrange-ments throughout your home to take advantage of its aroma.

Use small evergreen trees or the now available rosemary trees in a container for an eye-catching arrangement. Be sure to use foil to cover the inside of the container.

Freeze fruit in sections to put in your birdbath for the birds. Use a solar light to highlight it for your party guests.

Sources: BHG.com garden; A Brief Guide To Selecting and Caring for Poinsettias, by Kelsey Savage Hays; Various Miscellaneous Sources.


The Scoop Volume VIII Issue 12

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Pomegranate-Jalapeño-Glazed Ham Courtesy of: Chef Akasha Richmond; Food & Wine Magazine © Con Poulos

Ingredients:

1. One 7-pound, bone-in, spiral-cut smoked ham 2. 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth 3. 20 whole cloves 4. One 10-ounce jar jalapeño jelly (1 cup) 5. 1 cup sweetened pomegranate juice 6. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 7. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 8. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 9. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Place the ham in a large roasting pan and add the chicken stock. Stud the ham all over with the cloves. 2. In a medium saucepan, bring the jalapeño jelly, pomegranate juice and lemon juice to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, cinnamon and ginger and simmer until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. 3. Drizzle half of the glaze over the ham and cover with foil. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, basting frequently, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham registers 125°. Remove the foil and brush the ham with any remaining glaze. Roast for 30 minutes longer, until the top is lightly caramelized. Transfer to a platter. Discard the cloves. Pour the pan juices into a bowl and serve with the ham.

MGRC ANNUAL AWARDS & CHRISTMAS DINNER

At the December 17th meeting, MGRC will host the annual awards and Christmas din-

ner at the Lane Agri-Center at the regular meeting time. The Association will furnish

the main meat entre and members are asked to bring side dishes and desserts.

Spouses of members are invited to attend. This meeting is one of the highlights of the

year, and I am sure we will see all of our members in attendance.

ACTIVE: 30 MIN TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 30 MIN SERVINGS:12

http://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/akasha-richmond



Upcoming Events

Dec. 17 — MGRC Meeting &

Awards Dinner—Lane Agri Center

6:30 p.m.

2013 GARDEN BASICS CLASSES —January 26th, February 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd.

Saturday Mornings: 9:00—12:00 Noon Fee: $45.00

2013 MASTER GARDENER CLASSES — January 22—April 30 Weekly - Tuesday Eve-

nings: 6:00-9:00 PM Fee: $125.00

December 2012

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

MG Meeting

Board Meeting

Merry Christmas



2012 MGRC BOARD MEMBERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS

OFFICERS (BOARD MEMBERS)

President Mark Murphy

Vice President Doretha Jackson

Secretary Judy McBride

Treasurer Emily Arnold

Newsletter Editor Katherine Smith

Webmaster Sabine Ehlers

Event Coordinator Doretha Jackson

Parliamentarian Jack Smith

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Butterfly Garden Nancy Nelson

Farmers Market Reggie Reeves

Garden Basics Mark Murphy

Master Gardener Class Jack Smith

Media & Public Relations Gina Embry

Membership & Certification Don Richardson

Orchard Les Heaberlin

Vegetable Gardens Sabine Ehlers &

Carol Reese

Vineyard Warren Anderson

Welcoming Marilyn Rogan

Winter School Keith Miller

Extension Master Gardener Coordinator: Janie Becker

MGRC 2013 OFFICERS ELECT

During the October meeting of the Master Gardeners of Rutherford County, officers for 2013 were elected.

Congratulations to all, and MGRC is looking forward to another exciting year. The officers are:

President Kenneth (Ken) Roberge

Vice President Sabine Ehlers

Treasurer Marilyn Rogan

Secretary Teresa Fly

UT/TSU Rutherford County Extension

Lane Agri-Park

315 John R. Rice Blvd.

Suite 101

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

Phone: 615-898-7710

Fax: 615-898-7999

Email: [email protected]

Editor Email: [email protected]

“The Scoop” is the official newsletter of the Master Gardeners of Rutherford County, Tennes-

see and is published by email the first week of the month. Those members without email and

who are not able to attend meetings may receive the newsletter by U.S.Postal mail. The dead-

line for articles, pictures, events, etc. to be included in the newsletter is due the last Friday of

the month.

Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at the Lane Agri Park at 6:30 p.m.,

unless specified. Membership is $25 for a single or $35 for a couple at the same address. All

memberships are valid January through December and are pro-rated for new members only.

Please note: Master Gardener Certification requires 40 hours of training plus 40 hours of volun-

teer service. Recertification requirements are 25 volunteer hour, plus 8 hours of continuing

education per year. Attendance at meetings counts as 1.5 hour of continuing education and

1.5 hours of administration.

Trade and brand names are used only for information. UT/TSU Extension does not guarantee

nor warrant the standard of any product mentioned; neither does it imply approval of any

product to the exclusion of others which also may be suitable.

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4—H youth development, family and consumer

sciences and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, county governments cooperating, UT Extension, and Tennessee

State University.

UT/TSU Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

M a s t e r G a r d e n e r s o f R u t h e r f o r d C o u n t y

www.mastergardner-rc.org

We’re on the Web:



We’re on the Web:


Mailing Label


UT/TSU Extension

Lane Agri-Park

315 John R Rice Blvd.— Suite 101

Murfreesboro , TN 37129

december 2012 the scoop€¦ · greenery and traditional plants. natural plants are wonderful...

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